When the Far-Right is Far Wrong

Over the weekend, a popular pro-Trump minister Greg Locke told his congregation, “You will not wear masks in this church! Do not get vaccinated!” He also added to his flock that “The only people that can deny” that the election was stolen “are crack-smoking, demon-possessed leftists."

Well, yeah, that's what I always look for in a religious leader.

The gut-churning sad part is that people stay there in the seats to be lead by this man.  But then I guess that that’s why a flock is made up of sheep.  Unfortunately for his congregation, I suspect it will naturally get smaller by repeated acts of God who clearly understands how science works.  More unfortunate is all the people who get infected by members of his congregation and those who may die as a result.

On the other hand, as my friend Don Friedman noted, "Apparently, in this guy’s church, it’s not a matter of 'personal choice'."

I’m also guessing that God stays out of politics – otherwise, one party philosophy would win all the time.  And by “all the time” I mean for thousands of years -- and probably wishes that those who speak in His name do, as well.

Worse though was when the official House GOP Twitter account sent out a tweet that simply said, “No mask Saturday.”

Comments like this will haunt the Republican Party throughout U.S. history.  I don’t say that because I disagree with their position or am galled by how irresponsible they are as leaders.  I say it because 99% of all Americans who died of COVID in July were unvaccinated, likely almost all Republicans, and likely didn't wear masks either. Which means Republicans are not only prolonging the pandemic…they are killing their base. Literally.  And that’s something that has become clear in the news.

A wonderful article in Washington Monthly by David Atkins addressed this problem bluntly in the title alone, “The Politics of Vaccines Might Cost Republicans the Midterms.”  Even more to the point, as the sub-heading explained, “Public anger at anti-vaxxers will likely overwhelm any advantage the GOP can gain from sabotaging the Biden administration.”  But it was best expressed in one particular phrase, when Atkins described the situation as a “plague of the unvaccinated.”

And that’s the point that underlies Republican leadership calling for things like “No mask Saturday” and far-right Republican pastors admonishing their congregations to not get vaccinated or wear masks.”  It is prolonging the pandemic for everyone.  It is infecting everyone.  But – it is pretty much only killing far-Right Republicans.

Things like that don’t go unnoticed.  Not only by angry Democrats, or even just by upset Independents, but it also has to be something Republicans themselves are growingly made aware of…as they see their friends, neighbors and congregants not just dropping – but being the only ones dropping.  Because their political and religious and radio leaders are telling them not to get vaccinated or wear masks.  And because the selfish, foolish and wrongfully-scared are believing them.

I don’t want anyone to die.  So, my concern is not what happens to Republicans by their own mania.  What I care about is how the range of far-right leaders – for maniacal political reasons – are prolonging the pandemic and killing off people, whoever they are.

The United States was on the path to reaching herd immunity.  After just a couple of months, the country was far ahead of the world with about 64% having at least one vaccination.  And then it came to almost a screeching halt because of  these killing voices from the far-right leaders.  Meanwhile, a few months later, a country like England has now reach 88% of its country having at least one vaccination.  Canada and Israel are about the same.  And so the pandemic continues here in the U.S, as the vaccines mutates and becomes more infectious, and may well mutate again.  Because blind, egregious, reprehensible, fascist far-right Republicans leaders have chosen to be.

This is not about Trump, we know who he is.  This is about the elected officials of the Republican Party and religious leaders of the far right and the media voices of the far right who enabled Trump and his fascism and continue to.