The sky is blue. Trump is a liar. OK then, the sky is pink. Trump is a liar. Let’s not talk about the sky. I got a beautiful shot of an osprey this morning. Trump is a liar. What are your thoughts on the riots? Trump caused the riots because he is a liar. Do you support the BLM organization knowing the cofounders are self-admitted Marxists? LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA. Biden has been spending ample time at the liars table himself. Biden good, orange man bad. I can’t wait for the debates, how about you? Biden should cancel because Trump is a liar.
How did we get to the point that conversation devolves quickly into heated Trump bashing sessions? It’s simple. After licking their wounds in 2016, Democrats realized they had a special gift in Trump. With his questionable reputation, unscripted knee jerk reactions and bombastic, narcissistic behavior, it was child’s play to spark a visceral Trump hate. Nothing like hate to short circuit the ability to think. His politically incorrect words (which many love) have been easy to twist (if necessary) into a relentless drumbeat declaring Trump whatever “ist” would anger the target audience. This would have been impossible without a compliant media happy to lie repeatedly and a populace already steeped in identity politics. And of course we cannot forget the biggest liars of them all, those in Congress who will do absolutely anything to regain power. Once the hate train got rolling, the echo chamber echoed loud and often. It wasn’t long before folks were drowning in Trump hate willing to cancel all Trump supporters literally and figuratively. The Democrats must be giddy with delight. A job well done. Perhaps one day Trump will stop helping them.
What is gained from such pure hate? Lots. When the hate monger speaks, those consumed by hate believe without question. Gotta feed that monster. The most recent example is the blind acceptance that Trump is responsible for the violence. Huh? We can all agree that Trump is anything but a Uniter in Chief but how is Trump causing the violence in cities run by left wing Democrats who have hamstrung their own police departments, many declining to prosecute vandals, refusing assistance to stop the violence, allowing wholesale destruction of property and business, destroying many lives. Mobs roam DC harassing restaurant patrons who won’t give the BLM fist, attacking republicans in the street. Are the haters suggesting that Trump is secretly funding BLM and Antifa? Or is this the “Trump made me do it” defense? If Trump’s America is present in Portland, Seattle and Chicago, whose America is found in the rest of the country? Cities where there is no violence, no movement to shift funds away from the police, where racial equity is an everyday goal, where politicians take a stand against violence before the polls tell them to. Is this Trump’s America too?
There is another insidious consequence of hate. Hate’s laser focus renders all else invisible. This makes the Democrats so very happy. It is impossible to see anything positive that Trump has accomplished. And riding in under Trump hate is a progressive agenda that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago. Yes, Trump is the greatest red herring of all time. One of many examples is Biden’s position on healthcare. He wants to institute a public option. Are folks so blinded by Trump hate that they don’t realize that a public option will likely destroy private insurance resulting in 100% government run health care? Government can’t manage their way out of a paper bag regardless of who is president. Do you really trust them to manage the health care system without tremendous fraud and inefficiency? To make this bad idea worse, the likely president, Kamala Harris, clearly stated she is in favor of giving free health care to illegal immigrants. Genius. And who knows what the candidate for shadow president believes.
We must set Trump hate aside and deeply question each platform. Country changing concepts are in play. An informed public motivated by knowledge, not emotion, is essential to our future.
I am in receipt of today’s email reiterating your reasons for closing public and private schools. I quote: “We are doing better because of the steps we have taken—all done with public health in the forefront of our decisions. We still need to reduce community transmission of the virus. When the State first shut down businesses and other organizations in March, we were averaging about four positive tests per day. Right now we are averaging about 70 cases each day, which is lower than the peak we experienced for daily positive tests–but still too high to take further steps in reopening.” Please answer the following questions at your earliest convenience. The ramifications of your decisions have significant negative consequences for our children and the community at large. Your words alone are no longer sufficient. We require facts.
What positivity rate is acceptable for opening especially considering the CDC references 5% as a benchmark. Please also note Governor Coumo gave jurisdictions approval today to open all schools also citing 5% as the benchmark.
Please stipulate what specific scientific studies upon which you have based your positivity benchmark.
