Konsume

The Cam Newton-Patriots Union is About Mutual Benefit and So Much More

Paul Lebowitz

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July 23, 2020

The Cam Newton-Patriots Union is About Mutual Benefit and So Much More

After months of speculation as to how “perfect” a fit it was, Cam Newton and the New England Patriots finally came to an agreement on an incentive-laden, one-year contract for the former NFL Most Valuable Player to get the chance to replace Tom Brady at quarterback.

Given the length of time for which Newton waited for a suitable offer and the accompanying conspiracy theories that he took a desperation deal or, to the extreme, was about to join Colin Kaepernick as being wrongly denied a legitimate chance, the Patriots contract gave ammunition to both perspectives. Some view Newton as competing for a job with a quarterback – Jarrett Stidham – who is not in his class while lesser players at the same position are cashing in; others see it as Newton having no choice but to go to New England on his knees and take what was offered before he suffered Kaepernick’s fate.

For obvious reasons, it’s silly to compare Newton to Kaepernick. Kaepernick is assuredly blackballed for his peaceful protests against police brutality and that teams do not want to deal with the media circus for a backup quarterback. Newton has no such baggage.

Newton has had surgical repairs of his throwing shoulder and a Lisfranc injury. He missed most of the 2019 season, but is supposedly healthy as he prepares for his first season in New England. The era in which quarterbacks were essentially finished at Newton’s age of 31 is long over. Statistically, Newton is unfairly judged based on his 2015 MVP year when he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl loss. Overall, his production has been consistently good apart from that one great outlier in 2015.

The key here is his health and if he can seamlessly slide into the Patriots’ system.

Of course, it’s possible that Newton gets to Patriots camp and it doesn’t work. Belichick made no promises to Newton and there’s little financial damage if they need to cut him. They were prepared to move forward with Stidham if they were unable to get a veteran like Newton and if Stidham is better, Belichick will not hesitate to start him. This is the same man who, without his current pedigree as coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1993, cut Cleveland’s hometown hero Bernie Kosar. Vinny Testaverde eventually replaced Kosar, but at the time, Testaverde was out with a separated shoulder. The team was 5-3 when Kosar was cut and Belichick was forced to start journeyman Todd Philcox.

Not only did Belichick cut Kosar, he basically said he felt he had a better chance to win with Todd Philcox.

It turned out that Belichick’s coldblooded assessment of Kosar was right. The quarterback’s bizarre short-arm slingshots had lost their zip. He just wasn’t good anymore. Still, it took immense audacity to pull the trigger the way Belichick did and invite the vitriol he received especially with his dour personality and mediocre results already wearing thin with the media and fans in Cleveland.

The current situation with the Patriots is different, but not all that different. As important as Brady was, Belichick was always ready to move on if need be. And now, he has.

The concept that Belichick wants to see if he can “do it” without Brady is similarly silly. His place in history is set. Now, it’s winning. If he felt he needed Brady to win, this is not a topic of discussion. Brady would have remained a Patriot.

It is also inaccurate to say this is Stidham vs. Newton. If Newton is anywhere close to normal strength, he will be the starting quarterback. Instead of the competition being the veteran Newton against Brady’s latest heir apparent Stidham, this is really Brady’s shadow and legacy vs. Newton’s upside.

As great as Brady has been, a major portion of his story is how unheralded he was and that his determination, work ethic and taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity facilitated his rise from sixth-round pick to arguably the best to ever play. Still, when placing Brady next to Newton in a blind Pepsi challenge on draft day with what they are right now, would anyone honestly take Brady over Newton based simply on physical capabilities at their respective ages with Newton at 31 and Brady at 43?

But this goes beyond age. It’s back to the prototype quarterback like Newton and the player Brady replaced, Drew Bledsoe, fighting the afterthought sixth round pick who tossed a lot of intangibles and worked-worked-worked to get where he is.

As great as Brady was and as much as he was an extension of Belichick and Josh McDaniels, the coach and offensive coordinator were never shy with their lustful “what we could do with him” looks at Aaron Rodgers rarely seen in NFL circles apart from a Washington football club meet-and-greet with cheerleaders circulating among season ticket holders and owner Daniel Snyder’s friends.

