GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: FOR WHO THE BELL TOLLS NEXT.

Just five people shy of Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting incident that claimed 26 lives, the Uvalde Texas Robb elementary school mass shooting at 21 victims, now ranks among the highest grossing gun carnage in America. It is sad that such frequent blood spilling has tragically become part of our culture as a society. May the souls of the killed now rest.

25th AMENDMENT: ITS NOW ALL CRICKET.

Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi once questioned former President Donald John Trump's fitness to remain in office due to what she claimed was his declining mental capacity. Does anyone know what Madam Speaker presently thinks about the incontrovertible case which America is now saddled with? Just curious!

WHO WILL REBUILD UKRAINE?

The West should convert frozen Russian assets, both state's and oligarchs' owned, into a full seizure and set them aside for the future rebuilding of Ukraine. Like the Marshal Plan, call it the Putin Plan.

A HERO IS BORN.

I am staying put. I will not run away and abandon my people. The fight is here in Ukraine. What I need are weapons and ammunitions, not a ride out of town like former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani - President Volodymyr Zelensky.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

"There is too much hate in America because there is too much anger in America." - Trevor Noah.

WORD!

A life without challenges is not a life lived at all. A life lived is a life that has problems, confronts problems, solves problems and then learns from problems. - Tunde Fashola.

NOW, YOU KNOW.

When fishing for love, bait with your heart and not your brain, because you cannot rationalize love. - Mark Twain.

JUST THE FACT.

In our country, you can shoot and kill a nigger, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings - Dave Chappelle

DO YOU?.

“What you believe in can only be defined by what you’re willing to risk for it." - Stuart Scheller.

HEDGE YOUR CRISIS.

Never get in bed with a woman whose problems are worse than yours. - Chicago PD.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

'The best way to keep peace is to be ready to destroy evil. If you Pearl Harbor me, I Nagasaki you.' - Ted Nugent.

OUR SHARED HUMANITY.

Empathy is at the heart of who we are as human beings. - Cardinal Matthew Kukah.

WORDS ON MARBLE.

"Birth is agony. Life is hard. Death is cruel." - Japanese pithy.

REPENT OR PERISH - POPE.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is not ordained by God, therefore same sex marriage cannot be blessed by the church - Pope Francis.

CANCEL CULTURE IS CORROSIVE.


FOR SAKE OF COUNTRY.


MAGA LIVES ON: NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!

TWITTER IS BORING WITHOUT HIS TWEETS. #RestorePresidentTrump'sTwitterHandle.


WORD.

"If you cannot speak the truth when it matters, then nothing else you says matters.” - Tucker Carlson.

#MeToo MOVEMENT: A BAD NEWS GONE CRAZY.

"To all the women who testified, we may have different truth, but I have a great remorse for all of you. I have great remorse for all of the men and women going through this crisis right now in our country. You know, the movement started basically with me, and I think what happened, you know, I was the first example, and now there are thousands of men who are being accused and a regeneration of things that I think none of us understood. I’m not going to say these aren’t great people. I had wonderful times with these people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue. We are going through this #MeToo movement crisis right now in this country." - Harvey Weinstein.


RON DELLUMS: UNAPOLOGETICALLY RADICAL.

"If it’s radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if it’s radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if it’s radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then I’m proud to be called a radical.” - Ron Vernie Dellums.


WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE - STEVE JOBS

“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me. God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth. Memories precipitated by love is the only true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on. The most expensive bed in the world is the sick bed. You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life. Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.” - SJ

EVIL CANNOT BE TRULY DESTROYED.

"The threat of evil is ever present. We can contain it as long as we stay vigilant, but it can never truly be destroyed. - Lorraine Warren (Annabelle, the movie)


ONLY THE POOR WISH THEY HAD STUFF?

“I’m not that interested in material things. As long as I find a good bed that I can sleep in, that’s enough.” - Nicolas Berggruem, the homeless billionaire.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

CORONAVIRUS: SCAPEGOATING WET MARKETS IS NOT THE ANSWER.

