January 10, 2022

THE PURITY TRAP

From the article:

These women went to Bible college to deepen their faith. Then they were assaulted— and blamed for it.

Megan Wohlers thought she had done all she needed to do. And even if she had missed something, she thought, she was on a Christian campus, full of other believers—someone would certainly intervene.

It was the fall of 2016 when the sophomore at Moody Bible Institute, one of the country’s most prestigious evangelical colleges, started the process of getting help to extricate herself from an abusive ex-boyfriend. She tried to be systematic: She spoke with the public safety department at the school, and she wrote a letter to her ex, demanding that he leave her, her family, and her friends alone. She gave copies of the letter to a professor, the Title IX office, and Dean of Students Timothy Arens, who also promised to speak with the boy and tell him to back off. Surely, it would be enough.

January 8, 2022

Mask mandate lawsuits, and the GOP strategy of insanity as substitute for rationality.

In April, 2020, Darren Bailey filed suit against the mask mandate imposed by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.

In July, 2020, a downstate Judge upheld Bailey’s and issued an order voiding the mask mandate. That decision was appealed by Illinois AG Kwame Raoul.

In June, 2020, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau filed essentially the same lawsuits as were earlier filed by State lawmaker Darren Bailey and a restaurant in Geneva.

In October, 2020, after a closed session of the Village Board, Keith Pekau voluntarily dropped the lawsuit that the Village had filed. Was the closed session necessary so that taxpayers could not hear the discussion?

In December, 2020, Judge Raylene Grischow of the Sangamon County Circuit Court voided the earlier July 2 Court order.
Regarding the claim that Pritzker’s emergency powers ended on April 8, Grischow found that the state law in question — the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act — allows the governor to issue more than one 30-day disaster proclamation.
Judge Grischow wrote that her interpretation of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act is consistent with a 2nd District Appellate Court decision from November, in FoxFire Tavern LLC v. Pritzker, et al. In that case, a Kane County restaurant sued the governor for exceeding his authority under the law by imposing a ban on indoor dining and the appellate court ruled in favor of Pritzker.

“The Appellate Court expressly found that the IEMAA authorizes the Governor to issue successive disaster proclamations stemming from one ongoing disaster,” Grischow’s opinion states.

So why in June of 2020 did Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau file the same lawsuit. Why did the Mayor, then preparing for his re-election campaign, use taxpayer money to file another lawsuit? Was it done for publicity purposes?

During an Orland Park Chamber of Commerce Town Hall in February, 2021, Pekau said the village “didn’t have the money” to help small businesses recover from the pandemic.

But he filed essentially a “me too” lawsuit, using taxpayer money, and the Village held concerts, a food festival, and kept the pool open. And at the beginning of the pandemic, he even attacked a fellow village board member for advocating that the village should support small businesses.

Now, Keith Pekau has decided that his talents can better be applied on the national stage as he has filed to run for Congress in the GOP primary next year in the newly drawn Illinois 6th District. Will he speak of fiscal responsibility? Will he speak of his record of raising taxes in the village? Will he defend his fiscally disastrous decision to waste over $70,000 of taxpayer money on a frivolous, publicity seeking lawsuit?

The whole point of these lawsuits, and similar strategies, has been pointed out here before.

It is to increase tension, and anger, and chaos, and hope that the resultant social and economic instability will favor the GOP in 2022 and 2024.

January 8, 2022

Mask mandate lawsuits

In April, 2020, Darren Bailey filed suit against the mask mandate imposed by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.

In July, 2020, a downstate Judge upheld Bailey’s and issued an order voiding the mask mandate. That decision was appealed by Illinois AG Kwame Raoul.

In June, 2020, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau filed essentially the same lawsuits as were earlier filed by State lawmaker Darren Bailey and a restaurant in Geneva.

In October, 2020, after a closed session of the Village Board, Keith Pekau voluntarily dropped the lawsuit that the Village had filed. Was the closed session necessary so that taxpayers could not hear the discussion?

In December, 2020, Judge Raylene Grischow of the Sangamon County Circuit Court voided the earlier July 2 Court order.
Regarding the claim that Pritzker’s emergency powers ended on April 8, Grischow found that the state law in question — the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act — allows the governor to issue more than one 30-day disaster proclamation.
Judge Grischow wrote that her interpretation of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act is consistent with a 2nd District Appellate Court decision from November, in FoxFire Tavern LLC v. Pritzker, et al. In that case, a Kane County restaurant sued the governor for exceeding his authority under the law by imposing a ban on indoor dining and the appellate court ruled in favor of Pritzker.

“The Appellate Court expressly found that the IEMAA authorizes the Governor to issue successive disaster proclamations stemming from one ongoing disaster,” Grischow’s opinion states.

So why in June of 2020 did Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau file the same lawsuit. Why did the Mayor, then preparing for his re-election campaign, use taxpayer money to file another lawsuit? Was it done for publicity purposes?

During an Orland Park Chamber of Commerce Town Hall in February, 2021, Pekau said the village “didn’t have the money” to help small businesses recover from the pandemic.

But he filed essentially a “me too” lawsuit, using taxpayer money, and the Village held concerts, a food festival, and kept the pool open. And at the beginning of the pandemic, he even attacked a fellow village board member for advocating that the village should support small businesses.

