i wanna talk about what “essential” means.
andrea + i got these tattoos yesterday. for months, the artist - a 20-something woman - was without work. her work was deemed non-essential. let me correct that thinking- her service is a luxury. her work? essential. this is how she

provides for herself. she had a goal, she hustled, she apprenticed + carved out a little spot for herself to practice her art. this is what capitalism has done. it has provided a world in which art feeds her. puts a roof over her head. fulfills her. it’s the pursuit of happiness.

and, with little information, governors all over the country told people like her that she was no longer allowed to provide for herself. she provides a service that is “non-essential,” and suddenly, she’s struggling to make ends-meat. how dare anyone make such a statement? our

nation was founded on the notion that we are, all of us, endowed by our creator with inalienable rights; those including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. over a virus, suddenly those rights were on the chopping block. liberty is non-negotiable, no matter the danger.

so, as our all-powerful leaders start giving back to us what was ours to begin with, let’s shop small. if you’ve been collecting a paycheck, tip generously, patronize businesses that were forced to close their doors, and spend just a bit more frivolously than you normally would.

and, for the love of all things, vote out these tyrants who viewed liberty as a thing to be cast out in favor of fear-based governance. every last one of them who enacted any policy to limit freedom in any capacity should be ousted with great enthusiasm. sic semper tyrannis.