Words according to Thomas, Co-Founder, Jack of all Trades, and Creative and Visual Director of Raven Vanguard
Really? Time for Another Once-over?
There must be a new and undiscovered glitch in the space-time continuum because it is not possible that a full week has passed since I was last called upon to pass judgment on the persistent misgivings of humanity. Either that or my astral body is just fucking around again with my human body by attempting to lead it astray down the path adorned in Primrose to the land where vanilla is justly scorned for being mundane.
Where to Start With This Once-over?
So much dread when it comes to parsing the ghastly and shameful behavior of humankind, with so much of it related to the foolishness of US politics and the imbeciles holding public office who supposedly represent our interests. With each passing day comes a brand-new display of situational morals and ethics. And lest you think that this infectious disease plagues one political party only, rest assured, it does not; every party is as duplicitous as the next. There appears to be no end in sight to the never-ending parade of hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness of politicians everywhere.
Wake Up People; America is Hardly the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread
Did I mention that there was another school shooting this week? Or, another missing child, presumed dead? How about the rise in anti-abortion fanaticism? Or, and this one’s undoubtedly a shocker, pharmaceutical companies, government officials, and the mainstream media conspiring to concoct another so-called public health emergency in an attempt to eradicate our right to make uncoerced decisions about our personal health, or that of our children? Does the continued lack of accountability at Facebook ring a bell? Also, let’s not turn a blind eye to recent examples of social media bullying, or the use of religion as a tool to beget violence and bigotry. Does it surprise anyone that Red and Blue continue to bicker about the contents and meaning of the Mueller Report? Do I really need to examine Trump’s tax returns to reach the conclusion that he is the consummate con artist? Am I the only one concerned about trusting my life to an airplane manufactured by Boeing? How many more R. Kellys must we tolerate before taking retributive measures that befit the crime?
Here’s a dose of reality folks: this Country surely has its fair share of heroes, doers, contributors, makers, and humanitarians, but sadly, we are far outnumbered by the growing presence of predators, hypocrites, cowards, users, takers, rapists, murderers, charlatans, antagonists, detractors, ingrates, malcontents, liars, thieves, bystanders, manipulators, malingerers, opportunists, terrorists, zombies, cheaters, creeps, schemers, jihadists, and villains. What will it take to stem the evil tide finally?
Another Genocidal Ethnic Cleansing Ensues While the International Community Looks On Blindly
I’m talking about the horrifying transgressions taking place in detention camps located within Xinjiang, China’s westernmost province. The silent victims are the Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uyghurs, and other central Asian minority ethnic groups. Unfortunately, when it comes to rectifying wrongdoing by the Chinese government, as experience teaches us, very little can be done to curb this kind of indignant global superpower belligerence.
Oncology and Cancer Treatment Protocols in the United States are Perverse
Like something from the pages of medieval curative chicanery, the unholy trinity of western medicine, in the guise of the FDA, Big Pharma, and the AMA, continues to follow the money-grabbing, life-threatening protocols of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, together with other gluttonous forms of patent-based hocus pocus.
Not surprisingly, this week, a judge in Florida ill-advisedly ordered that a child with leukemia must undergo a potentially three-year long course of chemotherapy contrary to the well-informed desires of the child’s parents to forego conventional treatment. In this Country, if a Parent refuses to follow traditionally sanctioned methods of oncological mistreatment, their child will be removed from their care by some misguided child protective agency and then be forcibly subjected to whatever protocol the oncologist prescribes. I kid you not; this happens in this Country every single day.
The Darkness Surrounding Immigration the World Over
The darkness that surrounds the discussions over immigration is acute and nearing an apocalyptic climax. These conversations are taking place all over the planet, not just here in our backyard. Immigration, even when carried out legally, is, at times, a thorny proposition, especially when immigration is rampant during uncertain economic times. Generally, immigration, when it is undocumented and illegal, is, at best, a contentious problem that has now seemingly cemented a decades-old cultural divide throughout our entire society.
Consider the Brexit-styled cauldron currently brewing to a near boil in the United Kingdom: where many people now self-identify as either a “leaver” or a “remainer.” If we examine the turmoil in the UK for signs and signifiers, we can see that the conversation taking place is far more complicated and far-reaching than first thought; reflecting one’s age, economic status, religion, social values, education, place of living (urban, suburban, rural), ethnicity, and cultural identity.