Shiv
Shiv's Journalthis seems as good a place as any
I'd had this kicking around for awhile and a few new pieces came to mind last night when I was winding down and wanted to conclude a post with it in a facebook support circle amongst some friends that are coping with events right now, and it felt too hopeful not to find a place to share it over here as well. We could all use something to get our eyes looking up at that horizon right now me thinks.
I've imagined all the beautiful ways the table of solidarity might be decorated one day long after we've built it together and shared it together, I imagine the underside of its old wood carved with initials by the young ones underfoot, who look for a grandparent or great-great-grandparents to amaze at before adding theirs nearby, until the edges of earlier and earlier marks wear are faded and the new marks start to carve a new ever renewing layer over them, just as new generations always carve their mark onto the world. I see new families and brothers and sisters to the cause of solidarity leaving their signature on that old table one day, with that oldest way we've been leaving a sign of our handiwork since we've had something to say on walls, by taking paint and mixing it in our mouths and spraying it over the outline of our hands, the the silhouette of our open palms create a tapestry of bright colours and sizes of hands holding one another across countless generations overlap, and you can see from the signs of callouses and bent fingers on this classic signature or that classic old signature over there, that these hands, these peoples hands all together, have been wounded by good hard-work in a life well lived and have not ever need been wounded by strife.
My father's Covid Denial: An Update
I recently shared my lack of understanding why some people are pushing that their faith justifies somehow endangering other people's lives, be it not wearing masks or violating public health orders to hold congregations. And how specifically it has reared itself with my own father's attitude on the virus. I mentioned that he is a cancer survivor.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=13482116
When I tried to call him on it, tried to get through to him, he abruptly hung up on me. Admittedly I came in pretty hot, and there was a lot going on with being worried for him, fed up with his politics, and another family member on my mom's side (whom my dad despises) also spouting nonsense talking points and being a risk to both my grandmother and mom, 90 and 60+ with COPD, respectively. As an aside, you would think the fact I can repeat them verbatim back at each other once in awhile and they get all their information from the same place, that my dad might realize if he doesn't want to be compared with a despicable person in his judgment, not agreeing with him on just about every subject might be a good place to start.
Having since received a few txts from him in reply to my attempt to let it lay. I basically made the point to him that medicaid and doctors were the means that helped him defeat his throat cancer, simplifying cause it was via text, the notion that via science we were able to develop with our cool brains over generations, a sense in our society that we should take care of each other's health, and the skill of doctors who pursue a life tending to the needs of others, he was saved. I specifically added something to the effect that there may have been something guiding the doctors and the dollars, leaving room for a deity's involvement, but apparently I wasn't specific or blunt enough phrasing it that way. My second sentence did include a statement asking him to be mindful and not buy into nonsense. I had thought it would be more obvious than I guess it was that I was referring to the conspiracy theory, death toll denying, talking point stuff we had argued about, and since we hadn't actually discussed religion or the period when he fought cancer, the two statements weren't as easily conflated as they were in his mind.
Cause his response txt the next morning was quite hot, basically accusing me of forgetting God and how sad that was. Now, I have been respectful of his religion, his beliefs and really appreciate most of the time the good it brings him to have that in his life, and tried to overlook the times he veers into using it as a cudgel, a way to dismiss people he disagrees with (including occasionally myself), or the times it goes dark and hypocritical. Haven't always succeeded, but never in a blow things up sort of way. Knowing how he felt and how he was saying God wouldn't let him die from Covid-19 cause, ya know, he hadn't let him die from cancer, and that I was trying to actually get through to him, I had felt I did a pretty good job leaving space him for his faith and respecting that God may very well have been involved at some level microscopic or willpower or one of those nights needing a light to get through struggles I never saw, but goodness. It wasn't like he beat cancer visiting a revival tent and having some man speaking tongues wave a ten foot snake in his face. He had some of the best doctors at the most respected cancer treatment hospital in our state looking after him. I tried to let what I believe or don't stay entirely out of what I said, cause frankly it wasn't relevant to what I wanted him to understand about listening once again to good doctors and the best universities and health institutions.
So, being an imperfect being and given an ultimatum about not telling him what to think and given since our phone call and my text I'd found out my step-mom (whom I do get along with quite well more often than not) had lost her grandma, in Detroit, in a nursing home, and that just that day the very reason I found out he was saying what he was about the virus and what he thought of precautions was he had called my sister to make peace over a disagreement he had been in with her (somehow that detail didn't make it to me before I called to get on his case about being safe, unfortunately), it getting back to me that he was growing annoyed I wasn't responding to his texts, and dismissing an explanation that I might, ya know, be backing off given all those circumstances as giving me too much credit... I've decided it's time to respond.
Before-hand I've made sure my sister is forewarned its coming, I've talked with the step-mom and made sure she understand whatever goes on between my dad and I, or her and my dad in the future for that matter (she is the second step-mom afterall), that needn't have anything to do with the two of us, that I care about her and my brother, worry about her and she can call me anytime she likes. That as long as it doesn't cause her too many problems with him or if she doesn't give a hoot if it does, if she still wants to visit with me (when we can again) when dad is out of town, or if my step-brother needs me, she knows that's still ok with me and where to find me.
