What a Tragedy.

America had come together, setting aside all of our own wants and needs, to engage in the single greatest act of human kindness in history. We all stayed home, at great expense and inconvenience, so the most vulnerable among us wouldn’t die a preventable death.

I want you to think about this for a moment, before I continue: there is someone you love, who is at risk of serious infection and death,right now. I am staying home for that person, so you don’t lose someone you love. I am not the only person doing this. You’re doing this. Your family and your neighbors are doing this. We are, all of us, doing this, together, even though it is hard, it is scary, it is frustrating.

But we are doing it, together, because we care about our fellow humans.

A strong, moral, ethical, worthy leader will look at this tremendous sacrifice and ask themselves how they can honor it, how can they keep this going as long as possible, so the sacrifices we’ve made for a few weeks can be extended into months. We are doing this so people do not die.

That bears repeating: we are doing this so people we love do not die a preventable death.

America has the resources to ensure that staying home does not financially ruin anyone who is making this incredible, unprecedented, unselfish sacrifice right now. What America does not have, is the leadership to use those resources.

What America has is a vicious, selfish, incompetent, cruel, abusive, autocratic, impeached president who looked at all this sacrifice, who looked at Americans of all demographics and political beliefs, and saw an entire country setting aside its differences to work together so innocent people — people we love — do not die.

This man looked at that, and saw that it was a threat to his ambitions. Forget for a moment that it is entirely his fault that thousands of preventable deaths have occurred, and just reflect that his impulse is NOT to encourage and comfort millions of people who are scared and stressed out, but to hurt us, to abuse us, to risk our lives and the lives of our loved ones, because that man has no empathy, no compassion, no morality of any kind.

Thirty-three thousand humans have died in America since this pandemic hit our shores. According to scientists, 90% NINETY PERCENT of those deaths would not have happened, if only Trump had listened to experts and taken this seriously. If only Trump was a real leader, with compassion, empathy, and competence, tens of thousands of families would not be mourning the loss of a loved one.

America had come together to fight this. We mustered ourselves quickly and we were ready for a leader to help us take this commitment to join together and focus it, so we could get through this crisis as quickly as possible, with minimal disruption.

But the impeached president and his allies failed us. As they have done all along, they have put their narrow self interests ahead of the interests of the country, and ahead of the value of your life.

He is, right now, celebrating a fake “protest” that was organized and paid for by a right-wing organization controlled by the DeVos family. Right now, he is taking people’s fears and anxieties, and instead of using both the bully pulpit and a working relationship with congress to reassure and help them, he’s pouring gasoline on a fire.

And he is doing it because it’s all he knows how to do. This man doesn’t know how to be a leader. He doesn’t know how to be a human being who cares about others. He looked at an entire country coming together, and his impulse was to tear it apart.

Donald Trump looked at the single greatest act of human kindness in the history of our species, and he felt threatened by it. So he is doing everything he can to destroy it, to destroy us.

And for what? To consolidate his own money and his own power.

Rick Wilson says “everything Trump touches dies”. For tens of thousands of innocent Americans, he’s right.

A leader looks at the best impulses of their people in a crisis, and they celebrate, encourage, and support those impulses. A president cares about protecting their citizens above all else.

Trump is neither of those things. Trump is an abusive despot, out of his depth, incompetent and unqualified.

May history record that, when millions of Americans came together, unselfishly, in the greatest act of human kindness in history, Trump saw a threat to be destroyed.

We are nowhere near the end of this. We are probably not even at the end of the beginning of this. Trump, his fearful supporters, and his angry cultists, are going to make things so much worse than they would have been, because it’s all they know how to do.

What a tragedy.

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109 thoughts on “What a Tragedy.”

  2. Sadly true re Mr Trump. I think he can’t neurologically feel empathy. He also gets what he wants. Those around him are able to get what they want but not what we need.

  4. Trump can go take a long walk off a short tee at Pebble Beach. I’m with you on that.

    AND, there are some people out there for whom this is a lot harder than it is for me. They are people who work in food service, or in hotels, or at bars. This is very tough on them. I need to be mindful of them, and how hard this is on them, and how anxious they are to get back to work and back to an actual income.

    I’ll be ok. I’m happy to do this for everyone. I’m not the only person in the universe.

    I’m anxious to get them back to work. To the people, such as Sen. Kennedy (from LA!), I would like to say that if you’re so all-fired in a hurry to get people out of isolation, then where is the work to get enough testing and contact tracing in place so we can do that. He thinks we should just “accept” a higher death rate, but you can bet he won’t be putting himself or his elderly relatives at risk. No, he’s happy to put other people’s grandma at risk, though.

    But still, we should be trying to get back to work. By getting testing and contact tracing. So we can get our hands around this and start strangling it slowly. That’s going to be tough, but dammit, we can do this.

  5. It’s all too true. It’s like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion, heading straight for your family, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. I knew when he was elected it would only take one critical event to illustrate how utterly unqualified and unprepared he was and is. I wasn’t prepared, however, for the unmitigated pandering my his “subjects” as well as an entire GOP falling in line behind him. I can only hope that Murphy has something appropriate waiting for him and his kind in the wings.

  6. OMG why don’t more people see these things!! The Trump supporters are rabid, hateful and ignorant. I wish more people would read your words and really listen.