Do you agree or disagree with these CDC statements that suggest the harm to students from closing schools outweighs the risk from covid. If you disagree please cite the specific scientific studies supporting your position.
You stated in the press conference Wednesday that the studies regarding transmission among children “are getting worse not better”. Please cite the specific studies which are guiding your decisions. There are studies throughout the world that contradict your words.
The Montgomery County Education Association encouraged union members to attend the National Day of Resistance on August 3, 2020. Demands of this well organized nationwide resistance movement are stated here. Please outline which of these demands you support. It is clear the teacher’s unions is opposed to charter schools, voucher programs and private schools.
We look forward to your responses and to the determination as to whether you have the legal right to close private schools. Meanwhile please consider “A Teacher’s Perspective”. If our leaders focused on all covid data rather than stoking fear with select, aggregate data, perhaps more of our teachers would follow their vocation instead of their fear.
In those couple days where it seemed my school may be closed, I felt like a major opportunity was stripped from me and all of the teachers at my school. Teaching is a vocation – not a job – and to be stripped of the opportunity in a time when it is needed most would be quite literally robbing me and others like me one of our rare opportunities to fully realize the purpose of our vocation. More importantly, it would have been robbing our students and families the opportunity to see so tangibly that we will fight for them even in foul weather. Teaching this year, no matter what we do, is going to suck in so many different ways but 5, 10, 20 years from now the kids who grow up will remember what its like for the adults in their lives to actually care. I personally remember very well when my own teachers volunteered to form human shields for us to walk to our cars during the DC sniper situation while many others in different schools complained that they shouldn’t be in school at all. Teaching typically isn’t a life or death profession and for the vast majority of the population, it still isn’t. But even it were – this is the hand we were dealt. Our vocation hasn’t changed just because it suddenly became more dangerous.
OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN, COUNTY EXECUTIVE MARC ELRICH AND DR TRAVIS GAYLES
I have had the opportunity to read your recent self-congratulatory missives regarding covid management. Several questions came to mind. Are the covid heroes the leaders who use the actual data to open to the maximum extent possible while protecting the vulnerable? The leaders who balance the fatalities and devastation caused by the lockdowns and school closures against covid risks? Or are the heroes the leaders who sit on the sidelines, opening to the minimum extent politically possible, waiting for the science to be determined by others? Those who delegate many of the critical decisions to others who are ill equipped to make these decisions? Those who cater to a fear soaked populace rather than leading them out of fear with facts? As the health, emotional and economic ramifications of the shutdown become clear, comprehensive covid data emerges and state and local budgets collapse, it is my belief that the real heroes will be those leaders who pushed to return their communities to normalcy as soon as possible regardless of the harping criticism from the media.
Evidence of true leadership would be public discussions of the pros and cons at each step, encouraging perspective not fear. Sadly we have seen none of that. Instead we have been served a steady diet of selective aggregate data designed to manipulate. Edicts are always accompanied by the now repellent phrase “based on science”. Which science? For example, the CDC strongly recommended schools open in September due to the increased risk associated with staying closed. Do you disagree with the science outlined by the CDC? Do you agree or disagree that suicides and drug overdoses have eclipsed covid deaths in high school age students? Is your science supplied by the teacher’s union?
Dr. Gayles, yesterday after Governor Hogan thankfully issued an order overriding your closure of MoCo private schools, you stated you had based the decision to close on recent statements by Dr. Birx. Did you accidentally misspeak or assume the citizens were not familiar with the source material? You stated that Dr. Birx suggested that schools should consider staying closed until community transmission has reduced but you failed to mention that the measure of reduced community transmission is a positivity rate under 5%. The positivity rate in MoCo and the State is 2.8% and 4.4%% respectively. The parents of those children who will OD or commit suicide as a result of your decision demand the real reason. All parents should revolt against the County’s incredible abuse of power regarding school closures and demand the State force the County to also open public schools.
With a virus as contagious as covid, everyone knew that cases would surge upon increased testing and relaxation of lockdowns. Why are you acting so surprised? Remember the original goal was to flatten the curve so hospitals would not be overwhelmed? Are you really so arrogant that you believe you can eliminate this virus with continued closures, roving bands of enforcers and enhanced mask guidelines in the absence of herd immunity achieved naturally or from a vaccine? Meanwhile you freely admit that the greatest transmission occurs at family and other private gatherings, things which you cannot control. Does anybody else see the flaw in governance? Ineffective overreach where covid does not spread easily and lack of personal responsibility where it does. It’s time we learn how to live with covid and protect ourselves.
