Quote of the day…
Understand your worth. Value your life. Appreciate your blessings. – Anonymous
In today’s column, I take a quick look at these people/issues:
- Remarks by President Biden
- U.S. Church Membership
- Tester in Great Falls
- One More Thing
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BIDEN:
I happened to catch the remarks from President Joe Biden on Monday. He talked about the COVID-19 response and vaccinations.
After he was done, my first thoughts were that I wished people would not let their guard down, not make it political, and think about their fellow citizens.
That’s not happening.
Biden spoke about the need to still wear masks:
…I’m reiterating my call for every governor, mayor, and local leader to maintain and reinstate the mask mandate. Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down. And business should require masks as well. The failure to take this virus seriously — precisely what got us in this mess in the first place — risks more cases and more dests [sic] — deaths.
I already know that Montana’s governor won’t listen to Biden, Dr. Fauci, or the CDC.
Although I am housed in an underground bunker (the worldwide HQ of The Western Word) I do sneak out every so often to shop for supplies. Some of the stores I have frequented in the last week still require masks for entry. That’s good – they will get my business. I have been attending church online since last March because they don’t require people to wear masks, which is BS. I have attended that church for almost 30 years.
So wear a mask faithful readers – and get the vaccine!
Read the full transcript from the President HERE.
U.S. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP:
They say you should not talk about politics and religion. Here at The Western Word, these are frequent subjects.
Gallup Polling reported this week that Americans’ membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.
Gallup says that the decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no religious preference. With that being the case, they are not members.
I think in the past several years, politics has seeped into churches and it has turned people off. I know it has angered me. I go to church to worship God and learn about the Bible and not about politics.
I want churches to promote voting. Do not pick sides. I want churches to pray for our elected leaders no matter the political party. I want churches to help the needy – even if they are different looking or have different views.
Read the whole report from Gallup HERE.
TESTER IN GREAT FALLS:
The Great Falls Tribune reported late Monday about U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) being in Great Falls for a press conference.
Guess I missed the memo.
The Tribune reported that Tester spoke out against the Montana Legislature’s attempt to eliminate same-day voter registration and said he was still in favor of keeping the Senate filibuster.
Good for him. I’ll bet they stand up and take notice. 🙂
In two small sentences, Tester explained it so simply that even a right-wing wacko could understand it:
I think we ought to make it so that voting is accessible to everybody. I think it makes our democracy work better.
As for the filibuster, the Tribune reported:
“I’m going to uphold the filibuster because I think it makes for better legislation,” Tester said. “But I didn’t go to Washington, D.C. to get nothing done.”
I don’t think they will get a lot done with the filibuster rules the way they are. The question I would ask Tester is how long will the Senate Democrats “get nothing done” until they decide to revamp the filibuster or kill it altogether? The next election is in 2022, and the very slim majority could go down the drain for the Democrats in Washington.
Read the full story from the Tribune HERE.
ONE MORE THING:
Don’t forget to participate in the latest poll from The Western Word that asks if I should do a weekly podcast.
Click HERE to vote.
The Western Word 
Speaking of masks, did you see where the MT House Republicans now want to penalize any county or city that has pandemic health measures stronger than the at-this-point non-existent statewide guidelines, by withholding Federal relief money from them? Their excuse is that the more restrictive measures like mask mandates hurt the economy. Mask mandates hurt the economy? How?
Note this same Republican party trying to hang restrictions on the Federal money went totally ballistic when the Congress put tax cut restrictions on how that very same money could be spent. Restrictions not okay for Congress apparently, but perfectly okay for Legislature. And these Republicans are the very same Republicans whose party leader Gianforte said local government units were perfectly free to have stronger local measures when he rolled back all the state measures.
Nothing but a purely political ploy to push the far-right “Covid is a hoax” agenda, hypocritical as hell, and making a liar out of the governor.
Terry- I saw that. It’s so hypocritical. Maybe they should decline the money?
Trump turned the pandemic political and killed thousands.
Thanks, JmB
God is politics and politics is God. That is our unfortunate position. The ordinary common person questions whether God exists. That is what statistics indicate.
John – Very deep. Thanks. -JmB