      1. Seriously, I think Wil would be awesome if he ran, it would be a much better choice! The key question though would be would Wil be willing to make the journey and face his inner demons to rise up to the occasio? I would do anything to support his run. I wouldn’t mind an Artist/Gamer who understands intimately mental health issues to run. “Run Wil Run.” ((Hugs))

        1. According to the Wisconsin Election Commission to get on the Wisconsin Ballot you have to have a Vice President designated and 10 Electoral Votes by registered by July 1, 2020. Then from July -August 4, 2020 you have to acquire 2,000 Wisconsin registered voters signatures and get them submitted. I hear for Oklahoma that has 39 tribes you need $35,000 to get on their ballot. In Tennessee, I heard you only need something like 275 signatures. I didn’t realize until I started to run how each state varies so greatly on what is required to get on each state’s ballot as an Independent US President Candidate. Like how do you find out who the electoral voters are for your state are…is there some sort of directory somewhere? I am still searching to find exactly who the Electoral Voters are. All I know is that I am the very first Native American woman to run as a Native American Independent US President 2020 and I hope that it may inspire some young Native American girls to look at me and say “Well if Buffy can run so can I!” You Go Native Girls! Aho!

  7. Once again, you’ve taken the same tangled mess of thoughts and outrage floating around in my head, and put it all to paper (so to speak) so that it all actually makes sense. This is exactly what’s going on, and while I would like to say that this mode of business is new for republicans, it’s not. They have always had their own interests in mind, for decades now. Trump has simply moved the bar for what is acceptable to say out loud and in public so low that they are all free to reveal just how little they care about US citizens, when we aren’t part of the machine funneling money into their pockets.

  9. I couldn’t agree with everything you’ve written more. My husband is an MD on the front lines in North Dakota- his clinic is where they are doing the COVID19 testing. He wears an industrial-grade mask partly for protection and partly to frighten the Hell out of people. “Whoa, do you really think this is that serious?” he gets asked on a regular basis. Trump’s plan to re-open this country is throwing the lower and middle class workers into the fray so that the majority of them get ill… not the rich cronies who kiss his ass every chance they get. I fear this is an attempt to “cull the herd” and eventually, naturally reach “herd immunity”… which will lead to widespread deaths nationwide. The fact we have 33000 deaths in just 4 months despite everyone coming together for one another is staggering. Be well, Wil. Stay safe.

    1. Please give your husband my love and gratitude. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through right now.

      2. Thanks. He saw a few positives today while wearing his industrial-level mask.I blogged about this and the BS with the rallies today. So many people have no clue. I’m a veterinarian with epidemiological training and we have been on this since January. F*ck.

    2. And the number of deaths doesn’t reflect people dying IN their homes. I read that in NY, 200 people per day are dying in their own homes. There are always some but such a high number is extraordinary and they are not counted because they are not tested. Add to that, all the people who likely died at the beginning of this disaster before we even realized what was going on. Trump is withdrawing money for testing because he wants to “fix” the actual numbers of infections and deaths.

    1. Don’t give up Hope Ever! In this multi-verse there are infinite possibilities ….believe in miracles. Believe in your Magick! Blessed Be! -High Priestess Charity M00N

    2. He might become President for another four years if people don’t get out and vote against him! I hear a lot of people complain about Trump, but when I ask if they will really get out and vote, around half admit that they probably won’t (as in what’s the use). If you don’t vote, don’t complain. Better yet, vote and help others to vote. We need people to vote everywhere.

  11. I agree completely. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. And Jim’s point about the GOP falling in place is what also galls me the most. In some ways I can understand why Trump got elected; racism, fear-mongering, celebrity, and the media’s constant focus on Trump all played a part. I even partly understand that Mitch McConnell has become so tunnel-visioned that all he can see is packing the judiciary with judges who will enforce his pseudo-conservative views. But for the entire party to support and encourage the immoral, unconstitutional, and cruel policies of this White House has left my mind with its jaw on the floor for over three years now.

    Somehow, we have lost the capacity to say, “I was wrong.” How do we make it possible for those who voted for Trump to vote for Biden, to speak out against our current president, without feeling that they have lost face or will be damaged by the admission that they have changed their minds.

    Wil, thank you for speaking out yet again.

  12. perfectly said. i worry about the next several months until the election. things could get VERY terrifying, MORE terrifying, very quickly.

    side note: i think i have that same bowtie. Etsy?

    1. Curious? Wil what exactly is your faith/higher power? I could have sworn someone was trying to say somewhere that you are agnostic…or don’t believe in any God.

      For some reason I always imagined you as a Witch. You come across to me very Magickal. In tune with nature. Very cosmic. Divination and higher intuition. Dreamer. Astral Projector. Telepathic. Psychic. I see in my dreams you always connected to the trees in a majestic forest. Animals are your brothers and sisters. Medicine Golden Eagles and Thunder Beings. That there is such power for you during Thunderstorms. Member of the Star Nation. Perhaps even a descendant of Romani Gyspies. I keep hearing Transylvania where my mother’s family is from. In my mind’s eye you are surrounded by Native American Ancestors very powerful warriors, very strong medicine people, very wise storytellers. I see Rainbows. Double Rainbows. And a Crescent Moon with a Starry Sky. I hear Scottish bagpipes….and lots of drums in the distance. I see a White Owl flying from the north with Purple eyes. I see places in the past of old Atlantis and I see the Ocean and a Merman. I see a fleet of Dragons flying overhead….Asian Dragons, Celtic Dragons…breathing fire as they streak across the skies…….and a small white dove rising from the buses straight to the heavens with a pink rose in her mouth so soft and gentle. This is what I see when I see you.