Fissures between Brady and Belichick are repeatedly referenced as spurring his departure, but that tension was there for 20 years because Brady knew that once he had outlived his usefulness, Belichick would not hesitate to dump him. Despite his solid numbers and 12-4 won/lost record in 2019, there were clear signs of decay that could not be ignored. And Belichick did bit ignore them. Brady was missing throws that he would nail in the past. Blame fell on the head coach/football czar for failing to surround Brady with a sufficient cast, but that does not change the incremental reduction in arm strength, that he can barely move and that he appeared weathered and old as the team that started the season 10-1 stumbled badly losing four of their final six games including a Wild Card playoff loss at home to the Tennessee Titans.

One of the reasons Belichick has maintained and rebuilt on the fly is in part due to Brady being in place and willing to take short money to have a supporting cast to win, but it’s also in part because he cut and traded players a year too early when they could no longer play how he needed them to play. Why wouldn’t that extend to Brady?

As for Newton landing in New England out of desperation, the evidence does not support the claim. He had options, but none were as alluring as New England. He could have been a fit in Chicago had the Bears been willing to completely cut ties with Mitch Trubisky. They weren’t. Instead, they brought in a bipolar performer in Nick Foles who can be great and can be awful.

Which Foles are they getting? The guy who threw 27 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in 2013 and won a Super Bowl after Carson Wentz’s injury nearly demolished the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl dreams? The guy who twice signed massive contracts with the St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars as those teams thought they were getting the good Foles and each ended up discarding him after a year?

The Bears want Trubisky to succeed. Signing Newton would have been a sign a true quarterback battle was set to take place – one that Trubisky probably loses; signing Foles signals an intention that Trubisky will be the quarterback with Foles the safety net.

Newton’s former team, the Carolina Panthers needed a quarterback and could have reconciled with him, but the relationship had run its course. Maybe Washington was a possibility with his former coach Ron Rivera if they were not ready to go with Dwayne Haskins fulltime. Given the state of that team on and off the field, who wants to go there?

The Indianapolis Colts signed Philip Rivers early in the offseason. The Los Angeles Chargers are committed to Justin Herbert and have Tyrod Taylor as a backup. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Brady.

Where was Newton going to go to get the opportunity he’s going to receive in New England?

Newton’s resume and reputation did not dictate he accept any job available even if it meant being a “mentor” or “caddy” for someone who is clearly inferior to him. Maybe that would have happened had he not signed with the Patriots; had the Patriots not pursued him. Mutual interest, mutual benefit, mutual reward.

Newton was bestowed with a level of talent that few in the NFL have. It’s been hit or miss in executing it, but it’s there. The clothesline throws, the massive size, the speed – Newton maintains these same attributes that made him the first overall pick and won him the MVP.

Thinking he won’t adhere to the Belichick rules is preposterous. He was never a “problem” in Carolina. In the context of the NFL and the behaviors that many players indulge in, Newton making a silly comment every on occasion, complaining about his contract or even his Roger Stone-like sartorial style is kid-friendly. His teammates emphatically defended him. Even if he had been an attitude problem, Belichick has reined in talented players like Randy Moss who were unruly in previous stops because they were aware that he wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense and they could replenish their reputations to make more money in the future in New England or elsewhere.

Yes, there were players like that who were signed and did not fall in line like Albert Haynesworth, but they gave him the shot and cut him when it failed.

This union between player and team was not borne of desperation. It’s self-serving condescension to imply that Newton was relegated to debasing himself with a competition against Stidham and taking short money for New England when he should have no problem winning the starting job and he will make his money if he performs. He went to New England because that’s the best spot for him. It’s hard to argue with the logic behind it for the team and the player.

GOP Begins Cannibalizing Their Own, Ambush Liz Cheney

Lance Rinker

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July 22, 2020

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GOP Begins Cannibalizing Their Own, Ambush Liz Cheney

Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney is in the news after being verbally attacked and criticized by GOP colleagues for supporting Dr. Anthony Fauci, backing a primary opponent of a colleague, and not being supportive enough of President Trump.

Cheney took the attacks and criticisms in stride and defended herself against Congressman Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs, Thomas Massie, Matt Gaetz, Chip Roy, and others strongly.

