No mask on your face
You big disgrace
Spreading your germs all over the place
-From Pinterest

Today’s independent commentary deals with these people/issues:

• Quick Hits
• Almost “Our View”
• No Improvement
• Mission Accomplished
• One More Thing

QUICK HITS:

• The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 34% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States will experience a second civil war sometime in the next five years, but that includes only nine percent (9%) who say it’s Very Likely.
  And people wonder why I live in an underground bunker…
• The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian, and transgender people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court. (AP)
  This was the right decision. Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch sided with the liberals on this, so now he will get the wrath of the MAGA crowd.
• The political advocacy arm of reproductive-services provider Planned Parenthood on Monday endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for U.S. president, calling his race against Republican President Donald Trump a “fight for our country’s very survival.” (Reuters)
  I agree that this next election is a “fight for our country’s very survival.”

ALMOST “OUR VIEW”

It’s been ages since the Great Falls Tribune published its own editorial. The latest one I can find on their website is from February 4, 2018.

I thought that changed on Sunday when on the Tribune’s opinion page they published an editorial under “Our View” titled “View social media skeptically.”

I shared the editorial on my personal Facebook page and the Facebook page of The Western Word. I hate fake news and will correct people who post fake news.

Today I was going to mention that I was happy the Tribune decided to jump back in the editorial game, so I decided to see if I could find the editorial on-line to link to it.

I found out that I was duped.

I found the editorial on a website called “The Ledger” (out of Florida) and at the end of the editorial I found the following statement, “This editorial was originally published by the Seattle Times and distributed by the Tribune News Service.”

The Seattle Times editorial board published the editorial on June 9, 2020.

So, the editorial in the Great Falls Tribune was not really the Tribune’s “Our View” as they led people to believe. Maybe it was a view they believe, but they should have given credit to the actual editorial team from the Seattle Times.

What the Tribune did could be called plagiarism.

Times are tough for newspapers all across the fruited plains. I get that. That’s why accuracy and honesty are so very important.

NO IMPROVEMENT:

The website Bankrate.com reports that nearly three-quarters of Americans say their personal finances haven’t improved since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, according to a new Bankrate survey. The harsh assessment — which comes on the heels of an economic boom during Trump’s first three years in office — can be blamed only partly on the coronavirus outbreak.

Here are some key findings from the survey:

• 17 percent of Americans say their personal finances are better now than when Trump moved into the White House
• 45 percent say their situations have stayed about the same
• 29 percent are worse off now
• 10 percent say they don’t know

Read the full article by clicking HERE.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:

Here in the bunker of the worldwide headquarters of The Western Word, I am proud to announce that I am the rightful owner of a package of Quilted Northern Toilet Paper. This is no ordinary Quilted Northern – this is the mother of all packages – 32 JUMBO rolls, with 271 sheets/roll. (Photo)

Now I somewhat know what it’s like on those reality shows when they kill a moose and have enough meat for six months.

Is this a great country or what?

By the way, I never had problems getting toilet paper when Obama, Bush, Clinton, H.W. Bush, and Reagan were Presidents.

ONE MORE THING:

As many of you know, I get emails from many candidates from both sides of the fence.

I enjoy seeing how campaigns try to get my attention so I will at least open their emails. Here are my recent favorites:

• The email has “Steve’s iPhone” as the sender.
  This must be very important since you are using Steve’s iPhone.
• The email has the subject, “Are you free next week?”
  Like they are going to drop by for coffee…
• The email from Team Trump says, “The President can’t wait to meet you, Jackie.”
  Team Trump must be feeling like they are behind because they are sending more and more emails asking for money and my support.

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