      So what exactly is it that you believe Wil?

  15. This made me tear up….

    You are beyond correct by framing it in the context of a global display of human kindness … because that’s what it is.

    We need to cling to that truth and support and uplift those leaders who are doing all they can to support us in this unselfish act.
    ❤️
    I’m sure you have heard this but what has gotten me through some rough days is –

    Our grandparents were called to war to fight and die – We have been called to sit on our butts and save lives.

    Context.

    1. Great point! My grandpa was a paratrooper who fought in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. Thanks for the perspective. I hope I can draw on that when the anxiety and depression hit. I really appreciate you.

      And thanks to you, Wil, for so eloquently putting into words what we are feeling.

    2. Rebekah- I have to say that it is incredibly insulting to those who fought in wars to compare their efforts to what is happening today. With all due respect, staying home is NOTHING compared to what people in the front lines of war zones have experienced.

      My paternal grandpa was at Pearl Harbor. He saw the terrible things that happened to the men on those ships hit by Japanese fire. He didn’t really ever want to talk about it because it was so painful for him.

      My maternal grandpa drove a tank that was forced to make the decision to drive over bodies placed in the road by enemy forces in Europe or endanger their lives and get out of the tank and move the bodies out of respect for the dead. He suffered with PTSD long before it had a name.

      These men fought and in some cases died for the FREEDOM of people they didn’t even know. They were fighting against leaders who told people where they could go, what they could do, who they could associate with. If the people disagreed…these monsters carted MILLIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE off to their deaths to scare others into submission. Some people were killed simply because of who they were. These leaders encouraged people to rat out those who didn’t obey orders and the people were so afraid of dying themselves that they reported friends, neighbors, even their own family members and basically sentenced them to death for not following the rules set by these tyrants.

      Now here in the US, the government is telling us where we can go, what we can buy, who we can associate with, and in some cases encouraging people to tell on others for not obeying orders. I have seen many people comment on posts like this that people who disagree with the government should be forced into a locked building and left to die from coronavirus or starvation, whichever comes first. This includes people in our own news media and government positions. This sounds awfully (and frighteningly) familiar. These same people also seem to believe that because person wants to retain their right to move about freely that they want millions of people to die. Oddly enough from what I have experienced people who want their freedom to NOT be taken away (that I personally know, have read comments from, or have seen interviews with) have agreed that taking certain precautions aren’t bad and that those who are vulnerable should be looked after and cared for. They just want to be able to work if they want to and not be dependent on the government. Not surprisingly many people who want people to stay home are those who can with little to no effect on their health or finances. Many are working either remotely or in an office somewhere. Some are getting paid time off either via their employer or unemployment benefits. Others have enough passive income that they don’t have to worry where their next meal is coming from or how much their unpaid bills will add up to once they are allowed to go back to work.

      How far are US citizens going to let this go? If we continue to give the government more power, do you really believe there won’t be bad actors who will take advantage of that? I mean, there already are on both sides of party lines. The more power they are given the worse that will become.

      I don’t want people to die from coronavirus. I also don’t want people to be forced into poverty by not being allowed to do business if they want to. No one should be forced to be out of their homes to go to a job if they feel unsafe. However, people should not be forced to lose everything by the government shutting them down while they watch these huge publicly traded companies make millions because they are “essential”.

      Any time we leave our homes we are at risk for any number of things that could harm or kill us. We could get sick, we could get hit by a car, we could have a heart attack or stroke, etc. I don’t see the outrage over pharmaceutical companies for making products that lead to addictions that are nearly impossible to beat. The opioid epidemic kills more people per year than guns. Yet they still are allowed to operate. Why are cigarettes and liquor still sold even though we KNOW how dangerous they are to people? Why are artificial sweeteners and other chemicals allowed to be added to our food when we know they can cause cancer? BECAUSE THESE COMPANIES HAVE TONS OF MONEY TO LOBBY POLITICIANS WITH. The small businesses who are not allowed to operate right now didn’t even have the opportunity to find ways to operate safely during this pandemic even though many of them would gladly have done so in order to keep their livelihoods.

      There will always be elderly people, those who have immunodeficiency, or pre-existing conditions. Should we just shut everything some government officials deem non-essential down forever? I mean just by being alive we are at risk for dying. We have a 100% chance of dying and most of us don’t have any idea when it’s going to happen. No amount of government control will ever change that. It will just make living harder on everyone.

  16. I’d be so angry and not a little terrified if I was on your side of the Pond, up against something that can’t be bribed, discredited or spun out of The Donalds shortcomings are becoming plain for the world to see

    What I’m even more worried about is him somehow claiming ‘victory’ for the selfless acts of others once its under control and getting to disgrace the office for another 4 years

    Over in the UK I’m just hoping our less-than-glorious leaders brush with the virus will bring some humanity and humility on how we play it here (and also deeply ashamed of a minority of my fellow lefties wishing him dead)

  17. Sadly I completely agree with you, 100%. So incredibly maddening to be going through this with near-zero effective leadership beyond the state level.

  18. Wil, the primary beneficiaries of our stay-at-home sacrifices aren’t the folks who will be infected by COVID-19. Our healthcare workers are out there on the front lines, without the immunity most have every year when treating seasonal influenza. We need those people healthy, to treat gunshot wounds and cancer, not just COVID-19. Remember, the irony of the flattened curve is that it tolerates MORE infections and MORE deaths, but spread out of a lengthier period of time so they won’t ruin healthcare for people with every other ailment as well as COVID-19. Yes, Wil, you read that correctly. Flattening the curve likely means MORE infections of COVID-19, and MORE deaths by COVID-19… the point is that this should bring LESS strain on the nation’s health care system, and fewer deaths OVERALL. By flattening the curve, we won’t see cancer patients and diabetics and stroke victims dying because of absent or overwhelmed healthcare workers.

