What’s Eating Aunt Debbie?

a person holding poster with equal rights

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

I despise the word ‘woke’ because the GOP uses it in a derogatory manner as if it’s a bad thing. They have created this war against ‘wokeness’ and I just don’t understand it.

As a human being and a member of a ‘supposed’ civilized society, I would like to say that yes, I am woke, if that’s what they want to call it, and I’m not ashamed of it! I believe that anyone with a heart and compassion for others would also be woke.

Some folks wonder, “What the hell is woke?” Woke is basically being aware of the social and political injustices around us. Woke originated from African-American slang which has been given new life in the past few years.

Woke means being alert, empathetic, open-minded, socially aware, informed…and generally a good person.

If you’re not woke, then what the hell are you? You’d be uninformed, unaware, or perhaps you’re informed but don’t give a shit. Why wouldn’t you give a shit? Why wouldn’t you want others to have the same rights that you have? Skin color, sexual preference, religious beliefs, and/or political views don’t make a difference! We are all human beings!

Everyone has the right to fair treatment, and the medical/mental health care that is right for them. Why wouldn’t you want that for everyone? Why shouldn’t the LGBTQ community have access to the health care that they need? Why would you treat someone differently because of their skin color? Why be so hateful? People being treated poorly (and sometimes killed) all because of their skin color infuriates me! It should infuriate you, too!

If you don’t like the way someone lives their life then stay the hell out of it. They still deserve fair treatment and equal rights. Your opinion of them doesn’t matter one iota.

I am woke. I am an empathetic, open-minded, caring, and informed human being. The opposite of that is just not an option.

Another Mass Shooting in the US – Michigan State University/Berkey Hall

Another mass shooting in the US. 5 injured, 3 killed at Michigan State University. Unbelievable. But yet believable. Just because we have the right to own firearms doesn’t mean everyone should have them. Some folks just aren’t responsible enough, some have mental illnesses, some…well, some have bad intentions. Some don’t have problem solving skills. Ugh.

There are far too many deaths and injuries in this country (USA) by gun violence. Not counting suicides or accidents, mass shootings are more prevalent than you might think. Some are not reported by the media – if they were then there would be at least one reported almost every day!

A mass shooting as defined by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) is 4 or more shot or killed, not including the shooter. Do you know how many mass shootings there have been just in January of this year? Take a look below:

January 1, 2023

Allentown, PA 0 deaths, 4 injured
Durham, NC 0 deaths, 5 injured
Miami Gardens, FL 0 deaths, 9 injured
Chicago, IL 1 death, 3 injured
Ocaia, FL 2 deaths, 4 injured
Columbus, OH 1 death, 4 injured

January, 3, 2023

New Orleans, LA 0 deaths, 5 injured
Washington, District of Columbia 1 death, 3 injured

January 4

Baltimore, MD 1 death, 4 injured
Dumfries, VA 1 death, 4 injured
Cedar City, UT 8 deaths, 0 injured

January 5

Miami Gardens, FL 0 deaths, 10 injured
New Orleans, LA 2 deaths, 3 injured

January 6

San Francisco, CA 1 death, 3 injured
Dallas, TX 3 deaths, 2 injured

January 7

High Point, NC 5 deaths, 0 injured
Huntsville, AL 2 deaths, 9 injured

January 8

Albany, GA 0 deaths, 4 injured
Minneapolis, MN 0 deaths, 4 injured

January 9

Denver, CO 0 deaths, 4 injured
Philadelphia, PA 3 deaths, 1 injured
Minneapolis, MN 0 deaths, 4 injured

January 13

Cleveland, OH 4 deaths, 1 injured

January 14

St. Louis, MO 0 deaths, 4 injured

January 15

Phoenix, AZ 0 deaths, 4 injured
Homestead, FL 1 death, 3 injured
Houston, TX 1 death, 4 injured
Rockford, IL 3 deaths, 2 injured

January 16

Sanford, FL 1 death, 5 injured
Goshen, CA 6 deaths, 0 injured
Fort Pierce, FL 1 death, 7 injured

January 17

Houston, TX 0 deaths, 4 injured

January 21

Monterey Park, CA 12 deaths, 9 injured

January 22

Shreveport, LA 1 death, 7 injured
Baton Rouge, LA 0 deaths, 12 injured
Robinsonville, MS 0 deaths, 4 injured

January 23

Half Moon Bay, CA 7 deaths, 1 injured
Chicago, IL 2 deaths, 3 injured
Oakland, CA 1 death, 4 injured

January 24

Red Springs, NC 3 deaths, 1 injured

January 26

Lancaster, PA 0 deaths, 4 injured
Newark, New Jersey 1 death, 4 injured

January 27

San Diego, CA 1 death, 3 injured

January 28

Austin, TX 1 death, 4 injured
Philadelphia, PA 0 deaths,4 injured
Beverly Hills, CA 3 deaths, 4 injured
Andrews, SC 2 deaths, 2 injured

January 29

Greensboro, NC 1 death, 6 injured
Columbus, OH 1 death, 3 injured

January 30

Lakeland, FL 0 deaths, 10 injured
Dallas, TX 1 death, 3 injured

January 31

Durham, NC 2 deaths, 2 injured

Source: https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting

Still think there’s no problem?

