By now, most of you know that the New Jersey Globe broke the story that last week, Hetty Rosenstein, the head of New Jersey’s largest state government workers union (CWA) wished a “horrible, horrible death” on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos over proposed cuts to Special Olympics funding.

As if wishing a “horrible, horrible death” on someone wasn’t enough, Rosenstein decided to follow that up with perhaps the worst apology in the history of apologies. Again, according to the New Jersey Globe Rosenstein’s apology went like this:

“I should not have said it. I am a leader and I should have mustered something to help to inspire others to continue to fight for justice and to fight the power and privilege and immorality of the politics of DeVos,” said Rosenstein. “Instead I carelessly gave in to my own pain. I won’t again and I will choose my words more carefully in the future. Every day, each and every minute of my life, I will continue to fight for justice, equality and peace and I will do better in my constructive resistance to evil and injustice in the future.”

I don’t know about you but the line “and to fight the power and privilege and immorality of the politics of DeVos” doesn’t sound very apologetic to me. It sounds much more like an attack.

Imagine a Republican wishing a “horrible, horrible death” on someone. The left would be screaming! In fact, the left would be screaming about less. Unfortunately, I don’t have to imagine it. Several years ago, while working in another state, I referred to a young female Democratic operative as a “radical bitch” on social media. The left immediately called me out for it and demanded my resignation. I was ordered to apologize, suspended from my position as county party executive director for six weeks without pay and forced to take a social media awareness course before I could return to work.

The Democrats called me a misogynist (and worse), they flooded our county party office with phone calls, the attacks from around the country on social media were relentless (thanks to a Huffington Post article) and it was on the front page of the local newspaper as well as network news. When I returned to work the press reported that I was back at the job making it impossible for me to perform my duties which forced me to resign.

All that because I called someone a bad name. Yet, here in New Jersey, the leader of the state’s largest government workers union wishes someone dies a “horrible, horrible death” and there is zero outrage. The same person offers up a crappy apology that she uses to launch another attack with, and not a peep.

And we all know why the Democrats aren’t calling Rosenstein out over her statement, or her crappy apology. VOTES. There are 32,000 workers in the CWA, or put another way, 32,000 Democrat votes. Don’t expect any Democrats to be outraged over Rosenstein’s remarks. It doesn’t matter that to wish someone die a “horrible, horrible death” one would have to be a terrible person.

If Rosenstein truly wanted to “help to inspire others” as she said in her pseudo-apology perhaps she could do like DeVos did in 2018 and donate 25% of her salary to Special Olympics.

We all know she won’t, but one can hope.

Sorry for the lack of blogging this week, but I do have to work sometimes. Besides, what could I write about this week that others haven’t. Pot? It failed. Doesn’t matter, it’ll pass eventually and at this point all I care about is they admit the real reason they want it to pass – money. Spare me all the social justice nonsense.

I suppose I could have screamed and yelled about CWA State Director Hetty Rosenstein tweeting that she hopes U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos “dies a horrible death.” But what would I say that hasn’t already been said?

I have decided that I am going to chime in on the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, that Governor Phil Murphy has said he is going to sign into law.

There are a lot of folks who appear mad about this bill, mostly members of my own party. In the past I might even agree with them, but because of life experience I can’t.

Yes. I’m speaking out against my own party on this one and for once I agree with the Governor, sign the bill.

I will be honest – I even called my state Senator, who happens to be Senate President Steve Sweeney to voice my support for this bill. My mother called the Senate President and did the same, even offering to testify in favor of the bill. Truthfully, I think she more or less stalked him in the frozen foods aisle in Acme and begged him to get it passed.

So, back to my life experience and why I can’t be against the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act.

It’s no secret that the last time I left this state I swore I was never coming back for anything more than a visit. Unfortunately, I was left with no choice. When I came back this time it was obvious my mother needed my help – help dealing with her husband who had been diagnosed with a rare, terminal illness.

My mother’s husband withered away to nothing right before our eyes. First, he lost control of his muscles, then his central nervous system went, then he lost his mind, then the ability to eat and finally the ability to speak.

The beginning wasn’t too bad, he had to retire from his career as a cop because he was unable to even hold his gun steady to qualify at the range. He took retirement in stride and started spending a lot more time at his trailer in the woods of Salem County. He would jump on his beloved Harley for long rides. Then he steadily declined mentally and physically. It was terrible to watch this man waste away before our eyes.

My mother promised him she wouldn’t “ship him off to die” so we made the decision to go with home hospice until the very end.

I still remember walking into their house every afternoon to give my mom a break and hearing him pray to God to just take him, to end it, to let him die peacefully. Many times I had to tell him to knock it off with the morbid crap.

Things just kept getting worse. As he was losing control of basic bodily functions, as well as his mind, he would rip his catheter out – I can’t tell you how many times I was called to help with that. Many other things happened that I just don’t want to detail. It got to the point where he couldn’t even feed himself, which was after the only thing he would eat was pudding.

Several times the doctors would tell my mother to get the family together because it was time. The man was given Last Rites more times than Father Mulcahy gave them during the entire run of MASH.

I honestly lost count of how many times I had to call my son to tell him to get his ass over there to see his “pop,” but I do remember seeing the pain on my son’s face. I hated it!

It was horrible watching this Harley riding cop waste away to nothing. A man who prayed to God for the opportunity to die on his own terms while he was still of sound mind.

Having lived through it I can say beyond any doubt that dying with dignity is something that should be left up to families.

Besides, one thing I learned is that we already have assisted suicide – it’s called in-patient hospice care. They just keep loading the patient up with morphine until they overdose and die.

So, this one and only time I’m siding with the Governor. Sign the bill!