The Lies of The Insurrection & Other Lies

I, like so many of you, have been struggling with the visions and the reality of the violent insurrection that took place on January 6, 2021. We will be reviewing and analyzing the event and its participants for months and perhaps years to come. It was disheartening because of the violence, venom and hatred that was so much a part of it. The destruction, seeing people ram rodding their way into the Capitol. I've tried hard throughout my life to espouse a nonviolent life. I have struggled with being true to those beliefs now and then in both thoughts and deeds. Seeing the actions of the rioters and insurrectionists at the Capitol was one of those times when I questioned my beliefs for a few moments.

As we look at the videos of the rioters it's also easy to question the actions or inactions of the Capitol Police. There was one vision though, looking out from one of the doorways of the Capitol building into a sea of people moving toward the entrance that made me empathize with some of those officers. What were you to do with little back up? What could you do? But again, those are questions that will be asked in the coming days by lots of people.

At this point I'm more concerned with trying to understand the insurrectionists. I'm trying to understand why they were so ready to do violence and harm not just to property but also to fellow citizens including police officers and duly elected representatives. Where does their hate and mistrust come from? How is such a cult formed when there is clear evidence that their beliefs about a valid and overwhelming election are easy to prove as false? If their radicalization comes mainly from an individual repeating a lie over and over and over again, then we do have to take the lier and his enablers much more seriously.

The other thing that strikes me are the people who believe these rioters were part of or lead by Antifa. Yes, some continue to believe this even with fresh evidence from videos and the arrests. It's stunningly clear to me that white supremacists were a major part of this insurrection. It's becoming clearer that there were members of police departments from other jurisdictions. People with military backgrounds are shown to have participated. A gallows was built and brought along and screams of hanging Mike Pence were shouted in and outside of the building. This was not some boogeyman from the left, this was right wing white supremacy in all of its glory. The sad truth is that people, including the President used the term "patriots" as a code word for violent behavior and overthrowing the government. Red Caps have now become symbols of a riot, an insurrection and a murder. 

All of this is crazy behavior that has little to do with arguments about First Amendment or Free Speech rights. The fact that over a hundred Representatives in Congress and a dozen or so Senators supported the lies about the election (in some cases their own) and encouraged people to come and attack them and their workplace is beyond bizarre. There may be serious consequences for these people relative to their unethical behavior. We shall see.

We will learn more shortly about conspirators and co-conspirators, connections to people in high places and cooperation, planned or not. All of this will challenge us and our values. Values like "all men are created equal", truth, community, democracy, personal responsibility and reconciliation. But we need to be prepared for some shocking revelations and most likely additional attacks on people and institutions. All of it will be able to be traced back to one common thing - lies, lies and more lies.

Plenty of Blame for Insurrection

It's always easy to blame others for what's going on. It's also easy to say we're shocked at what happened. I'm speaking of course about the insurrection that took place in the Capitol building of the US on January 6, 2021.

But let's be clear. This insurrection started when Donald Trump rode down the escalator at Trump Tower in NYC as he announced his run for President in 2015. Yes, that was before QAnon even existed. We knew who he was then. Trump's campaign sucked in the Main Street Media. First they laughed at him but they followed him and gave him continuous airtime. The media fed on his showmanship. They were at and covered all of his rallies. Free campaign coverage throughout his campaign. Now they're shocked at the evolution of his revolution. Fox has exploded in popularity and NewsMax is a new media leader of the right and QAnon is a major terrorist organization.

After Trump's election, more and more people began to see the danger of his autocratic regime. Policies and appointments made clear the direction of where things were going. As people in his administration helped to identify the hot buttons of hate and discrimination and saw the support that was out there for these concepts, there were others who began to see the danger. In the end though it was easier to become an enabler.

Journalists with their eyes more clearly opened began to see the hatred and danger. They began reporting on the separation policies of mothers and children in cages, the racist policies and the right wing demagogue living now in the White House. 

Their warnings and the warnings of others who saw the danger fell on deaf ears. Sadly there was something else happening. Trump's language and grievances unleashed others who felt the same way. If some were blinded, Charlottesville should have opened their eyes.