    And while there is NO defense of Trump’s monomaniacal grifting, please don’t let Congress off the hook. Other nations are providing for their working class suffering layoffs to a degree unimaginable in the USA. That’s on McConnell and Pelosi, not just Trump. Pelosi poisons the waters by trying to make the COVID-19 stimulus bill a pork-fest for her pet projects, and McConnell makes sure that corporations get support unavailable to working-class folks. Meanwhile, both McConnell and Pelosi are authorizing the spending of trillions of dollars MORE than Bernie Sanders wanted to spend on his reforms, dollars that both McConnell and Pelosi said were irresponsible overreaches by Sanders. Now, however, that the money can go to DNC favorites, RNC insiders, and Corporate America™, our socialism-hating Congressional leaders have implemented National Socialism. The only uncertainty at this point is whether in November 2020 we’ll re-elect Orange Hitler or whether we’ll get Hitler Lite safeguarding the elites at the expense of the average American.

    1. Pelosi poisons the waters by trying to make the COVID-19 stimulus bill a pork-fest for her pet projects

      This is demonstrably false. And calling Joe Biden “Hitler Lite” is maybe the most childish and outrageous bit of hyperbole I think I’ve ever heard.

      1. Wow. I believe in being even-handed, but mischaracterizing Pelosi and Biden in such virulent terms does nothing to advance the conversation.

        Ruth

      2. Also, that’s not how flattening the curve works. My friend’s cousin, a 23-year-old perfectly healthy dude, got COVID-19 recently. Five days later, he was on a ventilator. Five days after that, he was off a ventilator. He was discharged two days later. He lived through a severe COVID-19 infection. Why? Because there was a ventilator to put him on. Because he had a staff to treat him. Yes, many of us are going to be infected with COVID-19. Some of us will die. That is not completely preventable. Period. However, we should not die because of lack of beds, ventilators, or staff to help us. That’s what flattening the curve is. It’s helping to assure people who need treatment can be treated. The number of infections will likely not change a ton, though it will be lessened. But the rate of infection truly matters. Your idea would have us have a huge spike, everyone infected, a ton of people die from lack of care, and be done with it. This has some merit from a herd health standpoint, but none in terms of valuing each human life. It’s not acceptable. And as you say, we also limit care for those with other illnesses. Anyway..stay the eff home, people!

    2. Good lord, another unschooled person who thinks socialism and national socialism are the same thing. Please read a book.

  19. Thank you again, Wil.

    Word in the 16 April 2020 edition of the Toronto Star is that Trump’s trying to pressure my country’s government to accede to the goal of a reopening of our shared border to non-essential traffic. I expect that Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland and company are politely and firmly making it clear that such will not happen until our medical experts give the all-clear-enough.

    Take care.

  20. Well said. We should be able to do this, but there are too many in positions of power who don’t want to. All they can think about is “opening the economy.” There are way to many people who think simply having things open is going to fix everything. The economy won’t be good if everyone is sick and hospitals are overwhelmed. It’s not just the mortality rate that we have to worry about. This illness is long-lasting even for a lot of healthy people who get it. It’s probably going to cause long-term health issues for some people.

    Even if people don’t want to help prevent the most vulnerable from getting it, they should care about not getting it themselves. A lot of “low risk” healthy people have died from this or are facing a very tough recovery.

    I have heard the SBA fund is depleted already. There needs to be enough to help keep those businesses going and people employed.

    1. Sherry,

      I think that the permanent damage done to those who survive is an issue that needs to get a lot more attention. I suspect highlighting that consequence might bring more people to realize how catastrophic our situation is. Thank you for raising that topic.

      Ruth

    2. SBA fund is depleted because colleges got billions. As well as other not-in-the-slightest-bit a small business.

  21. This reminded me to thank my governor (Kate Brown in Oregon) for her work. Some of these bullshit protests are scheduled to march on her office in May, when the reality is she has kept infection rates incredibly low and saved lives. I can’t stop Trump and his cronies from starting a political shit flinging convention, but I can let her know she’s appreciated.

  22. Want a bigger tragedy?

    With 22 million people unemployed, the unemployment related suicide rate will exceed our deaths from COVID-19 by ten times.

    THAT is the cost of staying closed.

    1. Theodore,

      That’s another reason our federal government needs to step in and support people through this crisis and do so in a way that makes them feel valued, that tells them that staying home is the honourable action to take. But may I ask the source of your statistic?

      Ruth

      1. 2017 causes of death in America from the CDC.gov (for baseline reference):
        Number of deaths for leading causes of death:
        Heart disease: 647,457
        Cancer: 599,108
        Accidents (unintentional injuries): 169,936
        Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 160,201
        Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 146,383
        Alzheimer’s disease: 121,404
        Diabetes: 83,564
        Influenza and Pneumonia: 55,672
        Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis: 50,633
        Intentional self-harm (suicide): 47,173
        Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2017, table B pdf icon[PDF – 2 MB]

        🤪 I know, it’s too much!! I’m quarantined and I’m bored, so . . .

