older • blogs

October 10, 2020

there oughta be a law. . . . . .

Oh! There is? Tell me -

Well, firstly let’s clarify/confirm what this is in reference too, right? I’m talking about laws that relate to and/or govern the known transmission of diseases to others - quite often to unsuspecting others that are unaware that a particular person is a carrier of a virus, or a transmissable disease.

Okay - so let’s start with this:

‘Take for example Iowa, which passed a law in 1998 that said people who were found guilty of knowingly exposing others to HIV faced up to 25 years in prison and had to register as sex offenders, even if they used a condom and didn’t infect anyone’

Wow! 25 years! Double WOW! But let’s be balanced and fair here - that’s SEX stuff we’re talkin’ about - you know, that dirty, bad, nasty sex stuff. STD’s and like that - yeah. So that’s like serious.

But in relation to that, in 2018 (before the pandemic) consider this:

[from radio station KPCC + NPR, June 22, 2018 - by Michelle Andrews]

An Ohio man who has the hepatitis C virus was sentenced to 18 months in prison on June 14 for spitting at Cleveland police and medics, according to a news report.

Matthew Wenzler, 27, was reportedly lying on a Cleveland street across from a downtown casino in January. When police and emergency medical technicians tried to put him on a stretcher to take him to a hospital, he spit saliva mixed with blood repeatedly at them, hitting an officer in the eye.

In Ohio, it’s a felony for people who know they have HIV, viral hepatitis or tuberculosis to intentionally expose another person to their blood, semen, urine, feces or other bodily substances such as saliva with the intent to harass or threaten the person.

Phew! Well, now THAT’s really serious! I mean the guy was a carrier - in the opinions of many medical experts that makes him a walking time-bomb!

A felony, no less. Hmmmm - food for thought. Now hold that thought - we’re gonna visit some other facts, details.

Take a long hard look at the following:

Advancing the right to health: the vital role of law

Authors: Professor Roger Magnusson, Professor of Health Law & Governance,
Sydney Law School, University of Sydney

Chapter 10: Controlling the spread of infectious diseases SUMMARY POINTS ·

Minimizing the transmission of infectious diseases is a core function of public health law. The appropriate exercise of legal powers will vary according to the seriousness of the disease, the means of transmission, and how easily the disease is transmitted.

Law can contribute to the prevention of infectious diseases by improving access to vaccinations and contraceptives, and by facilitating screening, counselling and education of those at risk of infection. Law also has a reactive role: supporting access to treatment, and authorizing public health authorities to limit contact with infectious individuals and to exercise emergency powers in response to disease outbreaks.

Where public health laws authorize interferences with freedom of movement, the right to control one’s health and body, privacy, and property rights, they should balance these private rights with the public health interest in an ethical and transparent way. Public health powers should be based on the principles of public health necessity, reasonable and effective means, proportionality, distributive justice, and transparency….and from the same source: Governments should carefully consider the appropriate role of criminal law when amending laws to prevent the transmission of infectious and communicable diseases.

There is this quite amazing, altruistic web presence known as NOLO.

What is NOLO? For more detailed information you can follow the link, but in brief, according to their web-site, it is in part, the following:

The Nolo Network

With over 50 web properties, the Nolo Network is one of the web’s largest libraries of consumer-friendly legal information - all available for free. With oversight from Nolo’s editorial team, we strive to deliver free legal information of the highest quality. We also offer local lawyers the ability to contribute to the Nolo network.

And an important question for today’s world is:

Is It a Crime to Intentionally Get Someone Sick?

Given current circumstances, do we know anyone that this might apply to?

Yes! Of course we do - Mr. President Donald J. Trump. Why, immediately upon arriving back at he White House on Monday evening, he removed his mask, entered, exited, then re-entered an interior space wherein a number of trusting government personnel were waiting to assist him. He was, defiantly, irresponsibly, maskless………

And so that question, today, is really, really important. It doesn’t only pertain to last Monday night - it applies to the rallies, the meetings - the gatherings wherein Trump is most likely still contagious. So, to continue –

Is It a Crime to Intentionally Get Someone Sick?

You bet yer ass it is!