Government can assist individuals assume responsibility through honest conversation on risk and avoidance strategies, not fear tactics and obvious manipulation supported by the media. As we have discovered, the citizens are likely to throw the baby out with the bath water when leaders engage in hypocritical behavior or when their motives are questionable. There have been countless examples of covid hypocrisy on the national and local stage. The latest national example is the attendance at John Lewis’s funeral which far exceeded 1 person or household per 200 sf. Which science on gatherings do you believe Mr. Elrich? Locally and nationally the politicians’ pandering response to the protests undermined everything they said subsequently. And the height of hypocrisy was the determination of what businesses and employees were essential and which were not. Who takes a hypocrite seriously? Nobody. It is never too late to be honest with the people, show respect for their intelligence and proceed to Phase 3. That is the only way we will be “in this together”.
MoCo does not have the data to evaluate risk effectively and the data they do have supports following the State’s guidelines. For example, many of the new cases are among young people. I asked MoCo what the hospitalization rate is by age. Because this is essential data to craft covid policy, I was shocked to learn MoCo does not have this data. People wait in food lines yet County decides to implement more stringent lockdowns than the State? Why? Is this public policy based on feelings or fact? Let’s review the data.
State positivity trended downward after going to Phase 2 in early June and has been reasonably consistent since mid-June. As of today, August 4, 2020, the positivity ratio is 4.44% at the State level and 2.82% in MoCo.
Even though case numbers have increased, daily fatalities have remained low and consistent since early July. Since transition to Phase 2, 83% of the folks in the State who have sadly died are over 60. This percentage is consistent with death rates throughout the pandemic.
While hospitalizations have increased slightly, ICU occupancy has remained relatively consistent since early July. Prior to early July, ICU usage was downtrending.
Approximately 60% of deaths in both the State and MoCo have occurred in nursing homes.
1.51% of Maryland residents have a confirmed positive test and 0.055% have died from covid. 1.68% of MoCo residents have a confirmed positive test and 0.071% have died from the disease. Data suggests that approximately 0.014% of folks 64 and under in Maryland have died from covid and 0.015% in MoCo. Does the media or any government official ever provide these numbers?
In summary, we should proceed to Phase 3, open public and private schools safely and assume personal responsibility for our own health. Anything else amounts to continued government malfeasance. If masks, physical distance and good hygiene are effective, there should be no impediment to fully opening. Each individual manages their own risk and elects whether to engage in an activity or not. As the courts ruled in Ohio, it is the consumer’s responsibility to decide whether to patronize an establishment, not the government’s. If young people, who since time immemorial believe they are invincible, ignore the edicts and catch covid, the risk of serious illness in this group is extremely low. Safety in multigenerational households will require more effort but it is those individuals’ responsibility to manage their households, not society at large. Vulnerable nursing home patients should continue to be protected and other at-risk individuals must remain vigilant. All counties should follow the State except in the case of an extreme local outbreak that overburdens the hospital system. Yes, some of us will still catch covid. We take risks every day. Open fully.
The above words represent the ideal upon which this country was founded. Will the BLM organization support our centuries long effort to make these words a reality? It is unlikely. This opinion is based on the notable discrepancies between BLM’s stated goals and the actual results of their actions. For example, while decrying racism BLM antiwhite rhetoric embodies the very essence of racism. We learn from BLM that only white folks are capable of racism. Think this statement through please. Equally divisive is the belief that all whites are racists whether they know it or not. Is the reality that some people of every color are racist and many are not?
Another BLM mandate that has the opposite result of the stated intention is the desire to defund the police. BLM wants to “take funds away from systems that don’t work and provide money to systems that do work”. According to BLM, the systems that don’t work are the police and criminal justice system and the ones that do are community based programs. What are the actual consequences as acolytes and colormongers respond to the clarion call to defund or otherwise hamstring police? More black people are dying. When confronted with this reality, how does BLM respond. They don’t, instead cops and those who support them are being discriminated against in incidents all over the country. BLM acolytes, are you OK with that?
