Worship me

The pied piper played his song
And all his minions followed along
With untruths, jokes, smiles, and shouts that day
He revved them up, and sent them on their way.
“To save our country, we all must fight
I’ll be with you, so just do what’s right
This election was stolen from us it’s true
Just like all the words that I speak to you.
Just like George Washington said,
’If I lie, please strike me dead.’
There’s never been a man as fine as me
Keep drinking the Kool-aid, and you will see.
Remember to keep this country free
You must always, always worship me.’

Keith Gunderson
Duluth, Minnesota

Fellow Slavs, celebrate Tesla!

The world famous Nikola Tesla is celebrated, but in his homeland of former Yugoslavia Croatians and Serbians are playing nationalist and political games about his ethnic background. 

About one hundred years ago after the Southern Slavs or Yugoslavs got rid of Austro-Hungarian and Turkish control, they decided to unite, which was a good idea. However, the politicians and priests decided that Catholics are Croatians and Orthodox Christians Serbians. That is totally illogical. Nikola Tesla, who lived in the United States was very disappointed. I read his quote: “I am a proud Croatian of Orthodox faith and Hungarian ancestry. Serbians claim he was a Serb, because he was Orthodox like most of them.

Most of the economic immigrants from former Yugoslavia came from Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia; some from S.W. Montenegro because these provinces were under Austro-Hungary which allowed emigration. Macedonia, Most Montenegro and Serbia were under Turkish control and could not emigrate. Some Serbians et cetera immigrated from there after WW II. Thus, most of our South Slavs are Bosnian and Croatian Catholics and Orthodox Christians not Croatians and Serbians because they  lived in Bosnia and Croatia.

So, I ask my fellow Slavs to celebrate our Hero Tesla instead of fighting about his nationality. He definitely did not want us to do that! 

Mike Jaros, Bosnian Yugoslav of Polish ancestry and Ukrianian surname  
Duluth, Minnesota

A sign of the times?

It must be a sign of the times that I take exception to two Reader columnists, Ed Raymond and Phil Anderson, at the same time, for the same reason. In last week’s issue, both of them saw fit to cast aspersions on people who don’t share their misinformed views on the management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both of them use the term “cult” to tar-and-feather anybody who doesn’t buy the corporate stance on cause and treatment of the disease. Make no mistake about it, with Pfizer alone projecting first year earnings in excess of $33 BILLION, the manufacturers sure have the horsepower to force government compliance with their plan.

Let’s cut to the chase. First, there is this from Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of mRNA vaccine technology. “So now we had this paradox that those that had been vaccinated, while the data still suggested that they’re largely protected from disease and death and more protected than the unvaccinated from disease and death, they’re no longer protected from infection. It became clear within the data, and through multiple sources, that the levels of virus replication in the individuals, even who had been vaccinated previously, was the same or higher as the levels of virus replication in those that are un-vaccinated. And also that those that had been vaccinated and had breakthrough infections, which is what we’re talking about, were also shedding virus and able to spread virus.”

Next we turn to the matter of the drug Ivermectin. Anderson refers to it as a “livestock drug” when, in fact, it has saved the lives of hundreds of millions of human beings from malaria infection. And, yes, it is also used to kill parasites in pets and livestock. The following is from the US National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health.

“Meta-analyses based on 18 randomized controlled treatment trials of ivermectin in COVID-19 have found large, statistically significant reductions in mortality, time to clinical recovery, and time to viral clearance. Furthermore, results from numerous controlled prophylaxis trials report significantly reduced risks of contracting COVID-19 with the regular use of ivermectin. Finally, the many examples of ivermectin distribution campaigns leading to rapid population-wide decreases in morbidity and mortality indicate that an oral agent effective in all phases of COVID-19 has been identified.” (The above assumes that the ivermectin is administered by a physician.)

Raymond and Anderson both fall back on an old logical fallacy in their ad hominem attacks on Republicans. I don’t care who speaks the truth, just as long as it is valid. And, Reader readers might be interested to know that I am way to the left of so-called liberals. I’m a socialist, with deep roots in anti-war, anti-police violence, pro-environment and Native rights issues.

James Richard Bailey
Duluth, Minnesota