While Gaetz, Senator Rand Paul, Donald Trump Jr., and a few others have demanded on Cheney to step down from her role as chair of the House Republican Conference, others have piled on by calling her disloyal.

Cheney has criticized Trump’s handling of the coronavirus and some foreign policy decisions, but she does vote in line with Trump 97% of the time, according to data from FiveThirtyEight.

Since the grievances have gone public Cheney took to Fox News in an attempt to calm things publicly.

“I’m very confident that we will come together on the big issues that matter the most come November,” Cheney, who is from Wyoming, told “Fox & Friends.”

The congresswoman said Republicans don’t believe in “cancel culture” the way Democrats do and, “…it’s a healthy thing for us to have those kinds of debates and discussions. I’m sure we’ll have more as things go along, but, the fundamental point here is that we’re unified in making sure that President Trump is reelected in November, that Nancy Pelosi is no longer speaker, that we take back the majority in the House and that we ensure that we hold the majority in the Senate.”

It’s difficult, however, to understand how Cheney believes her and her colleagues will be able to move past this all that easily, or quickly, when these are the things that have been said about and to her.

“I don’t think she’s good for the country. I mean she tries to sabotage everything he (President Trump) tries to do in foreign policy, so I don’t know whether she’s a good advocate for the President or not.” – Senator Rand Paul

Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda.

House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair.

Liz Cheney should step down or be removed. #MAGA

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) July 21, 2020

What seems apparent is GOP colleagues ambushed Cheney in an attempt to cast her as disloyal and not good for the party, likely hoping to prevent her from rising in the leadership ranks in a post-Trump world. The battle for the future of the GOP has already begun.

Son of Federal Judge Killed at Family Home, Husband Injured

Crime

Jason Collins

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July 22, 2020

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Son of Federal Judge Killed at Family Home, Husband Injured

Esther Salas is the first Latina US District Court judge, nominated and confirmed in 2011. Her husband, Mark Anderl, is a criminal defense attorney. Daniel Anderl was a rising junior at Catholic University in Washington DC. Sunday night, Daniel and Mark answered the door to the knock of a man in a FedEx delivery uniform. The man opened fire, killing Daniel and injuring Mark. He then fled. A suspect in the case was discovered dead, apparently by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There is some speculation as to why the house was targeted. Judge Salas was recently appointed to a case concerning Deutsche Bank and its involvement with the financials of Jeffrey Epstein, but there has not been any motivation linked to the shooting.

Dave Dombrowski’s Striking Naïveté About His Red Sox Firing

Paul Lebowitz

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July 22, 2020

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Dave Dombrowski’s Striking Naïveté About His Red Sox Firing

Former Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski discussed his firing for the first time in a podcast appearance with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Those expecting a scorched earth, bridge detonating display of indignant rage at the audacity of Red Sox owner John Henry discarding him after he achieved everything asked of him when he was hired in 2015 will surely be disappointed and have paid zero attention to Dombrowski’s four-decade career in baseball.

Regardless of agreement or disagreement with his methods, he did not get where he is in baseball by alienating people. He’s well-liked and has maintained solid relationships throughout the game, even with people who have fired him. That and his history of success is why he keeps getting jobs. Currently, Dombrowski is working to bring a major league team to Nashville, but if another general manager opportunity opens up and there is a fit for what he brings to the table, he will eventually be back running an established club.

“What he brings to the table” is key and directly ties in with why the Red Sox hired him. It’s also why he should have expected to have a short run as their baseball boss and would eventually be dumped once he’d served his purpose.

In discussing the Red Sox situation, Dombrowski said the dismissal was “jarring” as he expected to receive a contract extension. He also refused to criticize the Red Sox in how it was handled with the club making a terse statement after midnight – the equivalent of a news dump. All he said was there was “a lotta change.” He didn’t want to leave and said so. The 2019 Red Sox were never a serious contender to defend their title and the 84-78 season was, according to Dombrowski, “disappointing.”

Obviously, ownership felt the same way. It’s reasonable to say that he probably should have expected something to happen during a down season when the team was not negotiating a contract extension and was ominously silent throughout the summer about the status of the baseball operations department.

