If Dante’s deepest circle of Hell did exist, it would be reserved for Trump and his enablers.
“The lowest, blackest, and farthest from Heaven. Well do I know the way.”
Treachery was the ninth Circle of Hell. This last circle was dedicated to those people who betrayed their loved ones, friends, best friends, countries, cities, guests and even to their masters. It was also the place where Lucifer's real body was imprisoned.
It would be reserved for those who betrayed our country and this beautiful blue world for profit. It would be reserved for those who allowed a pandemic to take tens of thousands of lives and affect millions. It would be reserved for those who are silent about the bounties placed on our active duty troops’ heads, who disparage our military, intelligence agencies, our scientists, and health care professionals. It would be reserved for those who place all that we love in danger.
It would be reserved for those who supposedly care for us, but expect silence about their support of Trump or of those who support him.
The list of betrayals in my life is long and old. I can not, will not, tolerate any more betrayal of any kind. Far too much has been harmed for that. Too much has been lost. At times the grief is overwhelming. How could it be otherwise?
There is no making "nice" and pretending it all away. There is no "normalizing" of this.
There is no demand for silence that is not complicity.
I am watching everything I love be put at risk. My children and grand babies. This beautiful blue world that has always been solace and sanctuary from the evils that human kind can do.
We are watching everything we love be put at risk.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are right.
This election is a fight for the soul of our country. But it is far more than even that. It is the fight for our very existence. We either save the world or go down with it.
There is no other option.
Scientific American Endorses Joe Biden
We’ve never backed a presidential candidate in our 175-year history—until now
By THE EDITORS | Scientific American October 2020 Issue
Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate in its 175-year history. This year we are compelled to do so. We do not do this lightly.
The evidence and the science show that Donald Trump has badly damaged the U.S. and its people—because he rejects evidence and science. The most devastating example is his dishonest and inept response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which cost more than 190,000 Americans their lives by the middle of September. He has also attacked environmental protections, medical care, and the researchers and public science agencies that help this country prepare for its greatest challenges. That is why we urge you to vote for Joe Biden, who is offering fact-based plans to protect our health, our economy and the environment. These and other proposals he has put forth can set the country back on course for a safer, more prosperous and more equitable future.
The pandemic would strain any nation and system, but Trump's rejection of evidence and public health measures have been catastrophic in the U.S. He was warned many times in January and February about the onrushing disease, yet he did not develop a national strategy to provide protective equipment, coronavirus testing or clear health guidelines. Testing people for the virus, and tracing those they may have infected, is how countries in Europe and Asia have gained control over their outbreaks, saved lives, and successfully reopened businesses and schools. But in the U.S., Trump claimed, falsely, that “anybody that wants a test can get a test.” That was untrue in March and remained untrue through the summer. Trump opposed $25 billion for increased testing and tracing that was in a pandemic relief bill as late as July. These lapses accelerated the spread of disease through the country—particularly in highly vulnerable communities that include people of color, where deaths climbed disproportionately to those in the rest of the population…..
[...]
But Trump's refusal to look at the evidence and act accordingly extends beyond the virus. He has repeatedly tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act while offering no alternative; comprehensive medical insurance is essential to reduce illness. Trump has proposed billion-dollar cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, agencies that increase our scientific knowledge and strengthen us for future challenges. Congress has countermanded his reductions. Yet he keeps trying, slashing programs that would ready us for future pandemics and withdrawing from the World Health Organization. These and other actions increase the risk that new diseases will surprise and devastate us again.
Trump also keeps pushing to
eliminate health rules from the Environmental Protection Agency, putting people at more risk for heart and lung disease caused by pollution. He has replaced scientists on agency advisory boards with industry representatives. In his ongoing denial of reality, Trump has hobbled U.S. preparations for climate change,
falsely claiming that it does not exist and pulling out of international agreements to mitigate it. The changing climate is already causing a rise in
heat-related deaths and an increase in severe storms, wildfires and extreme flooding…..
[Highly recommend reading the entire piece and then sharing it.]
In the midst of sorrow and fear we must find the courage to rise. We must do everything possible to get out the vote.
Donate if you can. Make phone calls for our candidates. Help people vote early in person if you can. Write letters to the editor of your local news paper. Talk to people.
It’s up to us. The future of our children and grandchildren, our country, the world — all of it will be defined by this election.
This is far more than a political battle. It is a moral one, a fight that will determine the future of all we hold dear.
This moment, this time, defines who we are.
I’d rather go down fighting than not stand up at all.
Let’s get it done.
Update: Because we can laugh and cry at the same time, and Randy Rainbow rocks!
