Tag Archives: Jacob Chansley

Biden, musings, Trump

Struggling not to be a hypocrite…

This week has been bewildering. I can see it in my blog posts from the past ten days or so. I’ve gone from being cranky and irritable, to elation. Elation turned into dismay, then there was a dash of guilt. This morning, as I sit here thinking about what I want to write about today, I realize I’m a hypocrite. Every day, I struggle to be consistent about things. I try not to be hypocritical. But I often fail.

I’m not alone. Most people are hypocrites. Most of us say one thing and do another. We often have good reasons for being hypocritical. A common excuse is that a certain situation is different somehow. Like, for instance, I recently wrote a sympathetic post about how hard people are being on Skylar Mack, but then I wrote another, much less understanding article about how Jenna Ryan and Jacob Chansley are getting what they deserve.

I wrote yesterday about how I think redemption is important. I think that people should be able to rise above their mistakes. So how is it that I can have so much empathy for Skylar Mack, but not as much for Jacob Chansley and Jenna Ryan? There are some significant differences in each of those cases, of course.

Skylar Mack is 18 years old and barely an adult. What she did, while foolish and potentially dangerous, didn’t actually harm anyone. She wasn’t infected with COVID-19 when she broke quarantine. That doesn’t mean she was right to break the rules; it simply means that this time, she didn’t literally hurt anyone by breaking them.

Skylar needed to be punished, though, because other people are always watching. Not punishing Skylar could have emboldened other people to do what she did. Some of those would be rule breakers might be infected with COVID-19, and if they broke quarantine and mingled with the locals, they could cause an outbreak on the Cayman Islands. It was just my opinion that Skylar didn’t need to rot in jail forever for what she did. I’m glad the local officials agreed and let her go this month, even if a lot of virtue signaling hypocrites at home thought she should have fried.

Conversely, both Jenna and Jacob are much older than Skylar is. Jenna Ryan is a 50 year old businesswoman. Jacob Chansley is 33 years old. Both are well over the ages at which their brains should be fully developed. Skylar still has a few more years to go before her noggin is completely solid, and medical science supports that. According to this article by the University of Rochester Medical Center, Skylar still has a “teen brain”, and she will have that for about seven more years. That means her judgment is not the same as an older person’s should be.

Jenna and Jacob surely knew that what they were doing was illegal, and it’s been illegal for a very long time. I mean, come on. When was the last time you were able to just walk into a federal building like the Capitol, completely unvetted and unchecked? Granted, I haven’t been in a U.S. federal building in ages, but even in the years prior to 2014 (which is the last time I was in the USA), most federal buildings had at least a security guard. Many of those buildings have metal detectors and require showing identification. On January 6th, 2021, a whole bunch of people showed up in Washington, DC, hellbent on breaking and entering a restricted building. They KNEW it was wrong. If they didn’t know, they probably shouldn’t be allowed to cross the street by themselves.

Moreover, five people DIED at the riot. Countless other people were physically injured, psychologically traumatized, or both. There was a lot of property damage due to vandalism, and there was also theft. Jenna Ryan and Jacob Chansley may not have stolen anything or caused any property damage themselves, but they were certainly not doing anything to stop the damage. In fact, they were encouraging it and participating, and they were doing so with a very defiant, unapologetic attitude. They had to know that what they were doing was against the law.

By contrast, up until the spring of last year, people were coming and going from places like the Cayman Islands with no one tracking their movements. Face masks weren’t a fashion accessory. Neither were armbands that monitor a person’s movements. Except for the fact that Skylar Mack was evidently in the Cayman Islands alone at age 18, she was doing what many teenagers before her have done, completely without consequence. The rules suddenly and radically changed for her and her peers. The rules did not suddenly and radically change for Jenna and Jacob.

And finally, Jenna and Jacob did things to draw attention to themselves. They bragged about what they were doing on social media. Jenna Ryan went so far as to advertise herself as a realtor as she raved about “stopping the steal” and “taking back our country”. It’s sheer lunacy that she thought this was okay and that she’d get away with it. And after she got busted, she took to social media to beg for donations. Later, she posted an unbelievable confession:

WHAT? Who do you think you are, Jenna? Televangelist Paula White? Seriously, I bet Jenna is a fan of Paula White’s. I used to watch Paula on TBN, as she would beg for love gifts for her “ministry”, even though she lived in a mansion.
Paula White in action. I think Jenna sounds a bit like her.