        1. Tiff,

          Thanks for the stats. They don’t tell us whether, as Theodore stated, “the unemployment related suicide rate will exceed our deaths from COVID-19 by ten times.” Since confirmed U.S. deaths are now around 32,000 (and we don’t know how many other deaths have been caused by the virus since our testing is so inadequate), I expect COVID-19 deaths will pass the suicide rate by an impressive margin.

          And we need to factor in the likelihood of long-term health problems for survivors:

          https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-10/coronavirus-infection-can-do-lasting-damage-to-the-heart-liver

          https://nypost.com/2020/04/17/my-lungs-are-on-fire-coronavirus-survivors-say-they-fear-long-term-effects/

          The disease and treatment are also causing PTSD:

          https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-resilience/202004/are-covid-19-patients-risk-ptsd

          https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/07/the-road-to-recovery-for-covid-19-patients

          The long-recovery time will mean many people will still be unable to work, even after “recovering.” Our best bet is to stay home and prevent the spread as much as we can.

          Ruth

          1. Ruth: I was just giving baseline numbers.

            Thanks for the links – very important information.

        2. “Ruth: I was just giving baseline numbers.”

          Tiff: I did realize that and appreciate the information! Apologies for sounding otherwise. I meant my reply to add to yours.

          Ruth

      2. The average is one in five under normal circumstances according to the World Economic Forum.
        weforum.org/agenda/2015/02/the-link-between-unemployment-and-suicide/

    2. 1) Sources? Numbers? Studies? Even survey polls at this point would be better that a personal statement without anything to back it…

      2) Do you really think going to work knowing you can catch a potentially fatal disease and contaminate your co-workers, family, neighbors, any stranger you meet and not even know you did will not generate stress, anxiety or depression? Do you think being forced to go back to work when you’re vulnerable and/or have vulnerable people around you that you take care of like will not generate stress, anxiety or depression?

      1. 2) Millions and millions of people are doing it everyday – some critical industry workers required to by law and some volunteers who are taking care of the great influx of homeless right now (at least where I’m at). I’m embarrassed and ashamed that I’m not in a position to help right now but I do give money to The Salvation Army and The American Red Cross. I know these are religion-based organizations and some aren’t comfortable with that so NAMI and DBSA are great organizations to donate to also because so many have lost structure and income.

    3. Wow, I can well imagine where you pulled those numbers from. This disease is taking several thousand a week now. If red states keep breaking quarantine that number will increase exponentially. I’m not being a d!ck by asking… do you know what exponentially means? The only suicide rate you will need to worry about is people checking out because they can’t get medical help. If the Government can find and lose 1.5 TRILLION to try (and fail) to stop a stock market slide, they can pay citizens 2 grand a month to stay home. It’s working in Canada.

  24. Meh.. You don’t live in a vacuum . Take care of yourself. All politicians regardless of side have an alternate agenda to doing what is right. So leave the political rhetoric to them..You’ll feel better about yourself as soon as you stop paying attention to them. It is not the governments responsibility to care for you. In fact, They don’t. So do what you think is right. to protect yourself and your family. I Like you a whole lot better when you don’t talk from a political soapbox Wil. I don’t think blame is going anywhere.. We all know it originated in China. We are way behind figuring out anything about this because they have been less than truthful. I thumbs down any political speech.

    1. @Russell
      YOU are SO WRONG! in the PREAMBLE of the CONSTITUTION IT STATES CLEARLY… “PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE”!
      That MEANS PROTECTING THE PEOPLE! If the Government isn’t ABOUT Caring for AND PROTECTING it’s people… then what IS IT FOR?
      THIS is a WAR with a MICROSCOPIC ENEMY THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT DECENT GOVERNMENTS ARE MEANT TO DO!

      Try reading some CIVICS and Look at what the REAL ROLL and RESPONSABILITY of “GOVERNMENT” is for before you bash on anyone!

      1. @Joe Connolly Promote the general welfare does not mean promote the public welfare. It means provide for a government and a set of laws. The clause before your statement is provide for the common defense.. So did they just write the same thing twice for emphasis. Trump said this is a war and that he was treating it like it. That was so he could in act powers not normally open to him. But there is no clause in any government document that says we will take care of all your problems. In fact the document says explicitly what the government cannot do. It gives no role in you living your life. I reiterate. Take care of yourself. Live your life as you see fit. As far as the civics lesson. You are way out of your depth. One person in this conversation has more than 20 years experience working for the executive branch at the highest levels. One is yelling because he thinks his opinion is the right one. AS far as bashing anyone the only person I bashed was You. For taking a very narrow and very wrong interpretation of the Preamble of the constitution. in my post, I clearly stated what I disliked. It’s my opinion and If you believe Joe, he thinks I am wrong. So the government should be doing something about my wrong view point. Sigh….A Government is about a set of laws we can all live by. That’s what it is for. It protects itself and by extension it protects you but its job isn’t to protect you. That’s your job.. You make the decisions Joe, but only for Joe. .

      2. You DO realize when the constitution was written there were no welfare programs, right? People took care of their own families. If someone didn’t have a family to care for them (orphans and widows mostly) the church stepped in and helped.

        Welfare programs are a modern phenomenon. The welfare of the people referred to in the preamble was regarding the fact that they wanted to ensure that people were free to care for themselves as they saw fit, not be held under tyrannical government rule as people had been by the king of England. Totally different scenarios.

        The current system just creates a system of serial dependents who know they can make more money with welfare and get great benefits with little effort so why work? It was a great idea and I would imagine well intentioned at the start. Now it’s a mess and we definitely don’t need to be adding millions of recipients to the roles.

