On June 26, 2026, it became official—I’m an idiot.
I’d like to thank my fellow human beings—without you, I would never have known.
It all started with a simple soccer match.
Iran was playing Egypt—in Seattle.
The Pacific Northwest city happened to be celebrating its annual Pride Weekend in support of its LGBTQ+ community.
Iran and Egypt objected. Seeing that the religious nations have a tendency to criminalize same-sex relations, their football federations requested (unsuccessfully) that FIFA prohibit any support of homosexuality in the stadium, including rainbow flags.
That’s the first hint I received regarding my idiocy. My impression had been that human rights should be revered. I learned, instead, that as long as we call discriminatory beliefs religion, they’re perfectly fine. Had I known, I would have started discriminating against God—in the name of religion—years ago.
Then there was the whole war thing, as in the one between Iran and the US. Clearly, the above circumstance would provide an ideal opportunity to display the moral superiority of the US, contrasting our freedom with the repression that defines our mortal enemy.
I flipped to Fox News—nothing. I waited for words of wisdom from the President—silence.
There was only one possible conclusion: I’m an idiot. After all, I had already forgotten that discrimination is kosher in the name of religion—any religion.
But I knew I could look to one final place for what I was seeking—logic.
I’ve been told this holy grail is more likely to be found left of center, usually by those left of center. And this one-of-a-kind occasion would be the perfect chance to back both a cause and a country.
But in my naïveté, I came to understand that some would be supporting Iran as a rebuke against the President. In other words, I came to understand that domestic politics Trump everything.
Consider me educated.
