Thanks for the Words

Just a short discussion on using the truth to support the wrong argument.

Had an interesting exchange with my four year old that might be a good lesson for some of us grown-up types.

As I just received my mail-in ballot, I figured it's now or never if I'm going to discuss the recall election.  A few things I want to mention: I am not trying to change anyone's mind politically here.  I obviously have a bias here, and it shouldn't be too hard to ascertain what my position is on this recall.  However, the point of this video is not to analyze each and every position and legislation done by Gavin Newsom over the last two and a half years.  Instead, it's a discussion on the merits of the Recall itself, both this one particularly, and of the Recall system here in California.    

My over arching points are this: Gavin Newsom won in 2018 in a historic landslide, winning by the highest margin in California since Earl Warren won re-election in 1950.  With a mandate like that, it is ridiculous to Recall a Governor who has acted in a way that his constituents who voted for him would reasonably expect.  You can agree with his policies or not, but the basis of the Recall is in bad faith; this can be observed through the fact that Recall attempts have been made against him no less than six times in just his first two years in office.  We have a General Election every four years, and if the candidate who wins by a large majority, makes legislative decisions that that majority would reasonably expect, a Recall seems kind of ridiculous.  

Finally, a word about the target audience here.  Again, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind politically.  Feelings on this matter are very polarizing in California right now, and I don't hold any illusions that I'm going to change anyone's mind.  This is also probably one of the most "political" videos I've done, and because I'm not trying to change anyone's mind from an idealogical perspective, I am disabling comments on this video.  I am really not trying to get into a political debate, and I know this is a polarizing topic so I'm not interested in discussing the merits of Newsom's term in office.  My intention is to speak to progressives, liberals, Democrats, and anyone else in my state who sees the foolishness of this campaign, but who perhaps don't take seriously the threat of Recall.  Please don't take for granted that Newsom will survive the Recall election.  If you feel like I do, make sure you vote on September 14th.

When it comes to COVID-19, here's a little secret: you don't have to actually KNOW anyone with it to care.  Because it's pretty likely you at least know someone who is susceptible.  If not, you probably have some other personal experience with grief or hardship that you can use to channel empathy for others.

Is COVID-19 really JUST the flu?  Is the flu even a big deal? A defining factor of the "normal flu" is that it mutates every year.  This is why we can't have herd immunity to it, because a new vaccine is needed each year.  Related to these mutation, the flu also affects animals, and when it does--and it's particularly troublesome when transmitted to birds and pigs--it can then be transmitted to humans who won't be immune to it even if they're vaccinated, because our antibodies are different. So do you still want to compare COVID 19 to the flu?

I'd like to share a short story I heard by a certain astrophysicist of whom you may or may not be familiar with.  What can the scientific method tell us about masks and vaccines?

In October of 2020 I decided I wanted to try to get involved in local government at some level.  I applied to various boards and commissions in my city and eventually got an interview for the Hearing Examiners Board.  I was recommended to the City Council and was appointed by them and the Mayor in May.  I will sit on my first examination next week.

I read a report for my home city of Sacramento that reveals an alarming rate of 6.1 times the police interactions between police and Blacks as opposed to Whites.  Beyond this, Blacks were 59% more likely to be searched.

With mask mandates returning to many parts of the country, due to the flourishing of the Delta variant, it's easy to feel frustration if you're fully vaccinated--frustration that we are being punished for the willful ignorance of others.  But aside from children under 12, there is another subset of people who are choosing to go unvaccinated for reasons that aren't entirely without merit.

Conservatives and Conservative outlets such as Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro, and PragerU are attacking Simone Biles' decision to back out of the Olympics to focus on her mental health.  But over the last year, we've heard a lot from them about the devastating effects on the mental health of young people due to COVID lockdowns.  Are their concerns about mental health in good faith, or do they perhaps only choose to validate mental health issues when they're convenient to their own agenda?