But all along the way there have been those dangerous enablers. They were made up of people taking advantage either to make a name for themselves or to have their own policy beliefs implemented. We all saw people being manipulated. We all saw and heard the repetition of the lies. We saw his family members  and hangers on taking on the role of spokespeople and interpreters. 

The bottom line is that it's easy to blame the violent mob and rioters. But we have to look at each other and in that process we have to look at the police and their policing. We have to look at the Senate and their failure during impeachment. The House of Representatives has become a place where conspiracy theorists stand and spout lies.

The worst part of what's happening is that the insurrection continues in Congress and in the White House. We better understand that.

Covid-19, Pulmonary Fibrosis And Fear

I've been very lucky in my life of 76 years. I've survived a lot. Twenty-six years ago, the upper lobe of my right lung was removed along with a malignant tumor. It placed stress on some physical activities then and required a time of healing. In 2014 I had another run-in with cancer, this time in my colon. Again, surgery, healing and lifestyle changes. 

That was then, this is now. A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis, a terminal illness complicated by Emphysema. I've probably had it for a longer period of time but now it's very evident. I use supplemental oxygen 24/7 and struggle with pretty basic activities. I'm staring my mortality in the face during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As it turns out, doctors are finding that individuals struck by the Covid-19 virus, in some cases, experience lung damage very similar to fibrosis, scarring of the lung tissue that impacts the everyday functions of the lungs. Pulmonary Fibrosis is a progressive disease where tissue in the lungs becomes hardened like glass and less and less functional. There are medicines that try to slow it down or stop the progression but they seem to work in some cases and not others. They are also extremely expensive and come with various unpleasant side effects. I've been taking one of these for close to a year. 

Pulmonary Fibrosis is also considered a rare disease. Research resources have been fairly limited and most treatments are experimental. Due to Covid-19 and the reported similar pulmonary impact on the folks who have become known as "long haulers", some of this is changing. Doctors and researchers are looking at Pulmonary Fibrosis and treatments as more people are impacted long term by Covid-19. Perhaps something new will come from the additional research.

In the meantime, people like myself with Pulmonary Fibrosis or IPF as it's known, are extremely vulnerable to respiratory failure as a result of contracting Covid-19. The fear of exposure and the self-imposed physical isolation is pretty extreme. There is very little outside activity that is safe. Some is necessary, like blood tests due to the potency of the medication prescribed. Most Doctor visits are via computer with a few exceptions. I am pretty much tethered by 50' of oxygen tubing which allows for a simple walking exercise program through my house. 

I have the best caregiver and aide, my spouse, Jeannette. She spends time in isolation with me, getting out for longer walks as well as outside yard and garden work in better weather. She finds curbside shopping alternatives in our rural community. She keeps me positive and we help each other laugh. We organize, we plan. We enjoy nature from windows and decks. I try to stay relevant by reading and writing but my energy level sometimes keeps me stuck in the same place, both physically and mentally.

With all of this going on, it's important to understand that there's always someone having a more difficult time than you or me. There are people who's health situation is worse than mine. But there are others too. Young people struggling to pay their rent or their mortgage. Homeless people trying to make it while living on the street. Families without food trying to figure out where meals will come from and how children will be fed. People working at or dying in hospitals. Families are losing loved ones at an astronomical rate, sometimes without the chance to say goodbye. These are difficult times to say the least. Many of us are living in fear, perhaps for different reasons but the fear is very real. 

Watching our government fail us is hard. It's debilitating. Watching fellow citizens casually blow off Covid-19 and refuse to follow basic health and safety precautions is stunning. People like me who are seriously compromised by health conditions need the help of people who care enough to take precautions for themselves and others. We also need help from federal and state government. Responding to a pandemic isn't a State's Rights issue. It's very clear that states don't have the resources to vaccinate everyone. They don't have the resources to do that and do contact tracing. I for one would much rather see our military assisting states and citizens instead of waging or responding to battles. We know that the military is capable of building hospitals and/or mobile vaccination sites. That's what we all need right now - people caring about each other and not worrying about whose job it is. Wear those masks and wash your hands. Help out where you can.