Think of all the innocent people, young and old alike, who have been killed. Those who should still be enjoying their lives, loving their families, laughing, vacationing, etc.. who are no longer able to do so. It’s depressing. It’s frightening! It could happen to any of us. You could be at your local grocery store or Walmart, or your kids could be at school when in comes a guy with a firearm.

Some people think carrying a firearm will protect them. They think a “good guy with a gun will stop the bad guy with a gun.” Ha. Seriously? How the hell do you distinguish between a good guy and a bad guy if they’re all shooting guns? If you’re in Walmart, for example, and there’s an active shooter. You can’t see him so you don’t know exactly where he is in the store. All of a sudden, you see a guy with a gun. He’s actually a good guy trying to stop the bad guy but you don’t know that. You think he’s the bad guy! You pull your firearm and shoot him. You’ve just killed the good guy. See what I mean? When the police come in they shoot you because you have a gun. They don’t know who’s who either. 

I don’t claim to know the solution to this problem but I do know that something needs to be done. I think we can do better. We need to put aside the mentality of “it’s my right” and do what’s right instead. Anything we do that reduces deaths and injuries by firearms is a step in the right direction.

What’s Eating Aunt Debbie?

Good morning!

There’s been a lot on my mind, but damned if my brain will let me remember everything I wanted to say! 

Dad’s blood pressure has been relatively good; some days a little higher but with a medication dosage change, it’s under control. Dad had an appointment scheduled to see a cardiologist regarding his A-fib but unfortunately the appointment had to be rescheduled due to snow. 

We didn’t get much snow really but it sure made the roads dangerous. There were many accidents on the roads we would have been on for that appointment. People just can’t stay home because they have to go to work. I remember those days when I worked at the local nursing home. I hated winter weather because if it snowed after I got to work, then I was stuck there! I had to spend the night in that place too many times! Anyway, Dad’s appointment has been rescheduled for March 10. Shouldn’t be any snow then! 

I don’t know what I did, but I have injured my arm/shoulder. I think it’s a rotator cuff injury – perhaps a tear – and so on top of all of the pain and mobility issues I deal with, now I have to deal with this. As if life wasn’t hard enough. Ugh. I can’t not use my left arm because I need to use both of my arms to get up and down, not to mention to walk with my forearm crutches. I have yet to go to the doctor. I’m a bit ‘gun shy’ after years of not getting help for other issues. If the injury is serious enough they will suggest surgery BUT I can’t have surgery now! Who’s going to look after Dad? I can’t leave him alone. I won’t. If it’s not serious enough for surgery, there’s nothing to be done besides exercises. My insurance won’t cover physical therapy so I’d have to do it on my own. I’m already doing that, but having to use both of my arms means the injury won’t heal or could even get worse. Good grief. 

The silver lining this month is that my daughter gave birth to her 4th child, and her #2 girl earlier this month! Her name is Kaliya Rain and she looks like her older sister, Angelina Rose. 10 days later, though, my daughter ended up in the hospital because she woke up bleeding profusely. All is well now, thank goodness. It was scary and here I am in another state, unable to help her. This is my 6th grandbaby! I just wish I saw them more than I do.

I wish to hell politicians would produce some decent candidates for the 2024 election. I am sick to death of the literal shit that flows out of just about every mouth these days. MTG spews lies and hatered and couldn’t look any less like a turd than she already does. DeSantis spews lies and everybody swallows it up. DJT is still at it. Good grief. I could be here all day… If Joe Biden isn’t going to run again then the Dems better get off their asses and produce a better choice, quickly! I never used to worry about our government. I never worried that our democracy would suffer. I never worried about ‘bad eggs’ infiltrating the country and the government, ready to bring it all down. I didn’t worry because they all seemed to want our country to progress, not go backwards in time! Ugh!

