Monday, April 29, 2024

Well-Defined

Immunity: 
  1. 1.
    the state or quality of being resistant to a particular infectious disease or pathogen.
    "immunity to typhoid seems to have increased spontaneously"
  2. 2.
    protection or exemption from something, especially an obligation or penalty.
    "the rebels were given immunity from prosecution"

As I like to say here, from time to time: "I looked it up." 

It is interesting that the first definition applies to the blind-leading-the-blind approach the former game show host took to the COVID-19 pandemic. He stood at a podium and suggested that a bright light might scare away the germs, or maybe an injection of Clorox could clear up any infection. He also seemed worried that wearing a mask would affect the application or over-application of bronzer to his face. 

And then he caught it. On October 2, 2020 this self-proclaimed "very stable genius" showed the world that he was not, in fact, immune to the deadly virus that was raging across the globe. Did this change the scientifically proved non-immune former president's approach to the pandemic? Well, he did get the FDA to approve a horse de-wormer as a treatment. What could it hurt, right?

Now, about this second definition. The Supreme Court had to get in on this one. The twice-impeached, multiple-indicted on state and federal charges guy who sold Bibles to shore up his legal defense fund is now begging the judges, three of whom he appointed, to say that the United States President should be immune from criminal prosecution. As the interpreters of our Constitution, these nine justices will have to decide if it is okay for a President to commit serious crimes. This is coming from a guy who announced before the 2016 election, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" 

Just as the framers of the Constitution never could have imagined a future where automatic weapons would be used to gun down school children, they could not have anticipated electing a sleazy real estate developer to the highest office in the land, committing crimes as casually as he gives away medical advice, and insist that the rules be changed to suit his malfeasance. These were the guys who worked with a guy who once confessed to chopping down a cherry tree. 

Immune from the truth?

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