Michael Ingmire: Notes From the Viral Underground

“You need a bus load of faith to get by…”
-Lou Reed, “Busload of Faith”

In this varied existence, it takes a lot to live and even more to remain alive. I crave and need the appropriate nourishment, in spirit and in body. It remains, an interesting life. To nourish my spiritual aspect, I choose to pray everyday. It is a constant struggle between the carnal flesh of this world and a sincere aspiration for a spiritual higher ground. God continues to provide his imprint of grace on our lives.

Creatively, I have to write, everyday. I am continuously blessed as a devout writer. I also continue to play and sing the Blues because after almost 53 years, I’ve gotten pretty good at it. The Blues are a reflection of this existence, the struggles, the triumphs and the losses. These are some of the moments that inform one’s soul. But the pursuit of the creative muse and spiritual sustenance are balanced by the everyday struggle for the legal tender. I previously wrote about my day job in the August 9, 2017 Politichicks article, “Why We Must Embrace Elder Wisdom.”

As I wrote in the above referenced article, I work at a small community grocery store that is part of a larger chain. What follows is an observation on the coronavirus as in my area and the humanity of our extended neighborhood. Sprinkled in the mix are some wry observations of some of the more pathetic persons in government.

I noticed an uptick in grocery purchases starting on March 2nd. By March 9th, it was building into huge lines and empty shelves. I must admit the over purchasing of toilet paper escapes any framework of rationality for me. I lose the plot in this overly dramatic farce of human nature as manipulated by an Australian urban legend. By March 16th, things looked that they were getting serious and I found myself reconsidering what I was doing there. A grocery store can be like a large incubator for everything known to man. Assisting many customers in any way possible is not always the best path to staying healthy when a pandemic is at hand.

For the safety of my wife and I, we have decided to practice social distancing. Because of our health history, not to mention our age, my wife and I are considered high risk in the catching of the coronavirus. My night job with the Blues band I am a member of, The Instigators, is also on hiatus due to canceled performances due to this pandemic. Prior to taking a break from work I was blessed to come across citizens who demonstrated the beating heart behind their words. Quiet moments, framed by centered humanity.

One person came into shop and was in the grips of despair. We prayed together for strength and we were joined by persons of like spirit. All of us were seeking to help a despairing fellow stranger on the road of our shared worries, while bowing our heads. I also met a woman, in her mid-fifties, who agreed that we have to have faith. We agreed that fear feeds the coronavirus. She reminded me of the following passage from Job 3:25: “What I fear comes before me and what I dread befalls me.”

Two strangers standing in line at a drugstore came to a shared scriptural conclusion. That as long as we had faith, Jesus and his angels would always have our back. That was the best moment of that day, one that sent me back to the Holy Bible. America is full of profound individuals. People that we ignore in our daily back and forth that have a broader humanity than we sometimes give them credit for. It was great to hear a veteran, standing on his two titanium legs, proudly praising our President for canceling travel into the United States from other affected countries. He also praised our President for securing our two borders in the wake of the virus. I have had casual interactions with this individual before, he was another customer at the grocery store, but his inner light was shining that day.

I am also very proud of the manner in which President Trump has handled this deadly virus. He has behaved in a very presidential manner despite resistance from politicians who place party before the American people. The Democrat Party seems to want to blur the difference between safety and tyranny. Instead of providing relief for the American people and establishing a real and future pandemic protocol; they use this crisis to include pork for their special interest groups.

There is a petty ante war going on between the two parties with union provisions, green deals, planned parenthood slush funds, Congressional salary increases, among many additional strips of “bacon.” The Democrats are attempting to sneak these unnecessary items onto the President’s stimulus bill. This is a stimulus bill that seeks to provide relief for hard working Americans affected by the coronavirus. The Democrats seek more graft and onerous regulations. Another chance to fundamentally divide and change America to their weird, twisted utopian nightmare.

To be fair, the New Stimulus Bill also needs to provide safeguards against CEO’s buying their stock back to increase their companies worth. Giving themselves a bonus while cutting their work force. We do not need a big business version of “cash for clunkers.”

The only thing the Democrats have going for them is attitude without any real native intelligence attached to it. It is amazing how broadly stupid the Democrat Party has become. Like an animal victim in a safari, they are too stricken to know they’re dead. We, as citizens, are caught between the Democrats hatred for President Trump and their desire for a furthering of the deep state. With the coronavirus pandemic, we see a distinct lack of public service from Nancy and Chuck.

I can’t decide if these folks are actively evil, lacking common sense or merely filled with avarice and greed. More than likely, equal sections of all of the above. We need to do more than just vote corrupt politicians out. We need an enactment of a version of the RICO Act. We need to dismantle the criminal enterprise that government has become. When they place party before public service, they forget one important thing: It is our money. They work for us. America is at a burn limit, it is now time for a term limit. No more lifetime appointments to Congress. In their efforts to destroy President Trump, the Deep State is trying to crash a robust economy and take control of America’s citizens. That outcome is unacceptable and needs to be fought at every turn.

Ultimately, Americans are a resilient people. I see average folks pulling together everyday. As far as government goes; There is a definite difference in agendas. We have a President who truly cares about the suffering of the American people and the preservation of our business structure. On the opposite plane, we have a House Speaker who wants to tack on a ridiculous amount of pork onto to the stimulus.

Pelosi and Schumer, and their syndicate, care not one whit about the American people and seek to establish a socialist monarchy. Well, Nancy and Chuck this cannot happen. Not on our watch. When this is over we will be a stronger nation. A nation that will forever realize who their enemy truly is.

Michael Ingmire

Michael Ingmire, is a musician, writer, commentator, activist and author based in North Carolina. As a musician he has shared stages with artists like John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Bo Diddley, Dr. Mac Arnold, Wilson Pickett, Allen Ginsberg, Kenny Neal, Bob Margolin, among many. Michael's work is available for listening or purchase at reverbnation.com under Michael Wolf Ingmire. Since the death of his nephew, Sean Smith, in the September 2012 Benghazi attacks, Michael’s writing has taken on a strong political edge. He has previously written about Benghazi extensively for The Daily Caller and foxnews.com. Starting in September 2015, Michael has been a consistent contributor to Politichicks, writing about, political, musical, and social topics. His article, “Benghazi: A Tale of Two Reports,” closes out the chapter on Islam in the collection, “Politichicks: A Clarion Call to Political Activism.”

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