According to NOLO, A person whose intentional or reckless behavior spreads an infectious disease, such as HIV, SARS, or COVID-19, could face criminal charges.

By Stacy Barrett

Spreading the common cold doesn’t carry criminal consequences. But intentional or reckless behavior that spreads a disease with serious public health consequences - such as HIV, SARS, Ebola, or COVID-19 - can result in criminal charges.

And a little further on in that same article:

Could I Be Charged With a Crime for Spreading the Coronavirus?

As the new coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the country, prosecutors are using criminal laws to punish people who purposely expose or threaten to expose others to the virus.

In some states, prosecutors have charged violations of specific statutes prohibiting the intentional exposure and transmission of communicable diseases. Other states are using general criminal laws to prosecute people who have intentionally spread or threatened to spread the virus. For example, prosecutors can charge “coronavirus coughers” (people who intentionally cough or spit on others while claiming to have the virus) with assault and battery or making terrorist threats.

More commonly, states are using criminal penalties to enforce public health interventions, like quarantines and shelter-in-place orders, to limit the spread of the virus.

Well, well, well - ain’t that all a corker. There oughta be a law?

There do be a law - in fact a whole whack of  ’em - but like most laws,
Mr. President Donald J. Trump, along with his posse consisting of Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell and others - they blithely ignore the laws - and the consequences of their criminally irresponsible behavior.

Yer all sure you want these guys to still be running the country (into the ground) for yet another four years?

Whaaat? Are y’all as crazy as they are?

Don’t answer that!

©michaelXmoore 2020

November 12, 2020

criminal intent?

What, if anything, have we learned?

Not much it seems.

We learned the extent to which Mr. President(NOT) Donald JumpTrump will go to insulate and protect that which he considers his own • when in fact, in his role as the supposed President of the United States, he has no ownership of any aspects of the office - and yet he behaves, as if it’s his…..his administration (or lack thereof), his Secretary of State, his Justice Department - and scariest of all, his, armed forces.

We have learned that Mr Trump’s definition of Rule of Law, is applicable only if it pertains to, his Rule of Law and definition thereto.

We have learned that he is immune, though, to any amount of public outcry, any amount of global criticism, and f course, he’s now immune - or so he claims to the coronavirus.

Sidenote: give a thought if you will to anyone else that you’ve heard about, or read about, that has received a positive diagnosis of the coronavirus. For example, Chris Cuomo, since he’s a news personality, was able to invite the CNN cameras (remotely of course) into the basement of his home where he spent TWO weeks in painful isolation, battling the onslaught of the disease.

And how long did the supposed affected Donald Trump spend in any kind of isolation? Two days? Three? And then? Amazing recovery - no lingering after-affects - little, if any, discomforts. . . . . . and so perhaps, to those of us more skeptical than many of the rest of you, it probably appeared as yet another of Mr.President Donald JumpTrump’s, hoaxes…….He, who is so quick to throw around accusations of fake this, hoax that - of course it was a hoax! A totally self-serving hoax to elicit sympathy from his base. His brave and heroic late night motorcade review of the troops - c’mon! Give me a break - poor old Donald - who suffered such tragic agonies as bone spurs in his youth - he who has never known or felt any kind of suffering at all - was able to convince you that he was also a victim of this disease?

But, I digress - let’s talk about sedition and let’s talk about treasonous acts and intentions. And while we’re at it, let’s have a little primer about felonies and felonious intent-

Firstly, felonies. The United States has a clear-cut listing of felonies - both applicable to the state level, and separately to the federal level. Of the 29 published federal felonies, guess how many MrPresident Donald JumpTrump qualifies for -  first and foremost,  Tax Evasion. Yup! Tax evasion - a federal felony. Yikes! That sounds, like - serious.

The noted definition of Tax Evasion goes like:

Tax evasion is the illegal evasion of taxes by individuals, corporations, and trusts. Tax evasion often entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability, and it includes dishonest tax reporting, such as declaring less income, profits or gains than the amounts actually earned, or overstating deductions.

Next on the hit list of felonies, as they apply to Mr Trump, is:

Obstruction of Justice: in United States jurisdictions, it is a crime consisting of obstructing prosecutors, investigators, or other government officials. Common law jurisdictions other than the United States tend to use the wider offense of perverting the course of justice.