Those who have followed my blog might recall that I have brought a stray cat into our fur-family. I knew we would have problems but I just couldn’t stand for the poor thing to be out in another cold winter! So, in October, BobCat was neutered, vaccinated, treated for fleas, ticks and earmites, and brought inside. He has been more calm than I expected. I think he’s grateful to be inside, getting lovins, and having other cat friends – BUT Jack is not a happy camper! He is one jealous and spiteful little shit. He still has to wear the vest when he misbehaves. Poor BobCat keeps getting beat up! Alice doesn’t care about BobCat being inside. In fact, Alice has warmed to him a little and has been seen giving him a bath! Honey Bear keeps her distance because Jack picks on her occasionally, too. Anyway, Jack is so spiteful that he has made sure to ‘steal’ my chair before BobCat gets to it. That’s the only place BobCat feels safe, other than in the cat room with the door shut! If BobCat has any dried kibble left in his bowl then Jack will eat it all and then puke it up right next to the bowl! Unbelievable! Jack still gets what he always got, before BobCat came along. They all do. BobCat isn’t showing any aggression and he’s not being territorial at all. They have to be watched all the time and it’s a lot of work for this ol’ woman! Ugh!

Well, that’s about all I have on my mind this morning. I’m sure I’m forgetting something. I always do!

What’s on your mind these days? 

 

 

What’s Eating Aunt Debbie?

I can’t believe the childish bullshit going on in today’s politics. Seriously childish! So your candidate lost. Big deal. That’s how it works. The people vote. Someone wins, and someone loses. You don’t cry, belly-ache, and moan when you lose. You take it like an adult. Gracefully. I’ve seen Elementary School kids behave with more grace and maturity in school elections than I’ve seen amongst political candidates in a very long time.

Oh, I can just hear the Trumpers moaning about how the Dems didn’t accept the vote and went all-in after Trump. Please. Don’t get me started. I can sit here for an entire week listing all of the absolutely UNacceptable (and sometimes illegal) bullshit Trump did and said and still not list it all. If Trump would have been a Democrat, the Republicans would all have aneurysms trying to take him down. It was obvious (and still is) that Trump is an unacceptable candidate for the Presidency.

Let’s not forget those so-called adult candidates. You can’t claim fraud or cheating just because you lost. You don’t act like a sore loser. You take your loss like an adult. They think that if they lose there must be some kind of conspiracy! Give me a break. Some of them tell their voters that they “can’t trust the vote” even before the election. Really? Then why should they even vote? And why the hell are you running if you can’t trust the vote? I wish these people would just grow up! If they’d just go away would be even better.

Since Republicans have control of the House now, they’re all about investigating Hunter Biden, impeaching the President (for what I have no clue!), and Merrick Garland, as well. Some say they want to fix the economy and solve other problems…but they never say how they’re going to fix it. They don’t have a plan. They just spout bullshit they think their constituents will believe.

I never thought I’d see such a circus in my lifetime. Integrity is lost and brains are scarce.

What’s Eating Aunt Debbie?

What the hell is going on in this country? 

Paul Pelosi is attacked in his home, Nancy Pelosi’s life is threatened, and it gets turned into a conspiracy theory. Political views should be set aside and this event condemned but instead the attack has been mocked and ridiculed. So much hatred in this country. It’s disgusting.

Kanye, you’re a real piece of dog…no, wait. Doggy poo is too good for you, you antisemitic asshole. I hope you lose all of your endorsements. Go, Addidas!

Kari Lake dares the NFL to withdraw the Superbowl from Arizona. What a joke. What does she think she’s going to do if they do? What the hell is wrong with these right-wing nut jobs?

Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s talking with Trump about being his running mate. Good. They can both go to jail at the same time. 

Voter intimidation is against the law. Armed individuals in tactical gear were hanging about at a ballot drop box in Arizona. They should have been arrested. Leave people alone and let them vote! If there’s going to be fraudulent voting it will be those who are desperate for the MAGAt Republicans to win. MAGAt – that was NOT a typo. See what I did there? 

It seems to me that if you’re innocent or if you have nothing to hide, then why would you plead the Fifth? “The mob takes the Fifth,” Trump said at an Iowa campaign rally in September 2017. “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” How many times has Trump himself invoked the Fifth Amendment? 

Also, why would you refuse to testify if you’ve been issued a subpoena? If you’re innocent or if you have nothing to hide, then why? If I refused to comply with a subpoena, wouldn’t I be held in contempt? Perhaps even jailed or fined? Then the same should happen to those politicians, advisors, etc., who refuse. No one is above the law!

While Biden is not doing the most exemplary job as POTUS, inflation is not his fault! Inflation is GLOBAL. Gas prices are high everywhere, not just in the US. Food shortages are also not his fault. 

What’s on your mind this week?