Animals all fed! My small (+/-40) herd of Boer goats, my donkeys and horses, my chickens, ducks, and geese, my cats and dogs, all content with me right now! A good feeling! Now, to decide what civics topics I want to muse about today.
I do need to make a correction from my Musings from the July 15th edition. I misspelled Texas actor, Matthew McConaughey’s name! McConaughey, a good Irish name, but not always easy to spell! Since his name is being bandied about as a potential candidate for Texas Governor, I needed to correct it. My apologies to Austin’s great actor and maybe even, to a future Texas Governor!
Well, we all thought that the horrible times the whole world experienced last year with Covid were finally on the wane. I took my shots in March, and I have put my masks away! I hated those masks! Hated them but wore them not only for myself but also for you, my kids, and grandkids! A shame more people did not feel responsible for all of us in our American democracy! Maybe if more people had been conscientious, we wouldn’t be in the current stressful explosion of the Covid Delta variant throughout the U.S.
How sad! The willful ignorance of many in the anti-vaccination movement is helping to bring it all back! The current disinformation being spread on social media regarding vaccinations is allowing the Delta variant to mushroom throughout the United States, as well as the world!
I used the term “willful ignorance.” Ignorance, by definition, is simply not knowing, not a bad thing. However, to willfully choose ignorance seems to be self-defeating.
I have a distant younger cousin who has just now gotten her Covid vaccine in Odessa because of all the medications she is on for her chronic rheumatoid arthritis. That was not ignorance in her case but just extenuating circumstances, and I know that is true of many not yet having received the vaccination. I pray all will seek protection against the current outbreak of Covid!
The current president and all former living presidents and their families have had vaccinations against Covid! This week, it was interesting to hear North Texas Congressman, (medical) Dr. Michael Burgess, a Republican, on Cuomo Prime Time justify the use of the vaccinations which he stated were answers to prayers and gifts of God! Wish that message was getting out to more of the millions as yet unvaccinated!
The saddest thing is that the newer victims of this pandemic currently are children and younger adults. Very, very few of us did not take vaccinations against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT) as infants. Because my ranch was originally owned by a builder, I have had to take several tetanus shots over the years simply because I still occasionally step on rusty nails even though I have picked them up for years! I still remember the Salk Polio and measles vaccines, all of which I am grateful for!
What is interesting is that the anti-vaccination movement is a result of disinformation, a negative legacy of our social media. According to new comments from social media research, of most of the rampant disinformation out on Facebook and elsewhere, only 12 individuals are accountable for almost 70% of the disinformation! Mark Zuckerberg and others need to shut them down!
Oh, well! Just shouting into the void! Have a good week!