Re: COVID-19 - Part 2
Note: I tried to send this as a single, long post but, I wasn't aware there was a maximum number of words per post. So, this is Part I of III.
Although I have been lurking in the forums for over 15 years, I've only actually posted previously a few times. Most of which were in the Div. I threads but a few in the Div. III threads as well and, always on "hockey related" topics. Still, since the spring of the 2016 presidential campaign, at least 3/4 of my time is spent in the Cafe threads as I've always been very interested in and, have tried be informed about our politics and the various non-sports issues facing our country. A little background as I think it's only fair that others know at least some of your life experiences and the biases those produce. I'm in my early 50's. I live in the northern half of Minnesota in the community I was born and raised in. Been married 25 years and have three kids -- 21, 17, and 13 (1 girl & 2 boys, with the oldest boy beginning his transition into the LGBTQ community). All go to public schools.
I received a degree in mass communications with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. I minored in coaching. I spent 23 years in the Guard as an NCO, retiring with honors in 2011. I also spent 15 years as the owner of a small business that I chose to shut down in 2015 as the basic structure of the industry changed which prevented it from being profitable any longer. At least in the way I was set up. That and my wife had received a promotion in her corporate job that she's now been in for over 25 years as well which, from a financial standpoint, allowed me to focus on the various part-time hockey duties I had been involved in since my two seasons as a player in the USHL back in the mid-80s. Playing wise, I was a walk-on at a Div. I school but, when it was obvious I wasn't going to play in the near future, I transferred to a Div. III school that had recruited me in juniors where I was a part of a frozen four team my senior season. I've been extremely fortunate to, at various times, have served in almost every position involved in our game, other than that of commissioner. Some of those as high as the "AA" Minor Pro level.
As for my political background/leanings, I started out as a conservative as that's what my dad was (30+ years in full time military and retiring as a General). I voted for the first time in the 1984 presidential election, enthusiastically casting my vote for Reagan. In presidential elections, from 84 thru 2008, I generally voted for either a Republican candidate or, wrote in someone who was at least center-right in their policies and ideas – Reagan in 84, Bush I twice, voted for Perot in '96, voted for Bush II in 2000, wrote in Colin Powell in 2004, voted for McCain in 2008, broke the streak and voted for Obama in 2012, then wrote in McMullin in 2016. As for state and local elections, it's been a very broad mix of democrats and republicans over the years. Usually basing my decision on who I felt was the best qualified personally, regardless of their party affiliation. Around 2000, I came to view myself as an independent, especially after voting for Jesse Ventura for governor in 1998.
However, after immersing myself in the Cafe threads the last 3.5 years -- especially the “Trump” thread but, also many others. And, after being exposed to posters such as "Kepler", Handyman", "dx", and many others, my views on where this country is and the direction it needs to go, especially regarding the state of the wealth and wage gaps, the disintegration of the true "middle class", the amount of influence that the top 1% of wage earners and corporations have over our elections and, finally, the way that the "leadership" of the Republican Party has been unwilling to truly challenge Trump regarding the literally hundreds of inappropriate actions and statements -- some of which were flat out illegal -- my whole outlook and perspective has swung 100% to the Democratic Party. Are there issues in that party as well? Absolutely. However, the degree of difference in regards to the undesirable parts of each party isn't even in the same galaxy. To put it even more bluntly and, as others in these forums have already described it, the Republican Party is now a cult that not only is consumed in protecting the 1% and corporations, specifically, their CEOs and other top management AND let’s not forget the stockholders. They have also embraced blatant xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and racism/white nationalism, just to name a few.
As for the other types of media I consume besides the USCHO Forums, I generally watch CNN and CNBC but, I also occasionally switch to MSNBC and Fox (never Hannity or Coulter or the other really right wing echo chamber/Trump base appeasing hosts). That's pretty much where I'm at these days. Now, having said all of that, I refuse to get into name calling or ad hom attacks in these forums. No matter how much I might disagree with someone or, how personal they might get with me. Yes, some people in these forums aren't even worth trying to have a discussion/debate with (Flaggy). However, for the vast majority of people in here that I might disagree with, the whole idea behind these forums is the exchange of information/ideas and the resulting conversation/discussion/debate that might follow, with the hope of possibly, just possibly, either changing someone's mind or worldview OR, maybe even my own.
Heck, if "Kepler" and the crew can change me from a "center-right Republican/Independent" to a "Blue no matter who" Democrat, then anything is possible.
Now for my actual post.
After reading some of the comments and opinions that "Chuck Murray", "ecat", and others have thrown out there in this thread the last few weeks, I feel the need to respond. This post is obviously already quite long but, there's a lot to respond to so it's probably going to be a lot longer by the time it's done.
Let me start by going way back to page 14 of this thread where “Chuck” states the following (the first paragraph is a comment from “NCAA Watcher” which Chuck is responding to….
Originally Posted by NCAA watcher
Even when we knew the truth we took no action for two months and "supressed the data" in the US. If we want to point blame, I suppose we also should point fingers at those who disabled our response capabilities and then, claimed no action was needed in the US. Was Hawley not able to work "blame the New Yorkers" in to the resolution, too? That seems like DeSantis and Trump's go to now. I take it by your post that you support this full examination of blame, right?
Chuck’s response to NCAA Watcher –
Yes, let's have a discussion. For the last 4 years now, since he was a candidate, President Trump has been warning everyone who would listen that China - NOT Russia - was our most prominent ideological enemy. TO THIS DAY, there are large swathes of the MSM (and even s few USCHO posters) who rise in almost Pavlovian unison to China's defense. Many of those same folks instead tried to float the blatantly false "Russia Russia Russia" narrative for three (3) years, and after microscopic inspection by literally a dozen-plus of the President's loudest detractors, the Mueller thing crashed and burned into the nothingness it always was. Then, when more modest and humbled opposition should have pivoted to do something like infrastructure for the common good of the country … instead the Dems and the MSM (again, I apologize for repeating myself) pivoted to the next garbage attempt at a soft coup with the Ukraine thing, which served not only to protect the Bidens' insanely corrupt involvement in that country, but tried to use the purported delay in providing aid to said same country - aid which BTW had been denied by Obama/Biden which provided blankets and food instead - to impeach the President. That didn't work either. End of Part I...
