Whose Lives Matter

I haven’t written in days so I will now even though it’s 7:09 and I haven’t had dinner, I haven’t talked to a friend today, and I’m way behind on writing postcards to voters in Georgia. I can’t let this dry spell go on a minute longer. Blogging is important to me

I’ve made expeditions since I last wrote. Today I went to Marie’s Coffee and Gifts on Arthur Ave. It is worth the walk even on days when the weather isn’t perfect. I love her coffee. I found out today that “her” is not Marie, it’s Antoinette. Marie is or was he husband’s aunt. She took over the business. How did I find out? I asked. It’s always the same woman at the counter and I figured she was the owner. I like getting friendly with the people I do business with. It makes life much more pleasant. Today I got more than coffee. I also had gelato! Who knows what flavor? That’s right, cioccolato. It was excellent. I keep saying this and not doing it but next time there I’ll have to get pizza; it’s in the heart of Bronx’s Little Italy. Michelangelo’s is now open for outdoor seating. I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.

As I was eating gelato I couldn’t keep my mask fully on. What I did was lift the bottom so it was over my nose and avoided people like I had the plague until I was finished and could put the mask back down. I was hoping to eat it in the park on Arthur Ave, but it was closed. I felt guilty the entire time. I try so hard to be good about protecting others. If nothing else I want to set a good example.

I tried counting masks versus unmasked but passed too many people and lost track. I can tell you that once again as I walked down Mosholu Parkway, the rate was terrible. 21 masked versus 28 unmasked. When I made the turn onto Webster Ave I started the count again, as I don’t think of it as my neighborhood. There were slightly more masked than unmasked, something like 36-33 until I approached Fordham Rd, where people stopped wearing masks and I lost track. It got up to about 54-68 before the masks started to make a comeback. That’s when I lost track.

I was terrible yesterday; I ate a bag of peanut butter filled pretzels and then had no room for dinner. I can resist anything but temptation. Tonight, I’m going to try poutine again. Yes, I know I said I was giving up on it but I’m giving it another chance. Like I just said, I can resist anything but temptation. I tried something new for breakfast today. One Pan Egg Toast. Everyone keeps thinking it’s a variation on a Monte Cristo or a grilled cheese; it’s not. It’s a variation on an egg sandwich. The eggs are the central ingredient. This is what it looked like.

When I went out for the walk I proudly wore my colors, even though nobody could see my face. This is what I looked like

That’s a Met hat, WFUV sunglasses, a WFUV facemask, and a First Acoustics t-shirt. As I so often say; I want the world to love what I love. I’m an apostle and evangelist even though I’m an atheist.

As I was walking home today I followed through on some thoughts on Black Lives Matter. One of my friends posted “Trans Lives Matter.” It made me want to scream, “All Lives Matter” but with exactly the opposite meaning as people are using it. The point of “Black Lives Matter” and “Trans Lives Matter” is that too often people act as if they don’t. It’s not just, or even mainly, about blacks being killed by cops. The death tolls from other forms of racism especially how the physical environment blacks live in is less healthy than whites. When sources of pollution need to be placed, all too often it’s nearer where blacks live than whites. They are forced to live with bigger risks in countless ways. The most cost-effective measure ever taken for combatting crime was removing lead from gasoline. Lead causes developmental problems in the brains of children who then more often grow up to be criminals. For a small fraction of what we spend on policing we could remove lead paint from all homes and schools. Guess who disproportionally live in areas with large amounts of environmental lead. You know the answer, I don’t have to say it. Leaded gas effected all children, so it was considered vital to get rid of it. Lead paint mainly affects poor blacks so getting rid of it is not a priority, because black lives are treated as if they mattered less. Doctors treat diseases in blacks less aggressively than they do whites. In any area where the government provides safety measures they are likely to be applies less often to areas where blacks live. I don’t think that anybody is saying, “Blacks live there so it’s not important.” It’s all deep down in decision making process and people aren’t even aware of it. When people decide on objective criteria it is based on the white experience, not the black.

Trans Lives Matter was brought up because the Trump Administration just reversed an Obama era rule that laws governing sex discrimination does not cover transgender people. If the change goes through, it will be challenged in the courts, then it will be legal for a doctor to refuse treat a trans person. Trans lives are treated as if they mattered less.

What “Black Lives Matter” means is, “Black Lives Matter and they are treated as if they don’t.” We can’t generalize that to “All lives matter” because it misses the entire point. What I really want to say is, “All Lives Matter; including the ones that you think matter less.” On the official level that generally means groups that are discriminated against, Blacks, LGBTs, Hispanics, and even a majority, women. On a personal level, people that are on my side of that fight, often forget it includes, cops, Republicans, evangelicals, and those that hold views we find repugnant. Their lives still matter. I expect us to be better than those with repugnant views. I am a hippy to my bones. Peace, love, and understanding, includes everyone. Peace out. Go out there and be the best person you can be. Your life matters.