We are facing a new epidemic. It seems to be affecting only some Republicans in the state legislature. The infection seems to be manifesting itself in several ways. One form of the infection is causing some, like Rep. Crane who appears to have one of the worst cases, to say,

despite the fact that cases and deaths in the US from COVID are setting new records and despite the fact that people will be vaccinated in just days or weeks or months, we should not wait that short time to get protected, but rather throw our hands up in the air, give up and in

fact, while we should all be quitters because the public health measures are just too hard, let’s throw caution to the wind and just be reckless and Que Sera, Sera. Wow, wouldn’t you love a guy like that to be a general leading our troops into war? We would throw up the white

flag and surrender to the enemy the first day because if keeping our distance and wearing a mask is too hard, can you imagine how hard it would be to wear a helmet, carry a backpack and eat rations? Then there is a second form of the disease that has Republican lawmakers trying

to make Idaho the only state in the country to end its emergency declaration. Now, they will say it is because they care about Idahoans, but they don’t because all this will serve to do is make it more difficult for Idaho to get additional federal funding. Now, if you are under

the impression that Idaho has more money than we need, we don’t really need more money for schools or to administer vaccines and such and that if we need more money, we should just raise taxes, then you will love these wonderful legislators. And, then there is a third form of

infection. It just makes the ugliness in people’s hearts (many of these people proclaiming what wonderful Christians they are) outwardly apparent. This form of the disease makes Republicans refuse to take adequate steps to protect a disabled colleague or a

colleague with a medical condition that places them at high risk, like wearing a mask, like all of us people who are not living the privileged life of a legislator have to do every day, because they have rules (even though they are the ones who make the rules and can change the

rules) and one just has to wonder whether it is also because those at risk are Democrats. I don’t know of a cure for this disease other than I hope every donor and every company that contributes to campaigns will refuse to support the re-election of any of these infected

legislators. And, then people of good will, who really do care about others, need to vote these people out of office, before they spread this infection further.