WTAF 2023 (2022 upgrade)

 Ah, so much going on and my poor old brain is feeling feeble and exhausted. What shall I write about? The fact that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther’s King’s words are being twisted by the Rethuglicans? The controversy over the statue honoring Rev. King and his wife Coretta Scott King, showing their hands only and not their heads? How about illiberalism and christian nationalism, which is running rampant throughout half our country? Book banning? The Rethuglican plot to gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid? God, no wonder my brain feels feeble today.

There’s something else too: despite three years of taking necessary precautions, Covid is residing in the house. We’re vaxxed, boostered, and careful to wear masks when we’re out but indoors somewhere. We avoid people without masks. Yet, somehow, that sneaky virus crept into our house. So far, I’m the only one testing negative but I feel sick. My husband and son are both ill, both positive, but their cases seem “mild”. I say mild because we haven’t had to go to Urgent Care or the ER.  Still, they are both miserable. I’m the caretaker, making sure they are fed, taking Paxlovid (hubby), vitamins and OTC products to treat their symptoms.

Regarding the Rethuglicans, twisting Dr. King’s words to suit their agendas: it’s been going on with that party forever. Intelligent, open-minded people will see through it for what it is. The sheeple won’t understand that Dr. King’s words do not reflect things as they are NOW. We still have racial and social injustices. That’s what Dr. King’s messages were about. What to do about it? The thinking open-minded people in red states and districts need to VOTE these evil legislators the fuck OUT.

The statue? I was a little taken aback at first, but I looked at it a while and realized it was beautiful. The clasped hands show the deep love Dr. King and Mrs. King had for each other. What a way to honor their memory.

What is really aggravating me today is book banning, defunding libraries, and Gov Death Santis’ recent rejection of APA Black history in high schools. What the actual fuck! Half of our country’s legislators and too many voters have learned NOTHING about history because they’ve banned the true teaching of it.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not taught in any elementary, middle, or high school in this country. Yet the Rethuglicans keep howling about it. Governor Death-Santis proudly proclaims that CRT comes to Florida to die. His latest action was despicable. So, the College Board recommended adding an Advanced Placement (AP) class on African American History to high school curriculums in which the students earn college credit for passing the course.

The reason? It’s against the law in Florida! This is going to be another What the Actual Fuck Journal, dated 2023.  Against the law to learn facts about African American history? Meanwhile, there are other cultural AP classes offered that passed the litmus test. There’s been outrage, of course, about all this but he doesn’t care.

Death Santis wrote a letter rejecting AP African American History and added this sentence: “In the future, should College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion.” I bet that means white bread history with WASP sauce.

I feel sorry for the parents and students in FL who care about getting a complete education. I feel sorry for the teachers who are being bullied and terrorized with restrictive rules about what they can and cannot discuss in the classroom.

I think to myself: why would anyone want to live there? I understand being “stuck” because of the economy, the job, the family but …. I also think to myself I would drop it all for the sake of my kids. I would rather we sleep in a car in a free state instead of a fascist state. I was reading another article about situations like this; that it’s not so much about CRT but about illiberalism.  Anti-liberal thinking is spreading across the country.

Another topic that touched my hot button is book banning. Once again, this is about the fear of learning that others exist: other colors, other religions, other genders, other sexualities. I have read most of the banned books and the reasons given are so shallow. We're dumbing down our nation. But even more insidious, the Rethuglicans are quietly going around defunding libraries. That's scary.

Can you tell I am not a fan of the Rethuglicans? This is my use of what used to be the GOP. Now they are made up of GQP thugs. If there are any R's that don't hold with what the Rethugs are doing, they are sitting with their hands over their mouths, quaking. And if someone has the courage to speak against the thugs, they are ostracized (Sen. Romney), cast out (Rep. Cheney) or forced into retirement to save the lives of their families (Rep. Kinzinger).

I started reading a book called The Last Train.by Peter Bradley. He learned not too long ago that his grandparents were exterminated in a Nazi concentration camp and that his father barely escaped with his life. I read the introduction and my understanding is that Bradley meant to keep the family history quiet but recent events (guess who and what) brought him to the decision that he had to tell the story. History is repeating itself right now.

There is still so much to write about but today I have to conclude with the inevitability of our unwanted guest, Covid.  Now all of us have it. Thanks, tRump. You screwed it up.