What about funding community programs? Isn’t that an admirable goal? Yes, however a casual examination of history reveals that money alone is ineffective if all factors contributing to the failures in these communities remain unaddressed. Police brutality and systemic racism are not the only impediments to advancement in poor black communities. Are they even the primary influences at this point in history? I don’t know but am 100% certain others of equal importance exist. Ignoring these factors will ensure continued suffering in these communities regardless of how much money is spent on community programs.
The hypocrisy does not stop there. A colormonger on the city council in Seattle actually suggested that only white cops be fired as Seattle moves forward to defund the police. Black people risked their lives to fight for civil rights. Colormongers believe it is OK to disregard the Civil Rights Act of 1964? BLM acolytes are demanding more “black only spaces” in colleges. While not a new trend, neo-segregation in our colleges is a disturbingly divisive one. I would love to ask Rosa Parks how she feels about this. BLM and any good human is against cruelty to black people yet the BLM riots resulted in tremendous cruelty when businesses and lives were destroyed in black communities. And what about the murders that occurred during the riots? The cruelty continues with the rampant cancel culture. People’s lives are callously destroyed if anyone of any color challenges the BLM narrative. BLM, acolytes and colormongers are in a frenzied race to label historical figures, living people, statues, phrases, etc. racist. In this absurd contest, even phrases as innocuous as “low hanging fruit” are deemed racist. Does this make sense to you?
BLM says they oppose state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. The result of their actions has been an increase in racism, death, violence, segregation, identity politics, victimhood and cruelty. Any red flags popping up yet? Are they ultimately helping black people, hurting them or using them? Are they encouraging self-reliance or only anger, division and chaos? A truism comes to mind: “Where there is confusion, there is opportunity”.
What opportunity might the BLM organization be after? The BLM website clearly indicates that they are a political organization dedicated to driving acolytes and colormongers to vote in the 2020 presidential election and we all know political operatives love chaos and a good crisis to advance their positions. What is their platform? While defunding the police is a primary mandate, they have other goals worth understanding. A few have been listed in the details section below. I agree with some, a couple require more explanation and I strongly disagree with others, one of which is the desire to “disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure”. Many folks of great intellect believe the disruption of the nuclear family in poor black communities is directly linked to difficulties inherent in these communities. BLM wants to disrupt the family further? Why?
Before plastering one’s yard with BLM signs, it might be a good idea to determine BLM’s actual ideology. Acolytes, have you done the research? If not, please note that two of the co-founders make no secret of the fact that they are Marxists. Some may think this is a “right wing talking point”. Watch the video to disabuse yourself of that notion. Patrisse Cullor said during an interview, “We do actually have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia are trained organizers. We are trained Marxists. We are super versed in ideological theories.” Inquiring minds want to know, where were you trained, who trained you and who paid for it? If you don’t want to wait for a future article on this subject, I would recommend research into which regimes they support. Are you OK marching alongside and donating your hard-earned money to Marxists? Is it possible that BLM is using your compassion as a hook to advance their Marxist agenda?
If the BLM induced cancel culture did not viciously discourage discourse at every opportunity, this movement would be an excellent opportunity to move the cause forward. But alas, comprehensive dialogue is necessary for actual progress and this is no longer allowed on the national stage, only insipid pandering. I believe it is our duty as individuals to attempt to understand the suffering of fellow humans. The old adage “before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes” is relevant. It is difficult for any modern day American, black, white or magenta, to truly grasp the betrayal of being sold into slavery by your own countrymen or the horror of being born and living in slavery. After US slavery was abolished, figurative slavery continued in the form of Jim Crow laws, segregation, redlining and other policies borne of an ugly racism. Approximate 20% of black folks are currently enslaved by poverty, violence and a culture of dependence. While racism has diminished significantly over the last 50 years, it has been a long hard road and it is still alive and well in some quarters. Good humans reject racism in any form, uplift fellow humans with compassion and understanding and always offer a hand to those who start short of the starting line. It is always the right thing to do. If indeed BLM’s goals include uplifting anyone but themselves, we do agree on this point.