PayPal canceled Jenna’s account, so I guess those “blessings” are no longer flowing. Mom and Dad would be so proud that I remember a concept from the Doxology. All those years in church sometimes come in handy. But, besides taking donations she claims she doesn’t need, Jenna also felt entitled to a pardon from Donald Trump, who quite predictably, didn’t come through for her, or her buddy Jacob Chansley, who can’t eat prison grub and needs an organic diet.

At least Skylar Mack did her time, paid her fines, and respectfully admitted that she deserved to be held accountable for what she did. Yes, her grandmother reached out for help from the government. She was genuinely concerned about her loved one’s well-being. But I didn’t hear Skylar, herself, asking for Trump’s help.

Jenna and Jacob acted like their shenanigans were a big fucking joke, and they were entitled to behave like miscreants because apparently, they think Trump gave them permission. Even if Trump had “invited” them to break the law, that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be serious consequences for doing so. Surely, Jacob and Jenna know that U.S. Presidents aren’t actually above the law– although Trump has sure acted like he was.

Judging by the news yesterday, I can see that there are still some pesky QAnon folks around who haven’t gotten the news that they were “played”. Some of those folks have wisely come to their senses… but too many are still on the QAnon/Proud Boys’ bandwagon. That includes a newly elected legislator from Georgia named Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has already filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden. This Trump trailing twit says that Joe Biden is unfit to hold office because he “blatantly abused power” when he was Vice President during the Obama years. She also accuses Biden of “blatant nepotism” regarding his son, Hunter Biden. Um… nepotism? Where the fuck was Ms. Greene during Trump’s tenure? Does she not realize that Trump gave most of his children and their spouses government jobs? I just can’t understand the stubborn cognitive dissonance in some of these people.

But anyway… I see that some people might think I’m a hypocrite for some of my views. And I’ll own up to that. I did get a little pissy the other day when someone chastised me and accused me of “falling for click bait”, although my getting pissy didn’t result in anyone getting blocked or unfriended on Facebook. And maybe I should be more understanding about my former “friend” blocking me a couple of days ago for praising Mike Pence on my space. I really don’t know what she’s going through right now. We’re all dealing with a lot of stress. I mean, I’m feeling depressed, hopeless, and stressed out and I don’t even have kids or a fucking job!

On the other hand, Biden is now in power and Mike Pence is not, so is it really that harmful to offer Pence some praise as he (hopefully) leaves federal politics? I’ll bet praise has been slow in coming for him over the past four years. He sure as hell never got it from a true narcissist like Donald Trump. I’ll bet “Mother” went through some hell, too. Poor woman probably had to hear and witness many horror stories about what an unapologetic asshole Trump is… although I’m sure Pence didn’t swear when he told her about it. If he didn’t actually tell her, then I’m sure it showed up in his demeanor. I’m married to a man who was both married to and once worked for narcissists. And I’ve witnessed and heard a whole lot of sad stories myself.

Well, anyway, I guess it’s time to wrap up today’s post. Bill has just called me to breakfast and he hates it when I let it get cold. So I’ll close by saying I know I’m a hypocrite about a lot of things. I really try not to be. But, as my former asshole psychiatrist once told me, “The first step to overcoming a problem is admitting you have one.” So I’m doing that now, and I’ll try to be accountable. And maybe my next post will be about something other than politics.

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politicians, politics, Trump

If he told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?

Happy MLK Day, y’all. Most years, Bill and I spend this weekend on a quick getaway somewhere. Last year, we went to Alsace, just as we did in 2017. The year before that, we went to The Netherlands. The year before that, Rothenburg ab Tauber. In 2016, we stayed local because I had dental implant surgery, but in 2015, we were in Hamburg. And in 2014, we were in Madrid. I miss traveling. I miss having a normal life.