    2. To each their own. I like Wil a lot better when he is passionately expressing his humanity and reasonableness—for example, by calling the immaturity and utter lack of skillful leadership emanating from a certain politician. Do you have suggestions for ways he could do this and express his dismay without “talking from a political soapbox” and engaging in “political rhetoric”? Or do you prefer that entertainers just entertain, and never speak their mind?

      Trump is demonstrably a dangerous boob, whose daily outbursts and nonsensical, irrational, anti-scientific posturing have serious, dangerous repercussions on the lives of ordinary people. In this time of crisis he is leading by example with his cavalier, “just worry about yourself” attitude which you uphold like the good little citizen you are.

      I would love to only have to worry about myself and my family. But it is really hard to do that when I rely on everyone else to not be infecting us with a virus that can kill us, especially at a time when the necessary medical care may not be available. I would not like to be responsible for other people’s suffering, but it is too bad that people like you and half my neighbors don’t have such concerns, and instead are busy railing against “political speech” and any attempts at assigning blame where it is due.

      1. Yes to each their own. His humanity and reasonableness? Don’t we all share the same humanity or reasonableness? Even politicians? Immaturity? Lack of skillful leadership? We all opinions. Every American has an opinion. But at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. You can’t even say that because more people share my opinion that it is the right opinion.

        Relying on any politician in making your decisions for your own safety is demonstrably dangerous. The government is slow and often goes in the wrong direction. It operates in the most expedient method to get the problem off their desk and on to another. Government is truly best, when it lets private industry take the lead and the government gives it steerage. Trumps outburst have nothing to do with the lives of ordinary people. That’s like saying if Trump told you to jump off a bridge. Would you? What if you lived in a totalitarian government If Xi Jinping told you to jump off a bridge. Well, you don’t have the choice.

        The just worry about yourself statement, Is way out of context. I said “Take care of yourself” and “live life as you see fit.” Quite a bit different than just worry about yourself.. Make good decisions, and stay educated; for yourself and your family. Nobody is purposely out there trying to infect you. It is your responsibility to not get infected. Its certainly not the governments responsibility to keep you from getting infected. If they don’t do enough to protect you, then protect yourself.. Take your own responsibility. Thank you for making my point, That no one lives in a vacuum.

        Yes, I prefer he stay off the topic of politics. I like Wil, and what he does. Entertain. I would love to see him in more things, I am interested in his opinion on Games, Comics, Books, Entertainment, World events, Geography, Hobbies, Beer. even to a small degree his thoughts on Religion and the Devine. Pretty much anything he wants to share I think as an actor and a writer he has gotten a bit of a raw deal…. But Wil’s (and insert anyone elses name here) view point on politics not so much. And if you look at my original post. I didn’t really respond to any of Wil’s points I offered that we don’t live in a vacuum. I believe when the dusts clear there will plenty of blame to go around. Trump, Obama, Bush, CDC, WHO, UN, CHINA, Media, Congress. I could absolutely be blindfolded and point a finger and find someone to find fault. Liberal, Conservative, Republican, Democrat, Capitalist, Communist. I offered the best advice I know take care of yourself, don’t wait for the government to tell you what to do. protect yourself now.. Take responsibility for your own protection.

    4. Doesn’t matter where it started Russell. What matters is how we handle it. This one came from China. Others have come from other places. With safety and health regulation rollbacks, the eventual next one could be from USA, unfortunately.

      So, it’s here and we have to handle it, and the fed and some state govts aren’t doing a good job of managing it. That’s the point. We need a way to best manage it, and best requires fed and states working together and supporting everyone, not just mostly the rich. There’s money to help people out for the duration. Other countries can do it, we should be able to as well. Drop subsidies for oil and gas – they have plenty of money of their own, esp. the CEOs, they can handle it.

      Meanwhile, at least we aren’t having the huge floods in the Midwest that we had last year, making a disaster of farms and ranches. Not yet, anyway. Hoping they get a pass on bad weather this year.

  30. It goes without saying that this has been horrible. Haters have to hate, regardless of what side they stand on. But must they hate? The answer is about coming together, not throwing stones at each other. All the yelling and hateful words only put gasoline on the fire, doesn’t it? Yes people are dying and it’s very sad. Is Trump doing a good job? Who knows, right? We only know what they tell us. He’ll have another four years to repair the economy to where he got it before the virus. As a businessman, he is a genius – it’s evident, just look at how much he’s worth. What’s his worth as a human being? Well…let’s just say if he moved in next door to me, I’d move away. He drives me nuckinfuts. As much as I cringe when I hear “Pelosi”, she does firmly believe she’s trying her best for the greater good. To think that all the politicians are evil is just juvenile. Sure, there’s probably a few out there, just like in every country. We don’t have to agree with what they are doing…but to say hateful things when disagreeing with someone, it just demonstrates our lack of intelligence and yes, empathy. Be well Wil ~ we can disagree, but it doesn’t stop me from being a fan of yours and wishing you the very best. I don’t know if you read these comments…but I’m writing this more for my own mental health. LOL Be safe out there everyone…and damn it, be nice to each other!!

    1. “As a businessman, he is a genius – it’s evident, just look at how much he’s worth.”

