CARLTON FLETCHER: Celebrating the president’s illness? There’s something wrong with you

“The laws of karma say you’re gonna reap just what you sow.”

— Joe South

A very close friend of mine (one of two), stunned me Friday morning as we chatted.

I said, “Can you believe that the Trumps have got the coronavirus?” My friend said, “Yeah, I figured you’d be crowing about that.”

Now, trust me on this, I’ve been called an … umm … it rhymes with glass bowl … often enough to know that plenty of people think the worst of me. And I make no bones that I think that our current president, while achieving some level of success in office, is about as vile a person as has ever held the office. (Note I: Of course, by making such a statement — which I believe should be apparent, even to his most loyal followers — I steel myself for criticism that has nothing to do with the veracity of the statement, everything to do with the fact that any statement made that doesn’t come with glowing attributes for the president is seen as blasphemy by people who have either been brainwashed or are self-delusional.)

My friend’s comment relates to the political reality of our time: If you are not for me — whole hog, all in, never a discouraging word — you are a scum-sucking, low-down, piece-of-crap liberal who is nothing more than a blatant socialist … and you’re against me. (Note II: It might surprise some that I have almost as much disdain for the Democratic candidate for president and his running mate as I do the incumbent. See, you can be opposed to the way Trump acts and still not be a flaming liberal. … I know, that’s more blasphemy. Let’s move on.)

To be clear: I in no way wish ill will toward our president or anyone else who comes down with the coronavirus … cancer … high blood pressure … shingles … chicken pocks or any other disease. You catch one of those suckers and ride it out, and you appreciate not only the gift of life, but how difficult it is to go through such an ordeal.

Further, I think anyone who is “happy” to hear that our president has the virus is a much sicker individual than Trump himself. Sure, it’s easy to look on from the outside in and say, “Well, he kinda got what was coming to him because he made fun of Joe Biden for wearing a mask and pretty much encouraged his adorers not to do so … What’s that saying about karma being a bit–?” but this is another human being facing a potentially deadly disease. No mater your (what has become idiotically partisan) politics, you should be hoping/praying that any who gets it recovers.

That’s what I think.

I also am scared to death that something might happen to make Mike Pence the president. Even if it’s for a couple of days while Trump receives treatment, that thought is horrifying. I can see the president going into treatment and turning over powers (I know, he’d never do that, even if he was on his death bed, but let’s just carry this what-if to its terminus) to Pence for a brief few hours. He’d probably convert some of the budget’s widows and orphans funds into conversion camps and have teams of loyalists come in to “pray the gay” out of people who do not share his (medieval) principles.

(Note III: I was chastised for criticizing — I think I called Pence “scary” — in a previous column by someone who said the vice president is an “amazing Christian man who is the perfect running mate to President Trump.” Ummm … I hate to tell you this, sweetie, if you think Donald Trump is an “amazing Christian man” in the same vein as Mike Pence, you’ve chugged way too much of the Kool-Aid.)

So, the election — wait a minute, THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD — really is not the all-important event many still proclaim. Not when people’s lives are at stake.

So, no, I’m in no way happy our president has COVID-19. Let’s get him well first, then go back to the idol worship and the name-calling that have made this country (a) great (mess) again.