I am not under any delusion that if Hillary Clinton had won the election in 2016, I’d be traveling somewhere nice. COVID-19 is a plague that is affecting almost everyone around the world. And I live in Germany, anyway, so Trump’s inept bullshit regarding the virus doesn’t really affect me personally. However, I am affected by watching the aftermath of the 2020 elections, which he lost. And I gotta say, I am absolutely gobsmacked by what some of his followers are saying and doing in the wake of the riots at the Capitol, which happened on January 6th, 2021.

I’ll start with the most vocal one. Texas real estate agent, Jenna Ryan, who proudly posed for photos and videoed herself before breaching the Capitol twelve days ago, is now having to face the consequences of her actions. The 50 year old businesswoman, who took a private plane to Washington, DC at the behest of her “president”, is clamoring for a pardon from Trump. Why? Because she says she was just following his orders.

“I listened to my president. He told me to go to the Capitol. I’m facing a prison sentence…”

Uh… so you thought you could go to Washington, DC, talk a bunch of shit as you videoed yourself breaching the Capitol, and not face ANY consequences? That just seems really dumb. Donald Trump is not God. He’s not above the law. You BROKE the law. You’re an adult, and I presume, completely sane. You sound perfectly sane in your interview. What the hell did you think was going to happen? And now you’re asking for a pardon? The mind boggles.

Was she under the influence of anything besides her own free will?

Well, Jenna, you lost a lot besides your mind when you decided this was a good idea. Looks like you’re going to lose your privacy, your business, your reputation, and probably your freedom. Ultimately, this stunt didn’t do anything for Trump, and he only rewards people who do something for him or give him money. All you did was make an enormous ass of yourself. Would you jump off a cliff if Trump told you to? Would you drink poisoned Kool-Aid? Give Trump a blow job and let him grab you by the pussy? It’s insane!

Should these people be pardoned for acting like thugs? I think not.

Next is our old friend, Jacob Chansley, aka the QAnon Shaiman, whose lawyer, Al Watkins, claims that Trump is at fault for his client’s arrest. Mr. Chansley, 33, is an unemployed actor who had been making a name for himself by attending Trump rallies in full facial makeup and costume, complete with horns. Chansley’s lawyer said, “[Chansley] loved Trump, every word. He listened to him. He felt like he was answering the call of our president.”

And now that Chansley is behind bars, albeit enjoying the organic diet he requested, Mr. Watkins is saying that Donald Trump should pardon him. Because apparently, Chansley, who hasn’t been a minor in many years, was in Washington, DC at the invitation of Donald Trump, wasn’t violent, didn’t cross any police lines, and didn’t assault anyone. However, he did allegedly leave an ominous note for Mike Pence that read:

“it’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.”

And that note was left as rioters screamed “Hang Mike Pence” and actually erected a gallows in view of the Capitol. How are we supposed to take that evidence? Are we to believe it was all just an act, meant to intimidate or serve as theater of the absurd? Does Jacob Chansley have the ability to dress himself and make basic decisions on his own behalf? Based on the excuses made by his lawyer, I can only conclude that Mr. Chansley is a simple-minded fool who has fallen under the the powers of a cult leader. And if Donald Trump is a cult leader, it’s definitely true that he’s a danger to the country. But Chansley got his mommy to complain about the food in jail and he’s getting his lawyer to blame Trump for his client’s ill-considered, irrational, and irresponsible actions.

This guy was addicted to crack. Now he’s acting like he’s been drinking Trump’s Kool-Aid.

And finally, there’s the MyPillow guy, Mike Lindell, who went to see Trump over the weekend and was carrying notes that mentioned the words “martial law”. Lindell claims that he wasn’t suggesting martial law as a last ditch attempt to keep Trump in power. He says he was carrying notes from a lawyer. Lindell says he has “definitive proof” that the election was fraudulent. What utter bullshit. Why is his “proof” more valid than the opinions of others, many of whom would be more in the know than a pillow salesman?

Fuck this guy.

I keep seeing conservatives commenting about how Biden will enact “martial law”. And yet Mr. MyPillow has actually discussed that with Donald Trump. As for fraud, it should be pointed out that Trump is no stranger to it himself. Several months ago, I read a book written by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, who related the story of how he was tasked to artificially inflate Trump’s votes in a poll run by CNBC. Cohen got John Gauger, who owns an information technology firm and is (or was) the chief information officer at Liberty University ahead of Trump’s election. Gauger was paid lots of money to manipulate the results of online polls in favor of Trump to boost his reputation and soothe his ego.