Obstruction is a broad crime that may include acts such as perjury, making false statements to officials, witness tampering, jury tampering, destruction of evidence, and many others. Obstruction also applies to overt coercion of court or government officials via the means of threats or actual physical harm, and also applying to deliberate sedition against a court official to undermine the appearance of legitimate authority

Hmmmm - doesn’t look good, huh? I mean, have we not seen instances of witness tampering? Wasn’t there a lady, Stormy Daniels, who, as a prospective witness in an action against Mr.President Donald JumpTrump, all of a sudden declined to speak out? Oh - yes - there was a little matter of a lot of money involved in that, wasn’t there? Like $130,000.00. Hmmmm- could also perhaps push that little incident into the Tax Evasion column too - whatcha think?

Okay - but wait, we’re not finished here yet - now what about Treason?

Wow! Now that’s a big one! That sounds like, s e r i o u s !.

Treason is a crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one’s nation or sovereign. This usually includes things such as participating in a war against one’s native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state. A person who commits treason is known in law as a traitor.

Yes! Treason - right up there with sedition - almost interchangeable, what?

Well, my understanding is if one does not possess incontrovertible facts/evidence, treason is a trickyDicky one to prove. So, we’ll set that aside for the moment……but, before we rush away from that- do you not think that certain recent actions on the part of MrPresident Donald JumpTrump - in throwing around baseless accusations in respect to the newly elected President - do you not think that one might think - might think - that he has these ulterior motives . . . . . that by undermining the pins of democracy, in order to best serve his own interests, that he is acting rather counter/contrary to what is best for the country? As opposed to what is best - for him?

Think about it - we”l come back to this.

Ahhh, yes - ’tis yet another, right? I think we’ve heard (all of us heard) that

MrPresident Donald JumpTrump has been accused of both rape and of sexual assault - yes? In fact, did you know that currently there are 26 separate cases filed against Donald trump for those offences.

TWENY-SIX RAPES!

Are you kidding me? Nope! Not - not kidding you…..there are 26 of such cases pending against the esteemed president. Whassa matter - you got marblesInYourMouth?

Hmmm, again. This is like, maybe, s e r i o u s ? Not just the 26 rape cases (although for a normal citizen that would be enough to put a guy away for life, if proven guilty) - but Tax Evasion, Obstruction of Justice, Treason/Sedition PLUS Rape? Gee - how did y’all deserve, and how did y’all end up with a criminal like this guy?

But all that aside - that’s not the precise reason for this commentary.

The precise reason for this summary is simply that, in the aftermath of Trump’s loss in the election we are hearing very loud noises about his future – a future, assuming he does not end up in prison (not sure I’d take that bet).

No his future as a leader, as a guru in the Republican party, and even, God forbid, as their candidate for President in 2024. Now THAT, is scary!

‘But - but’, you say, ‘If he’s a convicted felon he can’t possibly qualify as a legal candidate…..or even if he is the candidate, and somehow wins, he wouldn’t be allowed to, as a convicted felon, hold office, right?”

Ooooops! Sorry Gracie - wrong there you are……as it turns out, if one is a convicted felon one is restricted from many, many, many things they might do with their lives….such as qualify to be bonded for a job….but, NOOOOOO!

Turns out there are NO legal obstacles to prevent a convicted felon from holding any - and that includes the presidency of the United States - any public office.

There! Take that! Think, on that

And, might I respectfully suggest - be quite afraid about that.

Hmmm - so back to that list of felonies. If there is no consequence to some, why is there a huge consequence to others?

December 27, 2020

i n e p t i t u d e 

The bill was flown to Mar-a-Lago on Thursday afternoon. . . . . .

According to a CNN report, ‘as the hour approached, aides were informed the President would not be signing the relief bill that evening. One source told CNN that Trump had “changed his mind.”‘

I’m wondering now - as are probably many/most of you - when did Donald Trump get a mind, let alone be competent enough to change one?
For one to have the ability to make such a conscious decision implies that one has either a mind, a conscience or a modicum of decency, empathy - or plain ole-fashioned caringness - to do

THE RIGHT THING!

