For this next installment of Dispatch from the Hideout, I originally planned on writing about how I became stir crazy as I sheltered-in-place and stayed-at-home alone. Instead, following Trump’s LIBERATE Tweets which fueled demonstrations by his supporters in a number of states, I’ve changed the focus to an opinion piece, Stirred Crazy.
Stir Crazy
One benefit from the pandemic experience is I’ve learned that I’m able to thrive on my own, while still desiring social, physical, emotional, and spiritual connection with others, including loved ones and a larger community.
Stir crazy on a Saturday night.
Unexpected responses to physical isolation: My libido has come alive and my limbic brain seems to be in control. I’m well past the mating and reproductive age, yet random people on television or online, regardless of gender or identification, seem more appealing than ever before. When someone poses the question on social media, “What’s the first thing you’ll do when the social distancing is over?” — my immediate response is — “I’ll want to hug everyone.”
It’s been documented that our dreams are affected by the coronavirus and isolation. Our fears and anxieties are expressed in the symbols and narrative storylines of our unconscious lives. In my dreams, I’ve stood in long lines for food (I have all the groceries and supplies I need for two weeks, or longer), and I made-out passionately with a friend (who shall remain anonymous). I knew I had reached my saturation point for watching the daily W.H. COVID-19 Briefings (aka, re-election rallies) when I started dreaming about Trump and Pence. Oh, My!
The longer the stay-at-home order is in place, the more accustomed I’ve become to seeing people socially distance out in public alone, or in couples, maintaining reasonable distance from others whether outside, at the grocery store, pharmacy, or curbside pickup of food. It’s actually been jarring to see a film or documentary with crowds of people in public. For me, it’s a reminder how resilient and adaptable I am.
Stirred Crazy
As evidence by protesters wanting to prematurely reopen the economy and lift the stay-at-home orders in multiple states, people are stir crazy. Trump is also — to mix metaphors — stirring the pot by encouraging people to defy his own shelter-in-place guidelines. Yes, people are stirred crazy!
Stirred Crazy
In addition to the natural desire to return to their day-to-day lives, to work, earn a living, and recreate socially, a small, yet dangerous element of society is willing to ignore the stay-at-home orders without employing the safeguards to protect themselves or others. Is this simply rebelliousness, ignorance, or a Russian roulette-style gamble with lives to further a political agenda and support their Presidential candidate for re-election?
Beginning last week, as outlined by Heather Cox Richardson in her Letters to America, April 19, 2020:
The big news for two days has been the “protests” of state governors’ stay-at-home orders and mandatory business closings to try to contain the novel coronavirus which, as of today, has taken more than 40,000 American lives. The protests started last week in Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday, April 15, when demonstrators descended on the state Capitol to protest the “statists” they said were destroying the economy and taking away their liberties. On Friday morning, Trump tweeted that people needed to “LIBERATE” Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia, all states with Democratic governors. Then, Saturday, the Fox News Channel advertised “emerging rallies/protests to reopen economy” and, lo and behold, there they were on television tonight: protests in Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Washington.
From FOX News
In Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers extended the stay-at-home order to May, 26th, following the Memorial Day Holiday, due to a number of factors including recent outbreaks and spikes in COVID-19 in a meat-packing plant in Brown County, and inmates in the Dane County Jail.
The April 7th primary in Wisconsin is also a continuing concern when voters who did not mail-in early ballots were forced to choose between in-person voting or to stay-at-home and not vote. From an article in the Wisconsin State Journal:
In Milwaukee, which has seen about 50 new cases a day the past week, officials identified seven people who appear to have contracted the coronavirus through activities related to the April 7 election.
Elderly Wisconsin voters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin social distancing and risking their lives.
“We have not yet seen indications of an impact from the election,” state Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm said Monday. “We will continue to monitor that.”
Because of a lag between when people become infected, get sick, see a doctor, get tested and results come back, it can take a lengthy time for such a link to unfold, Palm said.
In Madison, there were protests last weekend to reopen the economy and ignore the stay-at-home order and another one is scheduled for Friday, April 24th fueled by Trump’s “LIBERATE” Tweets. From the Letters to America, April 19, 2020:
Protests in Wisconsin were organized by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, founded by Republican pro-Trump economists Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore, and by FreedomWorks, a training group for conservative activists that grew out of a political organization founded by David and Charles Koch. FreedomWorks is most famous for its organization of the Tea Party movement in 2009. Its president, Adam Brandon, told Vox reporter Jane Coaston that “this has the same DNA [as] the Tea Party movement.” It “just so happened a lot of our activists were organizers.”
What Does It All Mean?
Years ago, at a previous job for a screen-printing company, I worked with someone who liked to create conflict in the workplace between coworkers. I never fully understood his motivation, yet he seemed to thrive on chaos. Since part of our jobs as printers was to mix custom colors of inks, we used aluminum stir sticks which we could clean and reuse. I gave this coworker the nickname, ‘Stir Stick.’
Trump is a stir stick. He creates chaos to further his own agenda, sometimes to distract, gaslight, or display a ‘shiny object’ to redirect the media and take the spotlight off of him. In my view, which is shared by his critics, scientists, and healthcare professionals, Trump has failed in his response to the coronavirus pandemic and to protect and lead the country he was elected to serve. Instead, he serves his own self-interests, and the corporate agendas and political will of his supporters and enablers.
Trump has stirred crazy his base of support. His motivation is to be re-elected POTUS, to prematurely restart the economy to reenergize the voters, fill his own pockets, reward his family and corporate supporters, and solidify power with his Republican allies.
Trump must be defeated. This is a life and death call-to-action.
Related Reading from Mixed Metaphors, Oh My!
Dispatch from the Hideout: Home Alone Easter Holiday
Dispatch from the Hideout: Home Alone Edition
Dispatch from the Hideout: Pandemic Edition
Dispatch from the Hideout: Social Distancing
Dispatch from the Hideout: Premature Hibernation
Hibernation & the Holidays: Retreat to the Hideout
Another Dispatch from the Hideout
Additional Reading
Letters from an American, April 19, 2020
Officials link 7 Wisconsin virus cases to in-person voting
We Support Gov. Evers and COVID 19 Safer at Home Order (A Facebook Group)
Thanks, Linda. Don’t be crazy… You’re too young…. Lewis