We weigh Covid, religion and school

Might the government have considered "cancelling" Labor Day weekend? Is that asking too much?  The holiday is now a temptation for large numbers of people to engage in unsafe behavior. Apparently they congregate on beaches, a long way from Morris MN of course. But people of Morris might travel there.
We have college students in our midst. Might this be spelling an unreasonable risk?
We are led by a president who seeks to tamp down the awareness of risk. Acknowledging risk would result in pressure on the government to take sweeping actions to protect people, as if that's supposed to be part of the purpose of government.
It is a defining feature of the GOP - no hyperbole intended here - that it does not want people to like government. If we choose to give the GOP the upper hand in government, well we have made our bed and then you know what we can do in it.
There is a residence right next to East Side Park that is an up-front example of the passion of the Trump crowd. Folded in with this is "all lives matter." Bumper stickers aren't enough. They need flags too, not just little flags pushed into the ground but flags on flagpoles. We must wonder about such souls: are they just promoting a reasonable and measured political opinion? Or is there more going on psychologically?
Nobody was surprised when our local Apostolics showed signs of getting on the Trump train. It just seemed consistent. They did not disappoint. At first we might just feel some mild irritation about this, those of us who feel political opinions should be a little more layered. Some of us think we need to weigh real science as with climate change. The problem with certain religious factions is that they just feel God will take care of things. This is my take on the Apostolics now.
It is unfortunate that our feelings about the Apostolics might have to go beyond curiosity or mild irritation. There is concern locally that this religious faction is posing a risk in connection to the coronavirus.
Discussing this is no walk in the park for anyone. In small towns especially it's not cool to voice suspicion in such a manner. We might wish to avoid the topic, were it not for the seriousness of the health crisis. The fate of our school year might be hanging in the balance.
I will repeat: if the widely-circulated concern about this religious group is ill-founded, let's see the local commercial media - radio and newspaper - set the record straight. If the concern is in fact well-founded, let's have the commercial media dig in and enlighten us appropriately, "naming names" at some point, and referring to the religious faction by name. Insensitive? It smacks of that but we are looking at a pandemic that is taking lives. Just thought I'd mention it.

Apostolic Christian Church, Hancock

At first I heard of the concerning Covid numbers w/ the church and then got the tip that the suggested numbers were an underestimation. I learned that the church re-instituted services before conventional wisdom suggested it was wise. Didn't Trump issue a declaration in May to try to get churches going with regular services? I brought this up with a fellow member of my church who just laughed. Maybe the Apostolics were directly influenced by Trump's words.
Trump knows that if he can't create a smokescreen to get people to think they can resume normal life, he won't be re-elected. And if he's not re-elected there's hell to pay legally once he loses the cloak of his office. And forget about the latest tempest where he dissed U.S. troops and their sacrifice. People have regularly wondered, has Trump crossed the line this time? Well, if the "Access Hollywood" tape did not represent crossing the line, nothing would.
 
A dark "gift"
Trump has a way of connecting with a certain rather large element of the American public. This dam is not going to break. It's like the power of Adolf's Hitter's verbiage and gestures - it entrances many. Could you imagine Jeb Bush even trying to act like Trump does? And, that is what Trump is doing - he's acting. I will wager right now that Trump will continue in power, maybe after a reasonably orderly election - reasonably? - but maybe after utter chaos and panic as we don't really know how the affairs are managed.
We read exposes constantly. They ought to scream "danger" at us, and the status quo just plods on, giving the commercial media a full plate every day to get good ratings, even Sundays.
 
