Auchtoon!

In other most other states, the end of February brings forth flowering trees, chirping birds, and pleasant temperatures. They call it spring. In Michigan, we recognize an ongoing series of freeze/thaw cycles to be pothole season. Sure, it’s awful, but at the end awaits our glorious summer (and fall), which are generally why we endure the rest.

Anyway, with a land war now fully underway in Europe, I thought I’d try to keep it on the lighter side this week.

Nearly two years into this pandemic, I remain mystified at the intense emotions around masks.

I mean, I get that people in general do not like to be told what to do, and when something is added that was previously not on the list, pushback is inevitable. It is somewhat comforting to know that 100 years ago there was over-the-top vitriol directed at mask-wearing in the last major flu event.

But it’s also disheartening to realize that we haven’t progressed beyond folks who thought prohibiting alcohol was a workable idea and giving women the right to vote was a difficult decision.

Mask mandates are quickly coming to an end at schools all across Michigan.

The happy news — the news we should all be focusing on — is that the omicron variant is quickly dissipating, which means FEWER infections and FEWER health issues. So there is less need for masks, especially for those who are vaccinated. Huzzah!

Instead, much of the news is framed as a pro- and anti-mask mandate issue. Who won? Who lost? Will this fire up the base? How will this affect the elections? How will we know who to scream at next time we’re at Meijer?

It would be nice someday not to consider public health decisions as some sort of sport REQUIRING US to choose sides. But in the great flu pandemic of 2122, I suspect it will be exactly the same.

Every day before work, my wife makes for me a fruit bowl that I have as my mid-morning snack. The contents vary but can include blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi, green grapes, red grapes, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, and apples. Yes, I know — clearly I am spoiled. But on so many levels!

First and foremost, having a loving spouse who cares enough to select, purchase, and assemble the fruit bowls. (And not include mango because, ewww, mango.) But also because here I am living a middle-class life in the upper-midwest where only a few generations ago my only option for fresh produce in February would have been a withered turnip that had been harvested just before the ground froze.

Now I get a selection of all these sweet, delicious fruits! Sure, they may not all be up to the heavenly standards of a local in-season harvest. But for having made the trip from Mexico and South America (and New Zealand!), they are pretty dang good.

I saw an article this week about how inflationary prices finally hitting fresh produce after largely sparing that segment until now. Among the many reasons why — the minimum wage in Mexico has doubled in the past four years, and that cost has finally worked its way through to the end consumer. I’m embarrassed to say that my first thought was, “But I don’t want to pay more for my winter blueberries!”

I say embarrassed because my ideology is more about having empathy for those Mexican farmers and how higher wages benefit them (and make it much less likely that they would need to leave their homes). But just like with a guy who supports the Canadian trucker protest until his new vehicle is delayed, ideology can go quickly out the window when it effects you personally.

Garrett Soldano is a Republican candidate for governor of Michigan. He was recently on a podcast expressing his thoughts regarding women, rape, pregnancy, and adoption in the context of some of his personal experiences. A clip was tweeted by Heartland Signal this week, and it quickly went viral.

It’s fairly obvious why it did go viral — there were a ton of tripwire issues packed into what Soldano said. It would be difficult for anybody not to have an emotional response. I didn’t want to add fuel to that fire, but there was one point I took issue with.

Some seem to feel that Soldano has been unfairly attacked for expressing his opinion. If he were just an ordinary citizen, I might agree. But he’s not. He’s running for governor. And as a candidate running for public office, his opinions inform voters of his intentions. In this case, the intention seems clear — make abortion, even for rape victims, illegal. 

His freely expressed opinion quickly became a thinly veiled threat.