There’s a certain naïveté to Dombrowski. Either his poker face is state of the art or he did not seem to realize that he was a desperation hire and it was an extended run of failure that spurred Henry to act. The 2013 season is counted in that span despite the Red Sox winning the World Series. When that team won the title, Henry was surprised and said so. Objectively, the 2013 club was a patchwork group of likable mercenaries cobbled together out of the same desperation that led to the hiring of Dombrowski. Those types of teams rarely achieve their objective, but that one did. As the team again floundered in 2014 and 2015, Henry’s belief that 2013 was a fluke grew increasingly louder. The confluence of events and best-case scenarios on the field resulted in the championship, but that team had the following records under Cherington:

2012: 69-93

2013: 97-65, winning the World Series

2014: 71-91

2015: 78-84

It was in August 2015 when, shortly after Dombrowski had been fired by the Detroit Tigers, he was hired by the Red Sox. Henry, a sharp judge of personnel and rarely swayed by surface results when there was decay beneath, acted and gave Cherington a boss he did not want and with whom the philosophical chasm was too great for them to work together. As a concession, Cherington could have stayed had he wanted to, but that was for public consumption. For all intents and purposes, he had been publicly castrated and had zero interest in being a powerless front man taking orders from Dombrowski.

Dombrowski’s hiring to replace Cherington was as, if not more, surprising than his firing 10 months after winning the World Series in a dominating team performance comparable to the Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds of 1975-76, the 1984 Detroit Tigers, the 1986 New York Mets, and the New York Yankees of 1998-2000.

As much as the pre-Dombrowski Red Sox tried to sell an image of targeted free agent signings and trades in which they refused to part with their “best” prospects to get veteran players they needed, they generally failed to adhere to it while claiming they did.

In this sense, Dombrowski’s lack of pretense is notable. There’s no overhyping of prospects or selling of “his” method to have a book written about him. While it is assuredly not the cheapest way to build a championship team, the fastest way is to buy players on the free agent market and trade unestablished youngsters for known entities. This will never change and Dombrowski knows it.

He’s not playing a part to sell to the masses. Teams tell him what they want him to accomplish and he goes about accomplishing it. It’s simple and nuanced at the same time. Still, once that championship had been won and the Red Sox looked at their bloated payroll, declining farm system and the sleepwalking, underachieving club from 2019, there were a litany of convenient excuses for Henry to do what he might have done anyway: jettison Dombrowski to hire someone who would adhere to the principles he prefers. He wanted to cut payroll with a GM who is not hired because he’ll cut payroll, but because it’s part of his “plan.” He got that in Chaim Bloom.

Under Dombrowski, there was said to be little collaboration with the underlings in the front office. They felt marginalized and ostracized by the eye-rolling and unabashed disregard they faced from Dombrowski lieutenants Frank Wren and Tony LaRussa. Dombrowski comes from an era where the GM makes the decisions and there are no committee meetings to reach consensus before acting. Today, that structure is rarely, if ever, used in any sport. The New England Patriots are a notable exception, but their success is the main reason it has continued as is with Bill Belichick the unquestioned football despot.

Despite the seeming callousness with which he has operated and deflected taking blame, is there a better sports owner than Henry? That holds true not just for the Red Sox, a club that has had unparalleled overall success under his stewardship with four World Series wins after not having any for nearly a century, but also for Liverpool FC in the English Premier League, its newly crowned champion.

He spends money; he puts people in charge who know what they’re doing and achieve the stated goal; and he wins.

Dombrowski was a part of that, but clearly not to the extent envisioned by him in that he thought he’d get a contract extension and be accorded the right to rebuild on the fly. His hiring was a short-term decision to win at all costs. And he did.

In fairness to Henry, what else was he supposed to do in a case with diminishing returns? Spend more money? Surrender more prospects from a diminished pool? Hold the line and try to move forward with what the team had knowing how loaded the New York Yankees were? Let Dombrowski oversee the reboot when his strength as an executive is doing what he did from 2015 to 2018 and not what the Red Sox wanted to do for 2020 and beyond? Henry needed to start over with a new front office that adhered to the stat-centric, financially reasonable tack he favors.

Henry’s coldblooded, analytical assessment of Dombrowski mimicked what it was that led to Cherington’s ouster and Dombrowski’s hiring in the first place. To that end, the dismissal was no shock. In fact, it should have been expected, especially by Dombrowski.

