Reprieve

It's not only prisoners who are getting reprieves.

The plastic bag has made a return, after only weeks of being sentenced to plastic bag hell.  Many mourned its passing.  Some (read I) showed up at the supermarket with no reusable bags and either had to purchase one, or walk away with items in our hands.  I don't know who is more relieved, the people or the plastic bag.  In the meantime, the environment weeps.

With little or no traffic, the roads have had a heavy weight lifted off them.  Whew!  Now they can breathe, enjoy the sunshine, feel the wind, hear the birds, take a siesta.  They won't suffer additional nicks or cracks or holes or craters.   And for us what a welcome.  We can take leisure rides during rush hour.  We can enjoy the sunshine, hear the birds...  Just don't take that siesta!

Gas prices have gone south.  I didn't do well in Economics.  What does the theory say about price and demand.  There are less cars on the roads which means we are using less gas and the prices are down.  I don't care what the theory says, I will take it.  

What a relief for some of us that we have been given a break from the obnoxious, toxic co-worker.  If we could see, we would realize that the obnoxious and toxic co-worker is us.  How does it feel being alone with yourself?

Evictions and foreclosures got reprievals.  The courts didn't.   Landlords and banks have already filed the paperwork to say "gotcha" after your three month amnesty.   Don't get comfortable.

Banks have given you a reprieve  You can receive forbearance on your mortgage payments for three months or more.  It doesn't mean you don't have to pay.  Banks will have their hands out after the time period.  Be ready to pony up.

China is laughing its way back to the bank.  Who knew that the United States would be running to China of all places for the provision of PPEs.  Aren't they the ones who gave us COVID?  China, China, China (in my Trump voice)!

Some of us screamed and rejoiced as we received our goverrnment check.  This included some of us most critical of those who receive regular governmental assistance. You, my dear, are now a welfare recipient.  Oh, it's only a one time thing, so it's okay.  Oh, it's money I put into the system, so it's okay.  Oh, this is an emergency, so it's okay.  Oh, this is a pandemic, so...Stop!  Some of you are overcomers, who have pulled up your britches and have become the loudest critic.  Please read Joy Degruy's Post Traumatic Slave Snydrome.  And please note that Blacks do not make up the largest numbers on the welfare rolls.  Know people's stories before you point fingers and degrade and defile.  People who need a help up should not be embarassed to access the benefits when needed.  This may be you or me if this thing continues or resurfaces as predicted.

So how about those prisoners.  Paul Manafort missed out on getting a presedential pardon, but he got the reprieve he requested.  Fear of COVID has him moved to home arrest, four years early.  Michael Flynn had charges dropped by the Department of Justice, at least for now.  AG William Barr, what about Michael Cohen?  It was reported that he was getting one.  Is Roger Stone getting a reprieve?  He says jail will kill him, given his underlying conditions.  What about other white collar (read White) criminals?  Will they be stealthily let go while we are COVID distracted (and this is a poor choice of word, because COVID is not a distraction)?  

The prisons have been off-loading low level criminals because of the growing infection within their walls.  I would love to know the breakdown of the races of these prisoners and charges for which they were imprisoned.  How many were part of the prison pipeline?  Read Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow.  Have states such as Alabama and Mississippi given reprieve to prisoners serving life sentences for crimes they didn't commit or committed when they were children.  Read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson or watch the movie of the same name.  Or you may research any of the organizations working and have been successful in getting the release of the wrongly accused. Watch Ava Duvernay's miniseries on Netflix, When They See Us.

Some prisoners are deliberately trying to get COVID, so they can be released.  I don't think they understand that COVID is not the prison they want.  But then again, who am I to determine which sentence, which life is worse.

Watch out for these reprieves. They, like the mighty beast COVID, could come with dire consequences and casualties.