ROAD TRIP UPDATE
On TUE 4/14, we received word that our Alaska cruise in July has been cancelled. We can cancel or rebook for next summer. After visiting with Carmen *, we are deciding to rebook. We're supposed to receive a 125% credit, whatever that means. Although we're disappointed, we keep in mind that many, many others have been inconvenienced in more drastic ways.* David & Carmen are Lois' brother & my first cousin. We had planned this trip to celebrate their 40th & our 45th anniversaries.
LAMENT & REJOICING
The Christian story does not merely tell of the life to come, of resurrection and restoration, certainty and comfort; Christ is not an escape raft for the hard realities of this world. On the contrary, the gospel must figure into what we think about our humanity in the midst of it all. In the cross-shaped path of Jesus, we are given a way to share with God what it means to be human here and now, in lament and in rejoicing, through suffering and tragedy, when vulnerability and helplessness lay us low, and we are reminded of our own finitude on a global and personal scale. Here, lamentation is often befitting, but its counterpart is not out of reach. For quite thankfully, Jesus is not only familiar with the tragic sense of human weakness, he also willingly embraced affliction that he could carry us through our own, incorporating us into his own story and the steadfast love of God forever. Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity
CORONAVIRUS
"Two days before Easter, Louisville, Ky., mayor Greg Fischer attempted to unilaterally ban drive-in church services for the most holy day in Christianity. It’s one thing if people are purposely and openly undermining public health. The constitutional right to assemble peacefully and protest or practice your religion, however, is not inoperable in presence of a viral pandemic." David Harsanyi, National Review Online, 4/15"All across the country, teachers and school administrators are trying to put together a way to teach kids without everyone gathering in a school — from Des Moines to San Diego to Oregon to Oklahoma to Texas. In my neck of the woods in Fairfax County, Va., distance learning begins in earnest today. For all the teachers out there who are trying their best and who have been consistently reaching out to students since school buildings were closed, thank you. Our nation’s children will feel better seeing you through a screen, but your presence in their lives can never really be replaced." Jim Geraghty, NRO, 4/15
"Whatever the reason, it is simply untenable to lock Americans down for months more. Calls to do so ignore not only the catastrophic human suffering inflicted on millions -- employees who no longer have jobs, children who can no longer attend school, entrepreneurs who have seen their life's dreams and savings destroyed at the behest of the government -- but the reality of economics, which is that government cannot interminably pay everyone to stay at home. Furthermore, long-term lockdowns do not even prevent the virus from eventual second-wave spreading; when we emerge from our homes, we will pass the virus to one another again." Ben Shapiro, Townhall, 4/15
"By contrast, today the media are absolutely ghoulish in their hope for hydroxychloroquine to fail. The drug is approved for malaria patients, so it’s “safe”; it’s simply not approved specifically to treat the Chinese virus.
"The reason for the media’s hostility to hydroxychloroquine is obvious: Trump expressed enthusiasm for the treatment, so liberals are required to take the opposite position." Ann Coulter, National
Review Online 4/16
"Some argue that withholding our funding of the WHO — $400 million a year — will hinder its international relief efforts. This is a legitimate concern, but the WHO’s missteps themselves hindered the fight against the pandemic at a critical stage. In any event, U.S. funding of pandemic relief does not depend on any single multilateral bureaucracy. In fact, the U.S. has already spent more than $500 million on foreign aid to combat the pandemic — roughly 25 percent of the WHO’s annual budget — on top of existing contributions to multilateral and nongovernmental organizations. During the 60-day hold on funds to the WHO, the White House says it will redirect resources to public-health programs untainted by Chinese influence. While the White House conducts its investigation, the WHO will retain the bulk of its considerable resources. In the meantime, it will deservedly face more international scrutiny for its apparent complicity in China’s coverup of the coronavirus.
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"The more the World Health Organization capitulates to Chinese soft power, the less effective — and the less deserving of our support — it will be. The White House is right to bring serious pressure to bear to try to check this trend." The editors, NRO, 4/16
“The First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers,” Barr wrote. “Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity.”
"He went on to state that if the government permits movie theaters, restaurants, or concert halls to remain open without restrictions, it may not close or impose restrictions on houses of worship. “Religious institutions must not be singled out for special burdens . . . " Alexandra DeSanctis, NRO, 4/16
"By all means, let’s open up the economy as soon as we can, but it will require more careful thought than the most fervent critics of the shutdowns have demonstrated during the peak of this pandemic." Rich Lowry, NRO, 4/17
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
"Standing in line with your neighbors to vote in your local school or church is a civic ritual that ranks with fireworks on the Fourth of July. It’s part of the pageant of patriotism. But this year, we’ll need to make other arrangements. We cannot risk a crisis of political legitimacy on top of everything else we’re saddled with. The slogan for November should be: Mail it in!" Mona Charen, NRO, 4/16
"You want to know why Americans don't trust (the media)? Because you're arrogant. You're condescending. You're corrupt. You're hypocritical. You're shockingly ignorant. You're pawns in a much bigger game, and your refusal to hold ALL powerful people to account is malfeasance that puts the country at risk. And not just from coronavirus.
"Do you want to earn back the public's trust? Stop playing political favorites. Stop trying to shape the news instead of report the news. Stop seeing everything through the lens of your personal politics. Do your job." Laura Hollis, Townhall, 4/16
"Last September, CNN reported it was told by a senior Obama-Biden administration official that it appeared Biden's capacity was in obvious decline, a statement that is easily confirmed by anyone who observes his rambling comments.
"Robert Gates, who served as secretary of Defense in the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said of Biden in his 2014 book "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War": "I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades . . .
"There's plenty more criticism of Biden and his record, which Republicans are certainly storing up for a slew of campaign ads and the upcoming presidential debates, including Biden's flip-flopping on issues he once claimed to hold as convictions.
"Most of the former Democratic presidential candidates would have been better and stronger than Biden, but once again the Establishment has had its way and should Biden be defeated and Democrats lose congressional seats, they will have only themselves to blame." Cal Thomas, Townhall, 4/16