If you're interested, this is how that went. Because I am fed up. And I'm not always a nice person when my kindness is taken advantage of for too long.
Thank you for letting me vent and share and being a supportive community. I think the only reason I slept at all the morning after the whole thing was making my first post here after a decade-plus of lurkerdom. Apologies if this is the wrong forum or I missed a line somewhere stepping up. There are a lot of sensitive subjects here but I do feel they are relevant to current events as much as personal events, and I do have a sense of hope some may find a shared catharsis or inspiration with all I have said. Or that it'll just blow by, not upset anyone unduly, and let me put it out of my head and behind me. Either would be cool.
Hi there DU!
I'm largely going to skip introductions cause I've got something burning me up and want to get on to it, but I've been reading on the DU over another long-time lurker's (me mum) shoulder predating this account, which, tbh I forgot I made until I tried creating one this week. I think I recall she started reading here during the whole 2000 Supreme Court Decision... Thing. We've found so much like-mindedness and information and comfort here over the years I can't begin to express. Sunday LOLcats are practically a weekly tradition to scroll through together for us. Cheers to you, SCE. 
I think it wouldn't be a problem to share that I'm not sure how my mom would've coped and processed the Ken Blackwell Ohio election night fiasco in '04 with commiserating here. I remember her taking a 20-minute walk, for some reason her car was unavail, to the store, in Michigan, that cold night cause she ran out of cigarettes, and then walking back. It was rough. So I have a lot of gratitude for the DU, for that and a lot more.
The first person I ever voted for to be president was Howard Dean in the primary that year. (Yes, the first election I voted in happened to be a primary!). I would've voted for Gore had I been eligible then. I would've voted for someone's shoe if it had the D nomination, and Since there is only one rational choice at this point, I'm a little piqued I can't set my current 2020 choice to Extinction Level Asteroid Impact on a lark so someone might get an unexpected chuckle. 
Okay, enough background. On with it! Cause I am done making excuses for the people I care about.
Is that because..
of a Van Allen belt thing or for some other reason?
I rarely will see or hear something about how deeper space exploration with manned missions is unreasonable, but I haven't really seen it delved into in depth. And a lot of the rest of the people talking about the science seem to overlook the issue. I'd really like to have a better understanding what the serious reservations are about.
I'd hate to think even a massive effort wouldn't be able to eventually overcome such obstacles, leaving us stuck one worldwide catastrophe away from extinction for an already interminably indefinite period. You know, for no particular reason... 
I just don't understand thinking like this and its in my own family
My dad is a cancer survivor who is on /that/ side.
I really wanted to post this train of thought I had interrupted to social media after an argument with my father that he ended abruptly. Was wisely advised that was a bad, bad idea, so here I am.
I had heard from other family that, unlike the seriousness he was treating things with initially, that he was now downplaying everything and said such as "God didn't let me die to my cancer, he won't let me die to this". Ignore the fact that doctors and access to medicaid played a major factor... I wont get into the talking points I heard when trying to get through to him, suffice to say they were easily recognizable and involved tracking chips. Though, oddly in the tests not the vaccine.
Of course, it turns out he is still protecting himself but not once did he stop me to point that out to calm or reassure me. I realize of course it's one thing to espouse foolish beliefs, it's another to broadcast them while staying at home or still keeping to protective measures you've been practicing right along. Oh well.
I apologize if this is the wrong place, long-time over-the-shoulder lurker. This thought was designed to make a point within my family about what we're all dealing with, I don't wish it to start an argument here or offend. Just needed a like-minded and supportive environment to get it out of my head, mostly.
Here goes the unpolished thought-chain I got cut off on now turned-venting and maybe someone else will feel like making something helpful of it:
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There are 2555 days in seven years. Right now, around 1400 Americans have been dying on average daily during the pandemic, even under some amount of stay-at-home and isolation orders meant, where-so ordered, to save as many lives as possible. The virus has gone exactly nowhere, and reopening where not based on advisable conditions has begun increasing numbers in previously less affected areas. 6.5 million divided by 2555 works out to 2544 daily deaths. That is math. That is not opinion, belief or feeling. That is quantitatively comparable. The deaths are dispropriatently affecting the poor, the disabled, minorities and the elderely. Also mathematically demonstrated, not opinion, belief or feeling. That is qualitatively comparable. The pace has and will accelerate by the end, large numbers have been pressed into unsafe work conditions before some share of them dying, and in the worst areas, what to do with the remains is its own scale of horror, which wont dissuade the obvious counterpoints but there it is. If you do not understand my reference to 6.5 million, or 7 years, you have apparently forgotten.
We. Were. Supposed. To. Never. Forget.
#Covid19DenialKills
#Holocaust45
#Nuremberg2021
(negligence, if believable, is not a defense, my understanding is it only affects the charges. or perhaps sentencing)
P.S. If you have thought that 1400 average number increasing by a thousand is unlikely, kindly remember only one out of three people that have died have died in the U.S., where the outcome is so far the worst of any nation on earth and the denial is amongst the most dangerous, Brazil not-withstanding.
For some solace or hope I would recommend Matthew 18:20 and suggest any distance is not a limiting factor.
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Member since: Wed Apr 4, 2007, 05:11 AMNumber of posts: 113