DETAILS
For additional perspective please watch the Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams series Black Wisdom Matters. Here is part 1.
Thanks to Anna for her help editing and supplying the wonderful phrase that reminds us of the “importance of lending a helping hand to anyone starting short of the start line”.
Please note that the BLM website has changed significantly in the last few weeks. Originally “Defund the Police” had a very high profile on the site, now it is soft pedaled. Below is a sampling of BLM goals as indicated on the website as of July 23,2020:
We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others.
We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location.
We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead.
We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence.
We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered. We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work.
We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.
We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking
We cultivate an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with the capacity to lead and learn.
We need to see what you see. Black Lives Matter is a central target of disinformation and you are a key line of defense. Report suspicious sites, stories, ads, social accounts, and posts about BLM.
“I respect your opinion, but really not interested in having an older White woman teach me about racism.” Whoaaaa. Moi? Older? One thing us “older” folks know is that everything is bullshit before the but. We also have perspective gained from years of personal experience and observation. Is that no longer relevant to BLM acolytes? Isn’t that age discrimination?
White? It’s questionable what color I am. Generally I am a bit tan with brown spots and other times my face is decidedly red almost purple. Am I dappled? Red? Purple? How about magenta? YES. I am Magenta. In the future, I will check “other” for race and fill in “Magenta” when asked. But the more interesting facet of her color labeling is the message that my thoughts and questions are invalid because of my skin color. Isn’t it ironic that someone who is fighting against racism would judge someone strictly on the color of their skin? Isn’t that the very definition of racism? Of course she had no idea I am Magenta.
Teach? I asked this presumably young person a number of questions after she posted an overly simplistic video describing systemic racism and the oppression of Black folks. The goal was debate. With debate, the opportunity exists for both parties to learn, a win/win. As demonstrated in this attempt at an old White lady verbal smack down, debate is no longer desirable for many. Blind obedience is now the “in” thing. And if someone dares step out of line via a probing question, the new rules require insulting them into submission. Never been good at blind obedience and I am downright horrible at cowering. This incident and others propelled me to the key board.
Let’s start with my own perspective. My first experience with blatant racism occurred when I was 14 in 1972, soon after starting a catholic high school located in a multiracial city. The majority of students were White but the student body included a notable number of other colors due to its location. My mother dropped me off at a friend’s house and her head promptly exploded when she realized my friend was Black. I was appalled that she was appalled. The colors of people in our group were not a factor in our friendships. Every color person who attended this school was privileged to do so (other than run ins with the prejudices of some of the nuns, racial and otherwise.) We received a rigorous, quality education that paved the way for the future.
I shared a bus stop with kids from a nearby public school comprised of predominantly Black kids from a lower socioeconomic neighborhood with a less than demanding education. I still remember with striking clarity the first time I saw girls literally rolling on the ground in a knockdown, drag out fist fight. I was punched a couple times by black boys. I ran after them to punch back but sadly Magenta girls can’t run (that’s not systemic racism against Magenta people, it’s just true). The contrast between my classmates and the kids at the bus stop coupled with my mother’s reaction taught me important lessons at a young age. Skin color is not a predictor of character or friendship, social circumstances and upbringing can have a huge impact on behavior and opportunity and racism in both directions was alive and well.
This country has come a long way regarding racial bias since 1972. Are we there yet? For some, apparently not. There are disparities between ethnic groups that deserve our national attention. I suggest turning off the relentless talking heads and review the raw data. Here are a few statistics.
When reviewing population breakdowns keep in mind that the concept of race is separate from the concept of Hispanic origin. 2019 census estimates of racial breakdown of population is 76.3% White, 13.4% black, 5.9% Asian, 4.4% other. White non Hispanic is 60.1% and Hispanic is 18.5%. This data is based on self identification.
In 2018, the US poverty rate was 11.8%. This rate has been fairly static over the past 30 years with an average of 13.4%. The poverty rate for non Hispanic Whites was 8.1%, Asians 10.1%, Hispanics of any race 17.6% and Blacks 20.8%.
Overall 9.0% of American families are in poverty. Families headed by a single mother have a whopping poverty rate of 24.9% compared to 4.7% for families headed by a married couple.