If Trump is capable of hiring someone to manipulate the results of polls run by news organizations, doesn’t it stand to reason that he’s capable of cheating in elections, too? Especially when the stakes are extremely high, as they are in his case? Because when Trump exits the White House on Wednesday, he will be vulnerable to charges brought against him by the state of New York. Trump can’t pardon himself from charges brought by states; his ability to pardon only extends to federal charges.

Trump says the other side “cheats”, but there’s a lot of evidence that Trump is the one who cheats… not just in online polls, but on his wives, and yes, in elections. He lost even though he cheated by screwing with the postal system and riling up the masses.

Unfortunately, trying to talk to Trump enthusiasts about these glaringly obvious discrepancies is like talking to the moon. They are absolutely certain that their leader is honest, forthright, and will save them from their own poor decisions. So much for the personal responsibility crowd, eh?

While I could be wrong and Trump will show compassion and mercy to folks like Jenna Ryan and Jacob Chansley, my guess is that they made these grand gestures that ultimately failed for naught. They will not get anything from Trump. He doesn’t care about them. If their actions had been successful, maybe he would have rewarded them… but most of the sane folk know that the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6th was unorganized, undisciplined, and unintelligent. And all they did was do a lot of vandalizing and virus spreading. I shudder to think how many people caught COVID-19 at that event.

I think Jenna and Jacob and others who have been arrested are simply going to have to face the music. They will probably spend time behind bars. They will probably pay big fines. They will lose businesses, jobs, family members and friends, and for what? A man who wouldn’t think twice about grabbing them or their female loved ones by the pussy because “he’s a star”. And that’s exactly why he won’t do shit for them. Sad.

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Police, politicians, politics, racism

Mike Pence is still sleeping, and others are not facing reality…

A couple of days ago, I wrote a post wondering if Mike Pence was finally “woke” (much as I hate that expression). He’s now made it clear that he’s still snoring. In a letter to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Pence wrote that he has no plans to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office.

I’m not surprised that Pence won’t cooperate. I had faint hope that he’d grow a spine, and my opinion of him did go up last week when he addressed all of the right wing whackaloons who stormed the Capitol last Wednesday, condemning them for their violence. But given that Trump has just a week left in office, it doesn’t surprise me that Pence would rather not be part of an action that would kick his boss out of office. It doesn’t matter, though, since Trump is going to be impeached for a second time, and he will be the first president in U.S. history to have such a “distinction”. I would be satisfied to know that Trump can’t run for office again.

Meanwhile, I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends are arguing amongst each other. I do still have some conservative friends on Facebook, and more than a couple of them have been engaging in a bit of “whataboutism” regarding last week’s riots versus the riots that occurred nationwide last summer, due to the Black Lives Matter movement.

I have not been getting involved in those arguments myself. I see them as different entities. BLM was supposed to be a movement bringing to light the injustices faced by people of color when they come into contact with law enforcement, as well as racially motivated violence. It’s a fact that many people of color have been injured or killed by police officers, and even if they aren’t arrested, people of color are more likely to be racially profiled. In 2013, many people were rightfully outraged that George Zimmerman, who was a private citizen, was acquitted of killing unarmed Black teenager Trayvon Martin, thanks to Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. Since then, there have been other cases of Black people being injured or killed in racially motivated altercations. For instance, George Floyd, was absolutely helpless last May when he was arrested by Minneapolis cop, Derick Chauvin, who had rear handcuffed Floyd and knelt on the man’s neck, resulting in his death. People were and still are rightfully pissed.

It’s also true that last summer, a number of demonstrations became violent and resulted in destruction of property and looting. I condemn the violence and criminal activity that arose from the BLM riots of last year. However, I support the movement itself, because I think there’s ample evidence that, on the whole, people of color have not been treated fairly. I absolutely think they have a right to protest, even if I don’t condone violence, theft, or destruction of property.

