I had both knees replaced in the last few years, the punishment for running long distances in my youth. Marathons, ultra-marathon relays and wilderness marathons seemed like a good idea at the time.
Now, at the ripe old age of 10 (in dog years), not so much.
But, I did learn something in that recuperation process that I’d like to shout out to President Joe Biden – Slow down and use the freakin’ handrails!
I mean, seriously, how many times are we going to watch the president of the United States trip and fall as he tries to skip up and down the stairs?
Please, don’t get me wrong. I’m not making fun of the president in a Gerald Ford/Chevy Chase sort of way. Ford was a much younger man and the laughter directed at him for his slip-falls was about him being clumsy, not frail. Joe Biden is 80-years-old. Falling for him is deadly serious.
Biden’s own CDC website says: “Every second of every day, an older adult (age 65+) suffers a fall in the U.S.—making falls the leading cause of injury and injury death in this age group. One out of four older adults will fall each year in the United States, making falls a public health concern, particularly among the aging population.”
So, take your government’s own advice, Mr. President. Stop trying to show the world that you’re sprite and youthful. You are an 80-year-old American male. In just the time you’ve been in the White House, you have fallen in public multiple times. (Who knows how many times in private?)
The most recent public fall – the one last week in the U.S. Air Force Academy commencement ceremony – was a particularly bad one. The president tripped and fell on his right hip. He struggled to get up. Everyone gasped.
And, let’s tell the unvarnished truth here: Statistically, the president isn’t out of the woods because falls like these are possible signs of bad things to come.
It ain’t funny.
CATHOLIC HATE
California likes to think of itself as a good state that knows so much more than the rest of us heathens about what it means to be tolerant.
Except, of course, when it comes to the tolerance of Catholics.
Let me explain.
In Marin County, a bucolic place just on the good side of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, five vandals of religious art got off with a pat on the head after they, in the light of day and in front of television news cameras, trespassed on church property in San Rafael and destroyed a statue of St. Junipero Serra.
It was a Columbus Day protest in 2020. Serra is a controversial figure for some who say the relatively new Catholic saint treated indigenous people badly in the 1750s. I get the angst. I also get that there’s more to Junipero Serra than that and the devotion the church faithful have for saints. The question before the District Attorney in Marin County wasn’t about history. It was about what, exactly, is the penalty in 2023 for trespassing onto private property and destroying a religious piece of art?
Her answer – nothing much.
She dropped the felony charges against the protesting five. Restitution to the church will be paid for by some defense fund, not out of the pockets of the actual wrongdoers. And, to add insult to injury, in 12 months the new misdemeanor charges will be fully erased. For the destroyers, It will be as if the crime never happened.
That’s a bad precedent because now every tortured soul who feels aggrieved in the latest pop history theory will see this capitulation as a green light to take matters into their own hands.
It’s a form of hate for Catholics and Marin isn’t the only place it takes shape.
In Los Angeles a group called the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’’ will get a “Community Hero Award” on LGBTQ+ Pride Night at the Dodgers baseball game.
A “hero” award? Think about that for a second.
The “Sisters” dress up as nuns to mock Catholics. Their motto is “go and sin some more.” Stage names include “Sister Anal Receptive.” The group hosts pub crawls mocking the rite of the Stations of the Cross.
I’m only pointing out what should be obvious to all good people: There’s a big difference between “tolerating” a bigoted comedy routine and “celebrating” it.
There is also a difference between administering justice that is fair to all and fundamentally excusing lawless behavior.
Watching the Marin D.A. ‘s office and the Dodgers front office defend the encouragement of hateful acts against Catholics is like watching a bird hit a picture window and then spasm into the next life.
It’s unnerving to watch.
ONE MORE THING
– If a guide dog judges that a command is unsafe, it will refuse the command. This is called “Intelligent disobedience.” Now, if only humans can learn this skill…
As always, thanks for reading. We at Battle Born Media appreciate it. Until next week, avoid soreheads, laugh a little and always question authority.
“Properly Subversive” is commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick, a Nevada Hall of Fame journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@ gmail. Com.
