Never Say Die, and - Welcome to Carnival ( Carnival No. 8 )

  

                                                              Welcome To Carnival

                                                              An original acrylic painting, on stretched canvas

                                                              22 X 28, unframed

                                                                                    ( click on image to enlarge )

      

     A year ago, on July the seventeenth, I posted an entry on this blog, titled "To Mask,

Or Not To Mask", in which I lamented the irrational determination of so many Americans

to refuse compliance with simple health mandates, to save their lives and the lives of their

friends and families.  Led by Trump's denial brigades, the daily death-toll  among the

misinformed, mounted higher every day, while the partying continued unabated. 

     Six months ago, on the twenty first of December, I posted an entry in this blog, titled

"A Year In The Red Zone", sharing in the great news that, after almost a year's wait, the 

much anticipated Covid  vaccines would soon be available, so that we could put an end 

to the pandemic.  But it seemed that many were still too busy living the good life, to care 

about protecting anyone else-es life.  Just a month later, in the blog posting titled "The

Unending Carnival", I noted again, that so many people were continuing to gather and 

party unmasked, while proclaiming their right to be as stupid and suicidal as they wanted 

to be.

    So, where are we now, a year later, and what has changed?  As soon as the vaccines

became available, I was quick to become vaccinated, as were many millions of my fellow,

thoughtful citizens.  For a while, progress and hope were on the rebound.  But now we 

have bumped up against the wall of ignorant, misguided, anti-vaccine nit-wits, who refuse 

to help put an end to this pandemic, for everyone's benefit.  There is no reason not to 

get the vaccine: it is available and it is free.  And now people are even being offered 

monetary incentives to get their shots, and yet many refuse to do the right thing for 

themselves and for the nation. How many million have to die before they get the 

message?  Some who end up in hospitals, on their deathbeds, beg to be given the 

vaccine, and of course they are told that it is too late.  Meanwhile, Fox broadcasting, 

and similar purveyors of false information to the gullible public, in their "never-say-die" 

ignorance, continue to proclaim that it is the citizen's right to fight to the highest level 

of stupidity that he or she can achieve.

     So, what can we say to the thoughtless fun-lovers who deny the truth of science, 

modern medicine and common sense?   The carnival still continues.  Come on in and 

join in the parade.  Enjoy the competitions.  See who has the best costume. Who's 

costume is the most expensive?  Who has the most expensive coffin?  Who's coffin 

is the most comfortable?  

                                                      E. P. McNerney