Last week’s riots in Washington, DC were not about peace or promoting fairness. They were about a large group of white people– many of them men, armed with weapons, wearing body armor, and carrying zip ties– who felt emboldened to disrupt democratic proceedings. They were engaging in treason and, in the process, also destroyed property, looted, and killed and injured people. For some reason, these folks can’t accept that Donald Trump lost the election and will no longer be in charge as of next week. They can’t fathom that over half the country does not want him to be the president anymore, and they’re trying to disenfranchise people who made their wishes known with their votes. They allowed an unhinged orange dude to rile them up and incite violence. And they don’t seem to understand that the orange guy isn’t going to help them, now that they’re facing the consequences of their stupidity.

Yesterday, I shook my head as I read about some of the people who were involved in last week’s uprising being arrested. The widely photographed Shaiman guy, 33 year old Jacob Chansley (aka Jake Angeli) is now sitting in an Arizona jail cell after turning himself in to federal authorities. I read a story about his mother complaining that her son hasn’t eaten anything since Friday, because he only eats organic food. You know, I’m not usually one to say things like, “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time”, but maybe ManBearPig should have thought about his aversions to gross jailhouse food before he decided to storm the Capitol. He says he didn’t commit a crime, since the doors to the Capitol were “open”. Yes, but I think he knew full well he wasn’t supposed to go barging in there, right? And he was in Washington, DC to stir up trouble. And he sure did find it, didn’t he? I wonder if it was worth it to him and his cronies, now that they’re being arrested and charged with crimes.

I don’t see BLM and what happened last week as similar situations at all. The only thing that they have in common is that they attracted criminal behaviors among spun up, outraged people. It’s never okay to destroy property, steal things, or hurt or kill people in the name of a “movement”. But I think BLM is very different from “Stop The Steal”. It’s been repeatedly proven that our election was fair and there is no evidence that votes were tampered with. I think what we have right now is a bunch of white people who are pent up and legitimately fed up over COVID-19 restrictions, mixed with their own distrust and dislike of people who aren’t like them. They’re afraid their way of life is going to be disrupted. Well… it sure will be disrupted if they land in a jail cell, right? Violence is not the answer and won’t lead to positive resolutions or change. And while Mike Pence won’t acknowledge that Trump incited the riots, a whole lot of us know what he won’t admit. Donald Trump is directly responsible for the catastrophe that occurred last week. He egged on the most radicalized of his followers to try to overthrow the government, and that is not acceptable. Trump needs to face serious consequences for his actions. It’s too bad Mike Pence is too cowardly to do the right thing. But again, I am not surprised.

I have never in my life seen so much polarization caused by a political leader. I’ve seen many people breaking up friendships and even family relations over Trump. Last night, I was talking to my mom, who dislikes Trump as much as I do, telling her about how people on my dad’s side of the family are ardent Trump supporters. There are only a few of us on that side of the family who don’t support Trump. When we speak out, a few of the Trumpers on that side of the family can’t stop themselves from arguing. Just last week, one of my cousins, who is not a Trump fan, posted a rare status update on Facebook, denouncing the riots. Another cousin immediately took her to task about it. Then, when I commented in support of her statement, the same cousin tried to argue with me. I politely told him to fuck off. I mean, I didn’t actually say, “fuck off”, but I did politely ask him to leave me alone. There was a time when I really liked him a lot. He used to be one of my favorite relatives. Now, I can barely stand talking to him, because he won’t let people express themselves without overbearing commentary on why their opinions are “wrong”. He’s especially overbearing toward women. I’ve found that getting into arguments with people, rather than having a respectful conversation, rarely leads to anyone changing their views. It’s just annoying and aggravating, and it makes me wonder if I’ll ever be able to look at him in the same way I used to, before Trump was a thing.

It’s depressing and sad to watch the news and worry about what kinds of violence and mayhem will occur next week. I hope the DC cops and military are prepared for what’s coming. I’ve read that it won’t just be DC that gets targeted. There are also “storms” planned for state capitals, which may be besieged by batshit crazy people who feel emboldened by Trump and want to disrupt peace in an especially difficult time for people around the world. I can only hope and pray that some of them wake up and get with the program.

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