Notwithstanding that, of course - far better for those in dire need to receive $2000.00 as opposed to $600.00 - not the issue. What is the issue? you may well ask?

The issue is that faith, confidence - hope - yes even hope, was trustingly placed in the hands of Mr President Donald JumpTrump - to exercise his plain old responsibilities and make an attempt - make an attempt to alleviate the pain, the suffering - the embarrassment of the regular American citizen, to perhaps, be able to buy food for a Christmas Day dinner - to look their children in the eye and say, ”Things aren’t great - but things will get better.”

Today - two days after Christmas, if that same parent sits their children down in front of them he will say, what?
”Shucks, kids. Our all-wise and benevolent President seems to feel that another day, or two - or weeks - or maybe a month, will be character building for us Americans. And so, we just have to suck it up - and do what’s best for our fearless leader and country.”

Huh?

Is that possibly true?
Might well be. What else can they offer their kids, here - two days after Christmas.
Nada….zilch….zero - nothing.

Donald Trump has finally achieved what no other American president has ever achieved…..the full-on contempt of America’s citizenry. Its disgust and complete disdain for anything he might do now today, or tomorrow or 25 days from now.

One thing is for sure - on Day 26 Donald Trump will no longer be residing in
the White House.

And that’s the very best thing one can take away from this conduct of warped egotism and misplaced values.

©2020 michaelXmoore theGeneralIdea/medium.com

January 19, 2021

t e a r s w e l l

is what?

It is what most North Americans should be feeling at this moment…..

it is that surge of optimism to bubble to the surface of the fabric of America.

Today, tonight, is sombre — but it is a sombre promise to heal, to further the advance against the
battle of the pandemic — it is the commitment to faith.

Tonight, tomorrow, the current quilt of disarray that has been the hallmark of the current administration —
will be replaced with another….a new fabric that is comprised of threads of faith, threads of honour.

A transition will surely occur — a chrysallis is about to blossom.
He, who will man the helm of the great ship of the USA, is committed to honesty, committed to
a fibre of fundamental beliefs and commitments to ‘fair play’, to honest effort to  heal the nation —
to lead the charge against this pandemic, to raise a sword against prejudice and lack of honest principles.

There are those — there are far too many of those, who subscribed to a dishonest agenda —
who signed on, signed up for a daily dose of lies, mis-representations and in fact traitorous ambitions.

Tears swell?

Indeed! If you do not, are not — feeling exactly that, you are. most likely, sadly, a lost soul.

But, in the view of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamela Harris, if such applies to any of you,
try to relax your misplaced perceptions. Instead, take a moment — take many moments, to hear —
to hear the message of faith, hope and belief in the United States of America.

And be comforted that you will be, regardless of the mistaken path you might have followed —
you will be welcomed within the bosom of a NewDay — a NewPath.

More simply put — give it a chance. What have you got to lose?

Calmness, serenity — candles softly flickering in the coming night — will provide light to a path
that will deliver to you, the confidence of comfort.

2021 michaelmoore theGeneralIdea/medium.com

January 20, 2021

so • w h o o o o s h !

Right?

I mean, WHOOOSH!

Like, exhale, breathe in — breathe happy without that tight band of compression around your chest. That tight band that on a daily basis has been the speedometer of the Trump presidency.

Yeah!

Cool!

Trump’s little (read, teensy) farewell crowd was appropriately proportional to the positive accomplishments this megalomaniac attained as President 45.

45. 45?

You mean as in 45 RPM? Who, amongst you, remember — prior to the digital age — the age of turntables, the age of platters. A single was released as a 45 • • • a 45 referenced the speed — as in 45 RPM (revolutions per minute)

But, an LP was always at 78–78RPM…….(LP=Long Play)

In any event, it’s done. Don’sGone — it’s done and DON — as in,

‘You’re FIRED!’

Yup — you be fired, jerk.

So, as I said on many occasions, in many of my previous posts, on that day — on THIS day, there’d be, ‘Dancin’ in the Streets’’

There do be that.

And so, we collectively sigh, a sigh of relief. At the end of the day we watch, witness, normalcy — a return to normalcy. And it’s — s o o t h i n g !

