The former husband of a close friend of ours in Poway, CA has died from COVID-19. He was a paramedic who had saved countless lives, and, due to his being an essential worker, contracted the virus, and now has died. And then I read this article about young people, buying into their parents' delusions, no doubt, trying to return to school in person on their own.
People who buy into the argument that this virus is just another flu, or people who are so self-centered as to believe their boredom or wanting to get out of the house should prevail over the needs of the community, should be ashamed. The best argument is one which should be directed against Trump, the Republican leadership, and Democratic leadership, and that is their caring more about big business money interests, and not regular people's needs. I get the Democratic leadership wants to pass a better plan for regular Americans. However, their leadership is weak, they are poor negotiators, and ultimately they serve the rich and powerful not much different than the Republicans. P-Lousy has to go, and I don't care if Shahid Buttar may be a bad boss. Buttar should replace P-Lousy, though I have little hope of that occurring, as too many Democrats, especially in San Francisco area, are too enthralled with MSNBC and CNN propaganda for the DNC's big money donor interests.
Here's the thing: If the nation's health depends upon many of us staying indoors or not going into public places, then the government owes people money to continue staying in the places they live, ensure their medical care is taken care of, and provided spending money for other basic and elemental living needs.
I don't know why this is so hard--well, actually I do. We live in a nation where we accept corrupt leadership, and would rather express hatred against each other than make the fundamental changes in how we elect people, who we elect, and the policies we need to enact. I am thinking we should not only not call ourselves the United States of America anymore, and even the United States of Amnesia, Gore Vidal's pithy phrase, is no longer saying enough. I am now saying we should call ourselves the United Hates of America. The fact of our hates, no matter our specific differences, is what appears to unite us, and drive us to accept the failed and corrupt leadership who plague us like, well, the current plague.
I mean, really, our nation's inequality is worse than before our own revolution against a colonial power, England. Yet, nearly half the actual voters, and a majority of white people over 50, are primarily blaming "Mexicans," "Black Lives Matter," and some small amorphous set of mostly unarmed Bohemians known as "Anti-Fa." And, almost as bad, almost 30% of of the rest of us, and another 25% of white people, are herded through corporate media propaganda into believing Joe Biden is our savior, when Biden has voted badly and wrong on every major issue of the past 40 years, with a craven desire to serve and compromise with the monied interests. Yeah, I get that Biden is the "pause" button against Trump's fascist moves (which may come with the help of local police departments throughout the nation). But, my God, when will we stick our heads out of the ground, or out of our asses, and realize how we have failed our children and grandchildren, not to mention, you know, the planet?
Right here where I live, the Rio Rancho School Board voted 5-0 about ten days ago to start in-person schooling, starting tomorrow, September 14. It has ordered the middle and high school students back to school by the start of October. I give this experiment two weeks before the district has to return to online learning, which is how the Rio Rancho public schools began this school year. I have yet to find any public school district that opened which did not have to re-close and go back to online--and I can't believe these people can be this daft or corrupt. Luckily, I am teaching this fall at a public charter school, for grades 6-12. While the public charter school is located in Rio Rancho, the school is not part of the Rio Rancho Public School District, and directly reports to the state. The principal at our school appears to me to be very skeptical about the Rio Rancho School Board's decision. He has adopted a wait-and-see position, though, in the past, he said he has always gone with the RRPS Board decisions out of a respect for the community in which the school operates.
If there is an outbreak at Rio Rancho schools, and they have to go back to online learning, I will likely get petitions together to recall the entire Board. This is a Board filled with rubber stampers for a reactionary superintendent, and they appear to be Trumpists, who should never be allowed near any decision-making regarding any school district. It is a sad state of public affairs right here in Rio Rancho. Next door to Rio Rancho, the Albuquerque Public Schools, a month ago, decided to stick with online learning for the entire semester--though they stated they would revisit the decision if or when the governor gives an all-clear sign. That is smart, cautious leadership, unlike the Rio Rancho Public School Board, who appear to be getting their "news" and marching orders from FoxNews or worse.