Kanye West’s Twitter Rant Accuses Kim Kardashian of Trying to “Lock Me Up”

Jason Collins

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July 22, 2020

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Kanye West’s Twitter Rant Accuses Kim Kardashian of Trying to “Lock Me Up”

Kanye West, latest member of the 2020 presidential race, held his first rally the other day. During the event he tearfully told the crowd that he had stopped his wife, Kim Kardashian, from aborting their daughter. He also made comments about Harriet Tubman that drew ire from the crowd. Today he went on a twitter rant, saying that after the rally Kim tried to fly with a doctor to lock him up. He also made comment about his mother in law not being allowed near his daughter. He also said, “Kim was trying to fly to Wyoming with a doctor to lock me up like on the movie Get Out because I cried about saving my daughters life yesterday.” The tweets have since been deleted.

To read some of the tweets click here

Kim Kardashian is worried about Kanye

For more of the tweets click here

Kanye teases new music drop

Halsey sends support to Kanye

Irony is Wasted on the Stupid, President Trump Helping Joe Biden

Lance Rinker

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July 21, 2020

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Irony is Wasted on the Stupid, President Trump Helping Joe Biden

President Trump is Helping Joe Biden Beat Him and It’s Hilarious

President Trump is set to resume his regular Coronavirus Task Force briefing? rallies ~~propaganda~~ briefings, and it seems he won’t be joined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, or any other legitimate medical expert or epidemiologist.

If all it turns out to be is the president speaking to the press for any amount of time on how the coronavirus is someone else’s fault, how his administration has it under control, how it’s really former President Barack Obama’s fault, and that you can kill the virus by drinking bleach – well…

Former Vice President Joe Biden can’t wait.

Irony is Wasted on the Stupid

#BoycottMLB is trending on Twitter because some players and managers knelt during the national anthem as a way to show support for those protesting police brutality, racial injustice, and systemic racism (among many other things).

What’s so strange is the very same people who coined the term “snowflake” are the same ones triggered by athletes, and people in general, peacefully protesting racial injustice. Don’t call them racist though, because that will trigger them even more.

So far these types of people have boycotted MLB, NBA, NFL, MLS, NHL, and NASCAR.

If they’re not careful they may find themselves with nothing left to watch but YouTube videos of people annoying cats and falling off trampolines.

Trump’s Villainy Knows No Bounds

The President is planning on sending more federal troops – ICE – into more cities and states. But, the special caveat to all that is he’s only sending federal troops into places run by Democrats. Yes, that’s exactly how it sounds when you think about it.

President Trump is specifically targeting areas run by elected officials who happen to be democrats for federal occupation and subversion of free speech and the right to peacefully protest. Granted, actions taken by some during these protests has been anything but peaceful and local law enforcement should absolutely bring the hammer down on them.

But, Trump has to know (and probably realizes) doing this only further inflames the situation and creates more tension between protesters and non-protesters alike and law enforcement agents of any kind.

Also, these are rights protected by our constitution which is largely brought up by the same people looking to hurt protesters and people who don’t share the same political ideology as them. Go figure.

Here Are The Major National Retailers Requiring Masks

Jason Collins

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July 20, 2020

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Here Are The Major National Retailers Requiring Masks

Costco has required masks since the beginning of May, making national headlines as shoppers attempted to still shop there while flaunting the mask rule. In the wake of new rises in coronavirus hospitalizations, other stores are finally making national rules regarding face coverings. Walmart, Sams Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Kohl’s, Walgreens and CVS. Publix Supermarkets will begin requiring a face covering on Tuesday, Home Depot and Kroger on Wednesday. Recent studies have re-emphasized the efficacy of masks which may have led to this boom in mask mandates.

For a complete list of stores click here

See the latest mask study here

Disney has banned walking and eating to promote mask wearing

The politics of mask wearing

Ohio governor warns state may “become the next Florida” but refuses to mandate masks

The Best Video Games of 2020 (so far)

John Hansen

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July 20, 2020

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2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, but if we are to take any kind of light in the situation, we are halfway through it. Video games, alike everything else in the world, are in questionable situations. On one hand, the next generation of consoles are set to launch this year, but on the other, development and production teams are dealing with brand new challenges.