      Please get informed before preaching empathy with a pathological liar, abuser, sexist, racist douchebag whose only success in life has been being the son of a millionaire father who loves him so much he enables him by constantly “lending” him money to cover his enormous debts (and also benefits from tax evasion schemes in the process) and therefore has let him bribe plenty of people, moved on to other businesses when his current ones failed and so on and so forth. Trump has never been a genius at anything. He’s a fraud and a rich kid who always benefiting from daddy’s money and bank interests from the immense fortune he already had as a toddler and has never accomplished anything. Everybody outside the US knows this and quite a lot of people within the US do too. Why don’t you already?

  31. Wil, I hate to sound like a broken record but there are millions upon millions who are not staying home. I’m not sure where you’re getting:
    “America had come together, setting aside all of our own wants and needs, to engage in the single greatest act of human kindness in history. We all stayed home, at great expense and inconvenience, so the most vulnerable among us wouldn’t die a preventable death.“
    You don’t recognize the millions who aren’t staying home so we can still have most of our wants and all of our needs. And what they’re giving up to do so? “The single greatest act of human kindness in history?” Sitting at home, not having to work or working from home; still being provided with healthcare, food and medicine, electricity, water, indoor plumbing, air conditioning, internet, phones, tv, Netflix, activision blizzard, take two interactive, people researching how to cure covid, military and other contractors setting up field hospitals and disinfecting nursing homes, people keeping our homes from burning down, people to help us if someone breaks in our homes and on and on and on. They’re the ones engaging in the single greatest act of human kindness. Not the rest of us sitting in our living rooms watching Netflix and playing games. ‘We’ didn’t all stay home thank God.

    1. That’s not what he’s saying and you know it so stop being so pedantic. Wil is talking about the people who don’t HAVE to go out. Of course, we are all aware of those of us who are doing the work that keeps people alive, fed and safe. We are in the minority. You know he means the rest, so just STOP.
      Marion RN

    2. One of greatest acts of human kindness we can do is putting others’ needs before our own. In my country, we do our best not to make anyone go out. I sincerely wish nobody had to get out but that’s not possible. We do need healthcare and food. The rest is mostly superficial and a lot of us don’t care about it and we certainly don’t expect people to keep working in these sectors. So yes I do my best by staying at home, respecting all the rules when I have to go out, make sure I don’t go out if it’s not absolutely necessary and I know I make the work of the courageous people who have to go out easier because it increases their safety and lets them do their work in the best conditions possible considering the circumstances. And I know it’s one of the best things I can do right now. I know it because they tell us.

  33. Wil, that was a wonderful piece of writing. I think that is one of the most moving things you have written on this forum. Thank you for being brave.
    My husband and I just finished watching Stand By Me for about the 25th time, and, no matter how much you didn’t want to be an actor, you were a natural, especially at that age, before you became so unsure about yourself. I can feel that natural flow coming through again in this piece of writing.
    I am an RN on the front line, and, as I try to protect myself as best I can, while just getting on with what has to be done, I too feel completely undermined by this abomination at the head of our nation. My husband worries every time that I leave the house (and for 14 days afterward), that I will be one of the casualties. What can we do?
    Thank you for putting our thoughts into words in such a precise and heartfelt way.

    2. Do you need cloth masks? I can send you some. My sewing machine is broken/barely limping along, but I have a few I can send now and I can make more soon. I have a machine on order (that was a trick – who knew the apocalypse didn’t need guns, but sewing machines? #sarcasm) and will be up and running more quickly soon. Mine are interfaced and made like surgical masks (I have to use them for work now, because we can’t get any for the veterinary field) and are as good as I can make them. Let me know. And thank you so much for your service. I know those are only words, and seem so ineffectual, but the gratitude behind them is real. Stay covered and my thoughts are with you.

  34. You have such a gift with words, Wil. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. As someone living in Michigan who is also considered an essential worker (although I am the only one in my office right now), it’s definitely been interesting.

  35. these words have power. refine them, intensify them, repost them. these words are true. they are right. they are accurate. unfortunately in this time, when unity is so needed, we still have division, and worse, divisiveness. how will you pierce that veil? where else will you aim this missive? i don’t mean this in a negative way, or in a deafeatist way. you are correct in what you said, and in how you said it. more people need to hear it.

  36. Your RNs Doctors, cleaners administration people in hospitals, the police the paramedics, ambulance officers, all doing this amazing effort some dying themselves trying to help stop others dying. I watch on my TV here in Tasmania and see the bodies being removed and buried in long deep trenches as if from some horrendous tyrants murderous rage. I read of people sharing how their father, became unwell at work in a department store, went home feeling a bit unwell five days later he was found in his home dead. How many more deaths like this have not been counted or found yet? Our Government was not great and still much confusion here about lots of things in regard to different states of Australia having different regulations to the federal government and as much as I am not a fan of Our Prime Minister we seem to be at least on a much better level than you guys. MY heart aches knowing that many other will die, and if the DESPOT does drop the safe distancing and get people back to work it will get so much worse. Your piece was wonderful.

  37. From my side of the world, in a country which has both fought against Hitler and collaborated with his regime, the whole Republican party is responsible as are all people who support Trump despite his blatant fascist attitude. They haven’t been indoctrinated. They haven’t been coerced. They don’t fear for their lives. They have access to information. They willingly, unfailingly support him, his behavior and his politics. They support hate because ultimately they only care about themselves, power and money, just like you said. And yes this particular fight never ends. Stay safe, stay vigilant.

    1. I didn’t vote for Trump and have no love for the man, but are you comparing Trump to Hitler and covid19 in America to the holocaust?

