Systems overloaded

My heart hurts. My soul hurts. Downtown is being looted. Macy's State Street windows shattered. Dumpster fires outside the Hyatt. Police cars bashed with 2x4's. This is not a protest, it's a riot.

•  We've seen Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd murdered, primarily for being black.*
•  There's a virus outside that could kill us. (1400 new cases in Chicagoland today.)
•  Unemployment has escalated to near 20%.
•  Our President thinks it's appropriate to respond to all this by tweeting, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts."

In the face of all this, some douchebags are still actually complaining about their "oppression" because they are required to wear masks when they get their hair cut!

I just can't stay plugged into it anymore. There's real danger outside my door in the form of a virus. Some of my fellow Americans are suffering very real systemic marginalization, while others insult us all by clinging to their imagined victimization over masks and quarantine.

I had a telehealth session with my new shrink today, and she picked up on my fatigue. It's not unnatural, she said, and it's OK to look away. I think it's more than OK. I think it's advisable.

Instead of the Sunday news shows, I'll tune into church. We're still worshiping on line. The services are so well-attended we had to move from Zoom to YouTube. I'm grateful that my minister loves us enough to keep us safe and in our homes ... and that he will reliably be there tomorrow morning when I need him.

*For contrast, check out how UConn student Peter Manfredonia was handled by the justice system. He's suspected in two murders. Authorities found messages sympathetic to the Sandy Hook killer scrawled in red on his walls. A multi-state dragnet brought him in safely so he can stand trial. Naturally he is white.

George Floyd may or may not have passed a counterfeit $20 bill. He was executed in the street by a bad cop. Naturally he is black.