SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 15, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/19/22
In this edition:
*Johnson County Fair
*COVID Theft?
*Praise for Christina Bohannan
*The Socialist?
*Did You Know?
*Johnson County Fair
The Johnson County Fair runs from Sunday, July 24 through Wednesday, July 27. This is a great opportunity for the whole family to take a step back toward our agricultural roots!
I enjoy the fair. I am particularly fond of the fact that there is never an entry fee, and parking is free. In many counties, you would pay $10 to park and $5/head admission, if not more. That is $30 minimum for a family of four before you have even done anything!
Yes, it is typically hot out there. But that is why they sell ice cream! So, please stop out and enjoy the Fair. You’ll be glad you did!
For the full daily lineup of events, see: http://www.johnsoncofair.com/entertainment.html
*COVID Theft?
I had my second bout of COVID last week. My whole family got it in early January of ’22. Everyone BUT me got it in early May of ’22. And now JUST me has it in mid-July. I have had 4 shots – the series of two, plus two boosters. I have no doubt that my family and I would have been much worse had we not been vaccinated.
As for this bout - I had a runny nose, took a test, and it came back positive. Thankfully, I could do most of my work from home, including Zooming into a couple of meetings. The symptoms never really got worse than that runny nose. This takes me back to a conversation I had a couple years ago with a friend who is a counselor.
I was not seeing her professionally, but we ran into each other downtown. We began talking about COVID, and I started to throw out all the usual qualifiers: I know I am lucky. Lots of people lost loved ones. Lots of people have long COVID. Lots of people lost jobs. I know that in the big picture, my problems do not amount to a hill of beans.
My counselor friend diagnosed me on the spot. She said, “It is great that you realize many people have it worse than you. That is true. But you still have a right to your feelings. You have every right to be angry, sad, or whatever else you are feeling.”
That really helped me at the time, and it really helps me today. You see, I simply cannot function without people. I need to be around people. Sure, I like a little bit of alone time. But not much. My mental health is really dependent upon being with other people. And COVID makes that a real struggle.
Look at Saturday the 9th. It was a BEAUTIFUL day! Perfect weather! And two really good friends were both having parties that day. But I could not go. And I honestly feel as though something of great value was stolen from me. I feel wronged, like I am the victim of a crime. I feel completely forsaken. I need this to end.
I know others may read this, and think, “What hyperbole.” But this is who I am. Taking people from me is the worst thing that can happen to me. Not everyone feels this way, but I do.
Again, I get it. I’m amongst the lucky ones. I just felt like keeping this inside was doing me no good, so I’m sharing it. I hope you and yours stay safe and healthy.
*Praise for Christina Bohannan
Campaigns for all the various offices are going strong. I just wanted to take a moment to share my admiration for 1st District Congressional Candidate Christina Bohannan.
When I met Christina, it was immediately evident that she was friendly, warm, and unbelievably intelligent. Those qualities alone can serve a person quite well in elective office. But Christina has gone on to impress me in many additional ways.
Christina is an incredibly hard worker. She doggedly researches topics, she talks to everyone who might be affected, and she is willing to work across the aisle. I am aware of one situation where Republicans in the House were ready to ram home legislation, and Democrats felt helpless. But Christina intervened, and almost singlehandedly made the bill less bad. I am really impressed by her work in the Iowa Legislature!
Christina puts that same hard work into constituent services. I know many people who have been pleasantly surprised by her follow through. Unfortunately, many of us do not expect a lot from our elected officials. Christina has proven otherwise. If she says she is going to do something, it gets done, it gets done quickly, and it gets done well.
Finally, and I cannot emphasize this enough – Christina really cares. She truly wants to improve the lives of Iowans. She did not have it easy growing up. Christina lived in a trailer, and her dad worked construction until emphysema (and a lack of good health insurance) made work impossible. Christina has never forgotten these roots. All of her votes have those who are less powerful in mind.
I am going to be enthusiastically campaigning for Christina Bohannan this election season. I am proud to knock doors on her behalf! I hope you will join me!
The Socialist?
(This originally appeared in Salvos way back in 2010, hence some of the dated references. That said, it still rings pretty true today.)
Imagine young local politician, trying to build a grassroots movement. Here are some of the things he is saying:
While most politicians resist attacking the rich (because they want to avoid “class warfare”), this guy rips the rich constantly. He even tells them they are going to Hell!
While most politicians run from the term “socialist”, this guy literally advocates taking from the rich and giving to the poor.
While elected officials in Iowa City “pile on” the Southeast side, this guy moves there.
Instead of voting to restrict panhandling, this guy hangs out with the beggars in the Ped Mall.
Rather than supporting the arming of the UI Police, this guy stages a sit-in at Jessup Hall.
This guy helps to organize workers into unions, and argues for better wages for working people.
While most local politicians ran away from the Land Water Future bond initiative, this guy spoke out firmly for the environment.
Instead of throwing tax incentives at businesses, this guy advocates for a huge increase in human services funding.
This guy loudly promotes “Obamacare”… though he thinks it does not go nearly far enough. He prefers free healthcare for all.
Don’t think for a minute that this guy is a fan of Obama, however. He is extremely anti-war, and protests the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan every single day.
Could this guy get elected in Iowa City? Not in a million years! He would be labeled a Socialist, Communist, and a Liberal. He would be pilloried on the Press Citizen message boards. They would call his policies “job killing welfare”. Glen Beck fans would write letters attacking the socialist.
Who is the “candidate” I am describing? Jesus Christ.
Sure, Jesus was not a politician. That is not the point. The behaviors I mentioned above come right out of the New Testament; I simply changed the time and location.
Ironically, the actions I listed probably wouldn’t even be the topic of conversation. People would instead be criticizing the length of his hair.
But what DOES this mean? Most people in Johnson County claim to be Christians. Many wear it on their sleeves. Is there a log in our collective eye? To use a popular phrase, “What Would Jesus Do?”
*DID YOU KNOW? Over 70,000 people annually visit the Johnson County Fair.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 9:12 AM
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