Random Thougts: Breonna Taylor, RBG, COVID and All That "Schitt's"

 No Justice, No Peace in Louisville

You can say Breonna Taylor's name as much you want, but it doesn't mean she's going to get any justice.  A grand jury in Louisville, KY charged only one of the four police officers accused of her murder, and that was for shooting someone else in the next room.  Taylor's family had already settled with the city for $12 million in a civil trial.  The Feds have yet to complete its investigation into the incident, but they'll be under enormous pressure to satisfy Taylor's supporters, who took to the streets of Louisville and other cities as soon as the verdict was announced.  This does not bode well for what will happen in Minneapolis when the police officers allegedly responsible for George Floyd's death will come to trial.

Change Over RBG's Dead Body

Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death at age 87 on September 18 is a win-win for President Donald Trump.  With a few weeks remaining before the Presidential election, Trump and his Republican pals in the Senate can ignore Ginsburg's dying wish that her replacement wouldn't be approved and seated before the people elect a new leader.  Not only would Trump have an insurance policy in his favor in case of a tight election, but should he lose to Joe Biden (a fact the President has been known to dismiss as his way of staying in power no matter what), the Democratic candidate (and future Presidents) would be stuck with a 6-3 conservative majority for the foreseeable future unless his plan to "pack the Court" (ala FDR) gets past Congress

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has rightfully been recognized as a role model and trail blazer for women and others who believe in social justice, deserved better than to be a cold body stepped over by those who couldn't wait for a more conservative future for the Supreme Court.  Everything she ever championed on the bench might not survive her death.

A Grim Milestone--And Counting

The death toll in the United States in the six months since a health emergency was declared over COVID-19 has risen (as of 9/24/2020) to over 201,000, with nearly seven million confirmed cases.  This is a tribute to the confusion, denial and mismanagement of the pandemic caused by our elected leaders, choosing fear over the advice of scientists and doctors that they themselves had hired, resulting in untold misery for those who are working from home--or not, kids who are learning from computer screens instead of in classrooms, and for those who could not see their loved ones.  According to those scientists, the pandemic might actually run its course by mid-2021--if all goes well, a safe vaccine can be found, and enough people take precautions.  The politicians and business leaders run the risk of prolonging things unnecessarily if they continue to believe the bottom line is being affected, and if they continue to believe the rising death toll from COVID amounts to, well, nothing.

The Emmys Go Up a "Creek"

The Canadian sitcom "Schitt's Creek", in its final season, swept the comedy category at the 72nd Emmy Awards September 20.  No other show has ever done that.  Awards went to its stars Catherine O'Hara (actress in a comedy), Eugene Levy (actor in a comedy), Daniel Levy (supporting actor), Annie Murphy (supporting actress), and "Creek" itself (best comedy).

Elsewhere, two shows from HBO dominated the Limited Series and Drama categories.  "Watchmen" won for Best Limited Series?Movie, along with stars Regina King (best actress) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen (supporting actor).  "Succession" won for best drama, and Jeremy Strong won for best actor in a drama.

The Emmy telecast was staged virtually from Staples Center in Los Angeles, was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and shown on ABC.  It was, as Kimmel predicted, the lowest-rated Emmy ever.  You can't just blame competition from sports for the low numbers.  Many of the shows that were nominated were ones that weren't familiar to most viewers, and the few that were depended on where they got their TV.  Or are people just tired of awards shows where Hollywood stars preach at them to vote and to end racism and sexism?

Trump vs. "Not Trump"

Well, here it is.  The presidential election season (such as it is) has begun after a summer full of virtual conventions, clashes in the street. possible mail-in voter fraud and arguments over wearing masks and how to open school as the COVID-19 pandemic is on its way to killing almost 200,000 Americans in just a few months. 

President Donald Trump, the Republican incumbent, may not have helped start the outbreak.  But he's certainly responsible for his mismanagement of it, having said as much on tape about downplaying the seriousness as prime fodder for Bob Woodward's new book.  Trump faces former Democratic vice president Joe Biden, who made headlines for making Kamala Harris his running mate.  The current Senator from California, who would be the first of Asian and Jamaican descent to serve in the office if they win, ran against Biden in the primaries.

The President promises to "keep America great" as cities burn, businesses shut down, millions lose their jobs due to COVID, and there's a trade war with China.  Biden wants to "build back better", as if he's a Detroit auto executive trying to sell his fading lineup of cars.  He also wants to do a better job of handling the virus by mandating masks and relying on scientists and doctors instead of promoting questionable miracle cures and "wishing" the virus away.  But mainly what Biden, Harris and the Democrats have to sell is that they're not Trump, and that may be enough for them to win in November.

Nearly two decades have passed since the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks, and America's national security is in danger of being compromised--if it isn't already.  Trump's disdain for climate change and for the "suckers" and "losers" who populated the military he commands past and present are matched only by his unyielding friendship and support of the authoritarian dictators he wants to emulate, if the Constitution would only let him.

We know that race relations is not Trump's strong suit, having long ago sided with white nationalists in his quest for "law and order" instead of immigrants and African-Americans, for whom he has often whined about how much he has done for them than any other President.  Now, to go along with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Blacks who have been victims of overzealous police, we add Jacob Blake Jr.  He was shot in the back seven times by Kenosha, WI police for trying to escape capture on a charge of domestic abuse.  Protests on the streets of Kenosha led to a 17-year old white teenage boy accused of shooting two men to death, earning the tacit approval of the President.  Which is not much different than sending armed militias into the streets of Portland and Washington,D.C. because of real or perceived threats by extremists right and left, making things worse.

This is Trump's race to lose, and he's losing it.  Most of the major polls in the battleground states show him trailing Biden, as well as in fundraising for the million or so campaign ads you'll be seeing until November 3.  But Trump is scaring the heck out of those who want to avoid the polls and mail in their votes instead due to the virus by slowing down the U.S. Postal Service, which is now run by one of his campaign contributors. Which means we may not know who won on Election Night, with the voters risking illness to cast their ballots and the tidal wave of mail order ballots to be counted.  And even then, we won't know if Trump will go away peacefully if he loses.

We're still waiting for the "October Surprise".  If it isn't Trump disparaging the troops, downplaying the virus or promising a vaccine by November, then what is it?  Do we really want to know?