ICHEOKU says nearly more than half of the world's population operate one form of wet market or the other in their respective countries. Many religions adherents like Jews, Muslims and traditionalists prefer kosher, halal and freshly killed meats. This is mainly cultural as many people like to eat freshly killed meat and not meat processed in factories, infused with additives, as is mostly obtained in Western countries. The reason for this practice varies from cultural practice passed on from generations unto generations for thousands of years, lack of refrigeration and above all the infrequent power supply in some countries which makes the preservation of meat difficult, if not impossible. 

In America, there are also many wet markets operated by people from other cultures who  call America home, including in China Towns, Jewish neighborhoods, African and Caribbean neighborhoods, Mexican and Philippines societies, as well as Muslim society that operate Halal meat markets. Some other Americans sometimes go to ranch animal farms to kill cows, goats, lambs and chicken for their fresh meats and those slaughter houses could somehow pass for wet markets too. In Louisiana for example, people eat all sorts of swamp creatures which in so many other cultures would be considered a taboo. American people love their cow meats but Indians do not touch cow which they consider sacred; but they have not asked Americans to stop killing and eating beef. 

So, why must America now tell China what meats to eat and how to process those meats. Why should America ask China to close down their wet markets which have been part of their cultural delicacy source for thousands of years, just because coronavirus allegedly broke out from one of them in Wuhan. If in fact coronavirus broke out in the wet market, why only in Wuhan's wet market since similar wet markets abound everywhere in China and in other Asian countries including their neighboring Taiwan. Why did coronavirus not break out in other Chinese cities's wet markets and in other countries that similarly operate wet markets. It is not right and America does not have the authority to tell other countries what to eat or how to source their meat products. 

Furthermore, there is no conclusive evidence that coronavirus suddenly broke out in a wet market which has operated for hundreds, if not thousands of years in Wuhan. America must therefore stop forcing its standards on other countries and cultures because living standards is not a one cap fits all. America can afford its high standards including picking and choosing what meats to eat, how to process and preserve them because it has the capacity to do so. But how many other poor countries in the world can afford a similar lifestyle, when most of them are struggling for survival, including many impoverished nations which does not have constant electricity supply to power storage freezers, when they can afford them. 

ICHEOKU says therefore the talk to force China to close down wet markets in Wuhan or any other Chinese city is a none starter and should not even be wasted any time on. Wuhan is not the first place ever to suffer an outbreak of a viral killer disease. Many other countries did and their culprit cultural practices were not shutdown as a result. Saudi Arabian's love for camels was not closed down following MERS outbreak; people did not stop eating pork and bacon following the H1N1 Swine flu; Hong Kong was not shut down following its 1968 flu; people did not stop eating chicken following the Avian or Bird flu either. When Ebola struck, the Ebola river was not shut down and people still call Lyme Connecticut home despite the Lyme disease. So why is China being asked to surrender their wet markets? 

When mad cow disease broke out in America, people did not abandon their steak and barbecue or sandwiches as a result. Even countries like Japan and South Korea that stopped importing United States of America beef and other related cow meat products were strong armed into reversing themselves. Therefore what is so different now about what a people have been eating for centuries that should now require compelling them to end it forthwith. A matter made more troubling because there is no conclusive proof yet that the current coronavirus disease originated from a type of meat people of Wuhan eat or a Wet Market which they operate in Wuhan China. 

The best practice going forward is to first conclusively investigate all the other angles being bandied around as to actual originating source in Wuhan of the coronavirus disease, including a theory that it came from a biological weapons laboratory near the wet market. Then find a vaccine that would inoculate people from it and other medicines that would treat those people that are already infected by the disease. Thereafter, let people be allowed to carry on with their cultural practices including eating whatever meats their palate feels joyful eating. But it is repugnant to order any country or people to end their eating habits which has been with them for thousands of years just because a flu allegedly came from it. Enough of the wielding of the big stick.

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