Well, this is new
I came to grasp a new aspect of the Apostolic situation yesterday. It was through a discussion prompted by, of all things, a kissing scene in a movie.
Huh? I was pointing out that when Gene Hackman kisses Barbara Hershey in "Hoosiers," I felt they hadn't established near enough affection yet for this to come across. In fact, Hershey had said things to Hackman of an overtly offensive nature. "Foreplay?" I wouldn't even see it as that. My credentials on such matters are limited. BTW it was a character in "The Cutting Edge" who said "foreplay" to explain why the characters in apparent conflict were actually falling in love. I'll have to take his word. My mind is more rational than this.
Try a kiss? It works in the movies. I might have to prepare for a right cross.
So Hackman kisses Hershey and in the end the "good guys" win, the white bread boys from hick town beating the big black kids from the inner city. Hey, I'm just describing. I would like to suggest to Spike Lee that he make a movie called "South Bend Central" about the high school boys of color growing up in early 1950s America, well before the sweep of civil rights awareness. Maybe we should place the awareness in the past tense now? "All lives matter." Cute.
Lee's movie could end with the team of several African-Americans winning triumphantly. Hackman could take it. He had already been able to kiss Hershey. We sensed confusion at the end about whether the two had cemented a relationship. Hershey could never shake her mysterious air.
The kiss in the movie was the standard Hollywood kiss: hug and kiss, know what I mean? I have wondered: is this how young lovebirds really behave or is it Hollywood shorthand or a Hollywood cliche? Rhetorical question perhaps.
By the same token, what about scenes in movies where two guys are fighting and they throw these "haymaker"-type punches to the face? There's a sound effect for that. A recipient might be shown with a substance looking like blood coming from a corner of the mouth. Is all this realistic? If you attempted to start a fight like this, would you just be laughed at? Impressionable people might think they can ape what's in the movie.
How does all this relate back to the Apostolics? Let's consider the Apostolics. And kissing. This is rather uncomfortable to report, so that's why I went on a tangent for a few sentences. From an email I got on September 5, from a pretty solid Morris citizen: "Speaking of the Hollywood hug and kiss, that could be one reason of the spiking Covid stuff amidst the Apostolic congregations - they do that, including the men with each other, as part of their Sunday greetings."
You learn something new every day, even things you don't really wish to know. Men kissing? Well, this most certainly reminds me of the book "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton. He tells behind-the-scenes stories about baseball. At one point his Seattle Pilots team began a silly inside joke of kissing each other. When drunk or "inebriated," it should be noted. The book dates to 1970 when social drinking was a norm. At first the players put their hand up and kissed the hand, then they began getting "careless," as Bouton wrote, and why not if you've had "one too many?" Well it was pretty riotous.
Major league players are paid much more generously today, so they behave in a more mature and serious way.
I wish some of my friends in the local Apostolic churches would re-consider their commitment and maybe come on over to a mainstream Protestant church. What in heck would be wrong with that? Why don't you do this before your church becomes even more of a focus in light of the current health issues?
 
Decisions regarding school
The Covid numbers threaten the new school year. Controversy is building up in our Morris school district over whether the Covid numbers are really up to the minute. The teacher speaking out on this is Mr. Thom Howden. (I hate it when people named "Thomas" don't just use "Tom" for alternate.)

Thom Howden

Looks like Howden is getting into the face of our superintendent some. Maybe there will be a haymaker punch thrown. It's been a while since a full-throated school district controversy. I know all about this. Maybe the DQ can stay on the sidelines this time.
I remember when Howden was hired - my impression was that he was hired mainly to be the swim/dive team coach. He had built up his local credentials through the Tiger Sharks program and I'd suspect this was the key for him joining the school. Nothing wrong with that, but how long did he stick with swim coach commitments?
I heard Howden got in a spat with a parent once, was directed to sign some sort of slip against his wishes, and made a "statement" by signing his name upside down, a rather asinine thing to do. If this anecdote is wrong, someone can correct me.
I must say, when I was with the Morris paper I had no difficulty working with Howden. He told me once he came from a big suburban city where there was nothing like the Sun Tribune. It was a compliment. Well thank you.
A final thought: Might the Apostolics be risking facing some discrimination now? They can be easy to spot.
 
My podcast for today
My "Morris Mojo" podcast for today, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, ponders how church can proceed long-term. I also reminisce about Minnesota Twins baseball from 50 years ago. The 1970 Twins team was super but got swept in the A.L. playoffs. Fans don't like dwelling on that. Still, there were countless fun summer evenings at "the Met."
I invite you to click on permalink below. Thanks.

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Middle-of-Labor-Day-weekend-ej7df8

 
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com