Silly Summer Shorts

            What better time than the start of summer to note disparate reportings that say nothing about each other, yet a whole lot about the world we inhabit. Like the start of summer with its faux nostalgia, the stories all reinforce that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The first story hearkens back to 2016 and the spectacle known as the Trump rally. Then wannabe president held mega, as well as MAGA, events that seemed to attract a cult like following. Many, at the time, pointed out how akin to deadheads these followers were. Deadheads (Grateful Dead aficionados) would travel long distances and put up with great inconvenience in order not to miss an appearance of their favorite band. The world’s largest disorganized religion it was referred to at the time. Well the ex president is back with a rally in Ohio this past week. “’Trying to save American democracy’: Donald Trump returns to rally stage in Ohio” (Michael Collins, USA Today, 6-27-21) covered the June 26 affair in Wellington Ohio. Like cleveland.com did back in 2016, Collins interviewed attendees, revealing the enormous distance and troubles they endured to be able to attend the ex president’s celebration of the Big Lie. Deadheads indeed! “Ohio House passes bill increasing penalties for disobeying or distracting police”  by Anna Staver for the Cols. Dispatch (6-25-21) shows that learning went out the window long before school let out for the summer. “House Bill 22 would expand the crime of obstructing justice to include not following a lawful order, distracting an officer or getting within about an arm’s length of an officer without permission. Violating these statutes would be a second-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. But the crime could rise to a fifth-degree felony if a person’s actions risked physical harm. The penalty would be up to one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.” House Bill 22 proponents conveniently elided the lessons to be learned from the almost half century old War on Drugs (America’s real longest war?). Expansion of the crimes and increasing the jail time/punishment only resulted in greater misery (those incarcerated and fined) as well as greater drug use. The more things change, in terms of those representing “the people”, the more they remain the same; the stuff of CRT! Finally, the oxymoronic summertime solution (and quote) to a problem that isn’t a problem, but rather a condition, goes to Michelle Newman (Newman: The conundrum of the Tuesday Farmers Market, guest column The Advocate, 6-27-21). Seems participation in the Tuesday Canal Farmers Market is a bit “off” (an understatement, to say the least!). “The truth of the matter is that we need customers to attract more vendors, but more vendors to attract customers.” (the Indian Mound Mall suffers from the same condition) To paraphrase the big bucks economists, it looks like the market is trying to tell you something, Michelle. 

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