  38. Though I am not american and I should not interfere with politics of other countrys (because I do not have inside views but only outside views of each country situation), I express my appreciation for your statement.
    A year before the republican election campaign of Mr.Trump I had been several times in the Detroit and also Bible belt area for at least 14 days each time. During that times I got to knwo, what peoples thought have been of the (previous) Washington government. I got the impression that people, who have been in favor of Mr. Trump, had the strong wish to wipe out devil by beelzebub. After all, it was a social media echo chamber thing that steered the POTUS elections and the people, which are in favor of Mr. Trump, are still echoing the rythm of its chamber drums.
    I am not in favor of that real estate businessman and therefore it is a kind of honor for me to read thoughts I had as a non-american already before.
    Just my few cents from outside of the States. Nothng more than the few cents of only my own opinion.

  39. Calling people names is ugly, and lacks respect for the freedom of ideas America is known for. Please, Get Off the Hate Wagon. You support being around positive people. Yet, here you are being a negative person.

    Trump has his faults, cringe cursing worthy faults. The difference between him and other politicians, he is out in the open with who he is. There are many presidents, politicians, public figures that have done as much if not worse than him, behind closed doors. People we laud, name airports after, streets after. The fevor of hatred is so intense, maybe it’s time some folks, if possible, slept without their phone or other electronics in the room. And I sincerely mean that.

    1. I agree May – hate speech doesn’t help anyone. Instead of complaining about a problem, help find a solution – the solution of bringing everyone together, especially during such a horrific crisis. Placing blame, pointing fingers, calling people names is what we did when we were children. We need to grow up, find middle ground, and help each other. Thank you for posting that May, it is so true.

    2. “… out in the open with who he is.” Yup. He didn’t lie. Not once. He told us exactly what he was from the beginning: hateful, xenophobic, sexist, racist, ableist, fear-mongering. We can now add manslaughtering to the list. Yeah…I don’t think his “honesty” is much of a draw.

  41. I like to consider myself apolitical, so this comment comes from an unbiased observation. It strikes me as hypocritical to understand the need to protect citizens by locking down the country against a virus, but not to apply the same logic when it comes to locking down our nations borders. If you’re okay with temporarily pausing the rights of US citizens to travel freely, for the good of the nation, why would the same logic not be applied to non-citizens who are wishing to travel freely across the US border? It’s concerning me that I’m seeing restrictions on US citizens that I don’t see equally demanded for non- US citizens. I’m a Libra…I’m all about fairness. This doesn’t pass my “fair” smell test.

      1. I know that you may not understand the point of my post, but that’s okay. My point has nothing to do with the arguments for or against a secured border. I am pointing out the hypocrisy of believing that Americans should have their rights to travel freely curtailed, for the good of the country, but then being against curtailing the rights to travel freely of non-Americans who chose to skip due process at the border. It’s what I find in many discussions, when they devolve into political knee jerk reactions. Thinking goes out the window. The examples are almost endless. Just as many on both the conservative and liberal sides. Bottom line, if you believe that it is justified for the government to ‘pause’ the rights of Americans to travel freely for the good of the country during this pandemic, then how could you also not be for ‘pausing’ the rights of non-Americans to travel freely at the US border? Any other conclusion is disingenuous.

  42. It is both amazing and distressing to see people who find it perfectly normal–or at least defensible–for the President of the United States to speak so many falsehoods, contradict himself, and completely ignore the experts in virtually any field. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times and I’m probably wearing a MAGA hat; fool me as often as you want..

    1. “Never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.” Quote describing Hitler’s physiological profile. Kind of fits all of the political parties in the US. Tells you something, huh?

  44. When all of this began, I actually looked forward to seeing what you would have to say about this, Wil. This and your previous post have not disappointed. It’s because you write things like this that I have been visiting your site for well over a decade and it’s why I will continue to keep doing so. Thanks, and keep it up.

  46. I’m honestly starting to be concerned about the number of non-essentials that have apparently been able to stockpile enough money in the US that they can be off work for months. I sincerely need to re-evaluate where I’m spending my money so that those that deserve it – the essential people – are able to do that.

  47. There is no better example of “Professed alignment” versus “Actual alignment” than the current US Government, which professes to be Lawful Good, but is, in fact, Neutral Evil.

  48. I’m not sure how any of you are supporting having the government print and hand out more money for the PPP…Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse got $20million handed to them. Number one, the limit is supposed to be $10million per business but because they are “two entities” they can get $20million. Number two, they made $135million in revenue the last quarter of 2019. Number three, they are still open (although with limited staff because of only doing take out service), so they are still bringing in revenue. This is just one instance that I know details about…I know of 2 more big restaurant chains that also got huge sums of money ($20million and $15.1million) While it makes me angry enough that the government has chosen to hand out hundred of millions of dollars that will get tacked on to American’s already huge debt and translate to even higher taxes, I personally know two small businesses that had to completely shut down and stop paying their employees because they are “non-essential” and neither of them are able to get help? For crying out loud…if the government is going to take our money and say they are helping “small businesses”, shouldn’t they be helping the people who actually have a small business?

  49. I hope you don’t mind me saying, but It’s such a pity that the nice child you were at the start of your career has now been twisted into such a hateful adult. What happened to you Wil? Donald trump pays himself $1 salery. Would you do your job for $1? I don’t know much about politics, but I don’t think you should speak about anyone the way you speak about the president? It’s not very helpful to insight hatred. I think you should try to express your opinions without the vulgarity and abuse? .

    1. He has spent more of your — our — money on his golfing and Mar-a-Lago trips than the entire presidential salary.

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