Now, Keith Pekau has decided that his talents can better be applied on the national stage as he has filed to run for Congress in the GOP primary next year in the newly drawn Illinois 6th District. Will he speak of fiscal responsibility? Will he speak of his record of raising taxes in the village? Will he defend his fiscally disastrous decision to waste over $70,000 of taxpayer money on a frivolous, publicity seeking lawsuit?

January 7, 2022

The GOP is no longer a political Party.

It is now a faith.

Consider that all the things that GOP voters believe cannot be proven.

They still believe in supply side economics,

They still believe that they represent the majority,

They still believe that tax cuts for billionaires result in increased tax revenue,

They still believe that Bush actually won in 2000,

They still believe the corporate media, where over 90% of the outlets are owned by conservatives, is liberal,

They still believe that facts are part of a liberal conspiracy to indoctrinate their children,

They still believe that Trump won in 2020,

They still believe in the big Trump lie of massive electoral fraud,

and

They still believe that the Democrats were behind the January 6, 2021 sedition that tried to overthrow an election that was won by....................., wait for it, was won by the Democrats.

Clearly this Party is now a religion.

PS I say this as a Christian who does have faith, but I admit that my faith is unprovable.

December 27, 2021

"Natural immunity" is the latest fad among the Trump cultists.

In my area, one local medical professional is preaching the religion of natural immunity.

I wonder if he graduated from the Rand Paul school of fantasy medicine.

But for those who live in reality:

Natural immunity is the antibody protection your body creates against a germ once you’ve been infected with it. Natural immunity varies according to the person and the germ. For example, people who have had the measles are not likely to get it again, but this is not the case for every disease. A mild case of an illness may not result in strong natural immunity. New studies show that natural immunity to the coronavirus weakens (wanes) over time, and does so faster than immunity provided by COVID-19 vaccination.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-natural-immunity-what-you-need-to-know

Natural immunity, or exposure to a disease that helps the immune system fight future infections, is better than no immunity. But, with COVID-19, it’s not better than a vaccination.
A new study based on data from 187 hospitals in nine states found that mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are about five times more effective than a previous infection at preventing hospitalization. Among those hospitalized between January and September with COVID-like symptoms, anyone with a previous infection who remained unvaccinated was 5.49 times more likely to test positive than someone fully vaccinated.

https://hartfordhealthcare.org/about-us/news-press/news-detail?articleid=36892&publicId=395

Key to understanding a lot of the misinformation about COVID-19, its spread, and COVID-19 vaccines is an understanding that none of this misinformation is new…..
and the appeal to “natural immunity” to the coronavirus and “natural herd immunity” as being inherently superior to vaccine-induced immunity or herd immunity from mass vaccination, which are denigrated as being somehow less than natural, artificial even—or even outright harmful. Never mind that achieving “natural herd immunity” requires that huge numbers of people be sickened and die of the disease, just as individual immunity from the disease requires the individual to be sickened and face the risk of severe disease and death.

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/natural-immunity-covid-19/

December 6, 2021

My Second Amendment "Constitutional originalist" version, with explanation.

Informed voters know that, in order to arrive at his interpretation of the real meaning of the Second Amendment, Antonin Scalia, the self-described Constitutional originalist who served on the SCOTUS, decided to literally dismiss half of the actual wording of the Amendment as, in his words, “merely prefatory”.

In that spirit, I have decided to turn my own Constitutional originalist lens on the Amendment, and explain what the founders really intended. Mine has the added attraction of being in line with their actual thinking, and their actions in forming the government and additional Agencies.

First, the unredacted Amendment reads:
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

First, it is obvious that the first 2 clauses, “A well-regulated militia”, are the primary clauses. All of the rest of the Amendment explains those clauses. So, following the example of Antonin Scalia, I decided to dismiss the next two clauses as being merely referential to the primary clause, and not necessary in any interpretation of the Amendment.

Given that the founders refused to establish a standing army, instead stating that the new nation would rely on an organized militia for security and protection, the Amendment should read:
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, will forthwith be established.

This version is in keeping with the intent of the founders, and eliminates any idea that everyone who feels the “need” for a weapon should have access to one.

December 5, 2021

The "modern" GOP is fueled by hate, and fear, and violence.

It has been since 1968.

It IS that simple.

And yes, the GOP is only concerned with the interests of the rich donors who actually run the Party, but they use hate, and fear, and violence to motivate their base.

I would love to read arguments that prove that my post is far too simplistic, and I will wait for those arguments.

December 4, 2021

Who is to blame?

December 4, 2021

Freedom versus freedumb.

Freedom recognizes that all rights are limited, and that with rights, come responsibilities.

Freedumb insists that it is unlimited.

Freedom recognizes that any person is merely one part of society.

Freedumb acts as if it is alone in the world.

Freedom recognizes limitations.

Freedumb never learns.

The GOP is all about freedumb as a characteristic of Libertarianism.

December 3, 2021

One of the people that I follow is a blogger named Shower Cap.

Here is a tiny bit of his latest:

Oh, also, since this is Hell, now quack extraordinaire Dr. Oz wants the Pennsylvania Senate gig, no doubt sensing an opening in this batshit era when the fevered screechings of the anti-science death cultist hold so much sway. What, was the demon semen lady not available?

https://showercapblog.com/sure-the-right-is-deifying-a-kid-for-killing-two-human-beingsbut-kamala-harris-bought-a-pot/

Feel free to look at his page.

PS, I am not Shower Cap, nor do I have any financial interest in his blog.

guillaumeb