Simply, soothing.

To watch, on CNN, as President Biden signs executive orders to reverse the madness of Trump’s policies……to watch America re-join the global community, starting with the Paris Accord — it’s…..well, it’s simply enervating!

Yes! The power of positivity — that attitude by which America demonstrated firm grip on equitability — an attitude of ‘CAN DO’ — which, to the rest of the world, defined America and Americans. CAN DO!

And, WILL DO! Will do for the citizens of America. Will do, for the global community.

w h o o o o s h !

OhBoy! Am I ever excited for tomorrow! Haven’t felt that way for a long time — for four years!

Frankly, I’m just — as is most of America — giddy.

Félicitations, USA!

©2020 michaelXmoore theGeneralIdea/medium.com

April 14, 2020

Bleaker Street

Bleak
The streets
Are running black with rain

Twisting rivulets
Slide
Circling a drain

Rubbery licorice
Like plastic misshapen
Contours of life
Slipping away

These days dark
Not ending ‘till night
Blessedly for some
Comes

Gloom pervades
And persistently permeates
Our streets today
Cedars sway, they grace
Tree trunks glistening
Society’s tears sliding
In downward spirals

Watches, clocks – time
Has become a fluid course
Of tolerance
Waning patients
For better or worse

Lives unravel
Children’s cries, cry out
Mothers arms, wearier now
As patience demands
An end

April 24, 2020

A Friend When No One Else Seems to Care

Not going to get into semantics here. But what horrors are currently at the forefront of those people in public service who have earned your trust? SO, in a blind trust there have been many a folk, recently, who took Donald Trump at his word and attempted to defend their body against the onslaught of COVID-19 by ingesting bleach – or some other form of disinfectant chemical.

Yeah Right. Trust me.

Al Waxman, that beloved Canadian actor, made this TV commercial for Kleenex in 1971. It was and still is a classic.

Edwin, Harvey, Chick – all locked up in a cell with Mr. Waxman (locked up, locked down – much like today?) –

The message stated by Kleenex was, ‘A friend when no one else seems to care.’  Comforting words, yes?

Seems to me this world needs a great deal more friends such as that  statement suggests.

And, as for famous last words, at the end of the commercial,

‘And Momma told us to stay inside!’

From BBC World News : : April 24, 2020

Come the Dark

It is in my nature. It is not something over which I have control. Some call it hereditary – perhaps it is.
But it is a fact that I have learned to live with.

The early earlier hours, when most normal are sleeping, snugly, slumbering silently, is when I greet the day.

Four A.M., 4:30. Usually within 20 minutes one side or the other. Being that I have learned to live within
my normalcy my routine is pretty much always the same.

Following a few basic chores – coffee-making, cat feeding, etcetera, I make my way tothe corner window,
to my always inviting and comforting recliner.

It faces south-east, just slightly across the treetops. Treetops that at this time of year are still barren,
prickly sticks of branches poking and probing up into the night air. Beyond their skeletalscreen the
constant flow of the St. Lawrence is felt, if not seen. The dark void that brackets the winkling lights of the
south shore condos, the necklace that flickers as the tree branches sway about.

It is in those moments that I then sit quietly, searching the skies, seeing either blocky greycloud outlines,
or, seeing nothing.

Come the dark.

These days the dark evokes a feeling of threat. It speaks in windy whispers of sad and unwelcome realities.
It mocks the sense of comforting normalcy that once was.

Come the dark, the dark horseman, to render many of us stricken. To add our names, our numbers to an
ever-growing pyramid of casualties.

And I sit, feeling the dark, feeling the darkness. Which in these times seems to linger longer.

Turning to look out the window behind me, the window that faces the normally busy roadway,
I am constantly stunned by the vacancy that now greets me. The pools of rainwater glisten up a
reflection of the  monotony of the red, the orange, the green signals, of the stoplights.

Rarely now, these mornings, does one see a car. The odd one or two that slip along the  street quickly
come and as quickly disappear.

Come the dark, too soon. Come the morning, come the dawn, these days, not quite soon enough.

A simple spot of sunshine has become the currency of our time.