Just in case… (Rant warning)

(Warning: Rant ahead.)

Just in case it wasn’t clear from what I write, and in case you don’t follow me on Twitter or my Facebook profile (where I am quite active and vocal–my Facebook page is usually restricted just to books and humor, so if you don’t want to see my political rantings, follow me there instead of my profile, and definitely don’t keep reading this rant) here are a few things I believe. (The following list comes from a post I put up on Facebook back in early June.)

Let’s just be clear…

• Black Lives Matter.
• Trans folx are “real,” and transmen are men and transwomen are women. (Add to that: Non-binary folx are who they say they are, not who you say they are.)
• Love is love.
• Science is real.
• t-rump is evil, and so are the politicians enabling him.
• Children don’t belong in cages.
• People aren’t “illegal.”
• Healthcare should be a human right.
• COVID-19 isn’t a damned hoax.
• The confederate flag is a treason rag, and the statues should have been removed decades ago.
• Nazis/KKK/white nationalists are for punching. (Actually or metaphorically.)
• And JK Rowling can go perch and rotate on a rusty fucking spork.

All that being said…

If you want to argue any of those points with me, you can go.
Fuck off.
👉 That way.
Post haste.

And if you hate what I’ve said here… WHY are you even reading my books?

Oh, and wear a fucking mask or face shield (if you can’t wear a mask for legit medical reasons). Our governor here is a little toady to the president and refuses to shut our state down again. Needless to say, our Covid numbers are skyrocketing, with ICUs filling up and people dying. Plus, he’s been manipulating our state’s mortality numbers to make it look like fewer people are dying than actually are. (Asshole.) And now the dumbass wants to reopen schools, and compared schools to going to Walmart and Home Depot. Oh, and Disney’s opening again.

Yeah, I’m sure THAT’S a greeeeaaaaat idea.

Um, I don’t go to Home Depot for 6-8 hours in an enclosed room of 20-30 other people who can’t practice social distancing.

Even Texas instituted a mask order and is looking at shutting down again, if that tells you anything.

No, the numbers are NOT up because of increased testing–the POSITIVE rate of tests is going up, meaning more people out of every 100 people being tested are positive than they saw earlier in this mess. Meaning MORE PEOPLE are getting this.

Start reading something besides conspiracy websites in your insular little world. Start looking at the reports about even “asymptomatic” people having lung damage from this. About the people who get this and MONTHS later, formerly healthy people can barely walk across a room because they can’t catch their breath.

Younger people are catching this in higher numbers not because they’re going out more or not taking it seriously–take a look at the demographics of store clerks, restaurant workers, and other service industry workers. What do you see, genius?

Yeah, exactly. A MAJORITY of people in that demographic. Why? Because rich middle-agers wanted to go eat in a restaurant, or decided their “rights” to not do something for the public good are more important than protecting others, and are putting allll those people at risk. Young people who cannot usually AFFORD to stay home from work, or who are at risk of losing their jobs and their unemployment benefits if they don’t return to work despite the risk.

Your “rights” don’t include spreading your germs all over the place, asshole. If you refuse to wear a mask or face shield and don’t practice social distancing, you’re basically signalling that you’re a selfish asshole.

And vote blue in November, because, literally, your life now depends on it. (I don’t give a fuck if you don’t like Biden. He wasn’t my preference, either, but you cannot afford some fucking protest vote stunt. We HAVE to install a government who will actually, oh, I don’t know, PROTECT our people instead of KILLING OFF OVER 135,000 AMERICANS (as of this writing). Vote blue all the way down the fucking ballot, not just for POTUS. Vote them ALL out. Maybe the next generation of GOP will yank their heads out of their asses and stop pivoting to rabid evangelical racism as their default. I’m not saying the Democrats are perfect, but if you still think “both parties are the same” then you’re a willfully clueless ostrich.

If you STILL support t-rump…why in the name of god’s little green apples would you believe a failed businessman, game show host who cheated on his wife with a porn star, and who is a PROVEN liar and is showing signs of serious dementia, over scientists and doctors? The idiot BANKRUPTED A CASINO, for fuck’s sake. What kind of idiot does that? HE LOOKED AWAY WHEN RUSSIA PAID BOUNTIES TO KILL U.S. TROOPS. If that right there doesn’t enrage you, you cannot claim to be “pro-military” OR “pro-life.” Start watching something other than Fox News, because they’re giving you the mushroom treatment. (Keeping you in the dark and covered in bullshit.)

We do not have the “lowest mortality numbers” in the world, contrary to what the orange one crows. Again, GO LOOK IT UP.

You cannot claim to be “pro-life” if you are anti-mask or anti-science. (Again, if you have a LEGIT medical reason, not talking about you, so feel free to take a seat. But, seriously, wear a face shield. They do not impede breathing and will still help somewhat, and will show others that you ARE concerned about this and not just a selfish fucking asshole.)

Hey, I live in FUCKING FLORIDA, where breathing in the summer on a normal day is like inhaling air through a warm, wet washcloth. Masks aren’t fun, but you bet your sweet fucking ass I’m wearing one whenever I’m out in public, INSIDE OR OUT. It’s only off in the car or at home. Please, don’t tell me I should move. I was born and raised here, have lived here all my life, and my family is here. Why should I leave my home state because my asshole governor is a stupid asshole? I love my state, and yes, we’re whacky, but a goodly chunk of that came from assholes who moved here from other states over the past few decades to capitalize on our state and took advantage of what they found, putting us in the current situation we’re now in.

It’s OKAY to admit t-rump bamboozled you and you fell for his antics the first time around. That’s OKAY. We learn, we grow, we change. It’s normal to say hey, I learned new info and maybe I fucked up the last time.

It’s NOT okay to turn a blind eye to what he’s doing and has been doing. If you STILL rabidly support his obviously racist and now literally dangerous rhetoric and tactics, which are putting us all in danger of dying, then YOU are part of the problem, not the solution.

I will not put my husband, my son, or my parents at risk because you want to vote for a racist over a Democrat. Stop trying to claim the high moral ground, honey, because…that ain’t it.

What would Jesus do?

He’d damn sure not be happy about what our current administration is doing to people in our country on a WIIIIIIDE variety of issues.

No, I’m not debating people on this. You having racist or other bigoted beliefs isn’t an “opinion”–it’s hate speech. And if you don’t like being called that, try examining your beliefs with a critical eye. I will not engage in “both sides-ism” with bigots. That’s not stifling intellectual discourse–that’s you trying to justify your harmful beliefs, and sorry, I’m not wasting the energy on you. It’s not my job to do that.

And if any of these beliefs of mine come as an utter shocker to you…well, that just goes to show you have not been paying attention to a damned word I’ve written in the past 12+ years. Meaning you also haven’t been paying attention to current events.

If you disagree with me, don’t bother flouncing and telling me–I don’t give a fuck about your fake outrage, and you aren’t my target audience anyway, so, buh-bye. There’s a little link at the bottom of my newsletters to unsubscribe, and if you’re following via WordPress, you can log into your account there and untick the box where you’re following my website.

Also, save the hate email. Just save yourself the mental and emotional energy (and possible public shaming) and spend your outrage cleaning your toilet or washing your car or something.

I don’t want ignorant racist bigots reading my books, anyway. My books are for intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate people who are at the very least open-minded. No, we don’t have to agree on everything, and I don’t expect my readers to agree with me on everything, either.

We can disagree on certain things, but human rights and decency and protecting vulnerable fellow humans are not debatable points. I can’t teach you to have empathy, and I’m not required to give you any attention, energy, or a platform to spew your hatred. That’s not my job. Go peddle that bullshit somewhere else.

(/rant)