For as tumultuous a year that 2020 has been, there have been great games released. It is a little early to crown one as “Game of the Year” yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look back on the best experiences we have played so far. In no particular order, here are the best video games of 2020 (so far).

The Last of Us Part II

Easily the most controversial game of 2020 so far, it seemed whoever played the highly anticipated sequel to 2013’s The Last of Us either thought it was a masterpiece, or they absolutely hated it. We found ourselves somewhere in the middle as you can tell by our article focused on where the game fails and succeeds. Focusing on its successes, The Last of Us Part 2 is unquestionably one of the best animated games ever with a beautiful landscape, and another dark, gripping tale.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Announced at E3 2015, Square Enix pulled its common move of making fans wait years for a highly anticipated game. The wait seems to have been worth it. The Final Fantasy VII remake has been broken up into multiple parts and this game focuses on the Midgar section of the iconic 1997 game. They changed the gameplay to a more action RPG style and dove deep into the environment and storytelling opportunities that were missed the first time. While there is more on the way, the part one sample here is a great starting point that many will be excited to see continued.

Doom Eternal

Following up from the amazing return of Doom in 2016, Doom Eternal took ripping and tearing to a new level. The Doom Slayer returns to Earth absolutely invaded by demons and will gun his way through all of Hell’s armies to save humanity. Brand new movement abilities and weapons were added that all feel at home and just as smooth as they did in the 2016 game. No gunplay in 2020 even comes close to the feeling of Doom Eternal so far.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will go down as one of the most important video game releases ever because of it coming out near the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. Everyone was playing it and it received tremendous praise for its relaxing atmosphere and bringing the beloved series to the Nintendo Switch. They have continued putting out regular updates that brings more things for you to do and waste time. It still has some issues, but the impact Animal Crossing: New Horizons has made on our lives this year is immeasurable.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an amazing followup to Moon Studios’ debut title, Ori and the Blind Forest. The 2D Meteoidvania expanded its gameplay and improved on many aspects that were not even that big of issues in the first game. The music is again orchestrated by Gareth Coker who again delivers a gripping, emotional soundtrack to go along with the gorgeous environments and story that will have you in the feels.

Half-Life: Alyx

For the first time in well over a decade, Valve released a Half-Life game. While it may not be the Half-Life 3 people are holding out hope for, Half-Life: Alyx is arguably the greatest virtual reality game made yet. While Valve might not make games regularly anymore, they showed they are still capable of making top of the line experiences. In the case of this VR titles, things feel fluid, the creepy atmosphere is welcomed, and the story set before Half-Life 2, while not moving the story forward, at least brings fans back to that world.

First Time Skydiver and Veteran Instructor Die in Skydiving Accident

Tragedy

Jason Collins

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July 19, 2020

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First Time Skydiver and Veteran Instructor Die in Skydiving Accident

18 year old Jeanna Triplicata and her Grandma, Renee Sands, decided on the spur of the moment to go skydiving in Georgia. Her mom posted on Facebook today, “Tragically we lost our oldest daughter today.” Jeanna and the tandem instructor, Nick Esposito suffered a parachute malfunction and were killed during the dive. Jeanna had just graduated high school and her parents say that she was not a general “thrill seeker.” She wanted to become a High School English teacher. Nick, 35, who has been skydiving for almost 10 years leaves behind a wife. There is an ongoing investigation to determine the fault in the parachute malfunction.

Vaccine Protestors Appear to be Growing in Number

Jason Collins

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July 18, 2020

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Vaccine Protestors Appear to be Growing in Number

There is a general consensus that normal will not return until a coronavirus vaccine has been released. The problem is that there seems to be an increasing population of people who don’t trust this upcoming vaccine. Anti-vaccination has become increasingly normalized in America and now with the politicization of the mask debate and the management of the COVID-19 pandemic some are questioning the validity and safety of the upcoming vaccine. Edith Perry, of the Maryland Community Research Advisory Board said, “It’s hard to trust that they’re looking out for our well-being,” he continued. “Me, I’m very skeptical about that shot. I have my popcorn and my soda and I’m just watching it very carefully.”