66% of Black families are headed by single parents followed by 41% Hispanic, 33% White and 20% Asian.
Median income in 2016 according to Pew, was highest among Asians, followed by Whites, Blacks and Hispanics.
Home ownership rates by race is highest among non Hispanic Whites followed by other non Hispanics races, Hispanics and Blacks. For all groups home ownership declined in 2007 and began climbing again in 2016. Rate of growth since 2016 has been lowest for Blacks. No group has achieved pre 2007 levels.
Black and Hispanic males are the only race or ethnic group that include homicide as one of the top ten leading causes of death, 2017 CDC.
In 2019 370 White, 235 Black, 158 Hispanics, 39 other races and 202 people of unidentified race were shot to death by police.
While it is clear Americans of any color or creed are able to succeed in America, the statistics above confirm racial inequalities still exist. And it is not just Black folks who suffer, every color is represented in the poverty cycle. Over the last several decades, countless billions have been spent in an attempt to level the playing field. Innumerable public and private programs are geared to help minorities succeed. Every politician has talking points and campaign promises geared to minorities. Investment and mortgage opportunities are directly targeted to and available in many disadvantaged areas.
Like others who base their relationships on character rather than skin color and are disgusted by the current literal and figurative violence, I have an endless list of basic questions. With decades of committed effort to eliminate inequality, why do we still have it? Will the bizarre hyper focus on skin color help or hurt? Has a successful solution ever been achieved by addressing only the tiniest sliver of the problem while simultaneously declaring a blanket cause? How much racial bias exists now compared to 1972 and where racial bias is still prevalent, what are the specific ways bias prohibits advancement? What concrete steps, other than gratuitous violence and pandering, can citizens take to help? Is it possible the unintended consequences of decades of bad public policy have impacted minorities negatively? Is the opioid and drug epidemic a force of oppression and impediment to advancement? What impact does the drug culture have on Black folks killing each other? Is the shift towards a victim mentality helpful to anyone of any color? Is the Black community getting used and abused once again to advance someone else’s political agenda? Is it possible to achieve actual progress when the difficult but necessary introspection is forbidden? If no, then why is the cancel culture rampant? What damage does that do to our multicolor nation? Hmmm….
What to the American citizen is your 4th of July? I answer: a day above all others that honors a nation founded on the principle “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” A nation of opportunity where an individual of any creed or color can succeed with dedication, hard work and self-reliance, where free speech is guaranteed and excellence is encouraged. A nation that is capable of reflection and strives to improve upon its flaws. A nation that is stronger than the ever present forces that wish to divide and conquer. A nation of beautiful humans with diverse beliefs spread over an equally varied and inspiring landscape. As we reflect on the blessings of being an American let us remember that progress is achieved when we stand united, optimistically focused on a better future.
The above is loosely follows Frederick Douglass’s excellent July 4 speech.
Continued protests are self-serving and will cause more damage to race relations. Yup I dared to say that. Continued protests have put our communities at risk. Yup I said that too. And I mean it.
The peaceful protestors provided cover for violent looters to destroy our communities already suffering from the lockdowns. A thinking protestor might put their neighborhoods above their overwhelming need to virtue signal and realize if they stopped so would the looters. But no, they blindly kept at it and the violence piled up.
Even worse are the politicians and talking heads who suggest this violence is justified rage. What pathetic drivel. How about telling that to the family of the retired sheriff who was murdered in St Louis by these vicious criminals. Or the folks of every color whose lives have been destroyed by gratuitous violence.
Those who suggest we need violence to open everyone’s eyes to racial disparities in this country are seriously misguided or worse. This will open everyone’s eyes for sure but not in the way they think. Our eyes are open to the fact that government either can’t or won’t protect us. Our eyes are open to the incredible stupidity of extended lockdowns. Our eyes are open to how quickly a mob can destroy everything that is good. Our eyes are open to the fact that we must be armed in case that mob comes our way. Our eyes are open to the twisted desire of those who seek to enflame race relations in this country rather than heal.
Sit down, watch the videos of the violence and consider if those images will help or hurt race relations. Just maybe your eyes will open and realize that you have been manipulated. Great job everyone. Really appreciate your lack of critical thought. As an aside, I am infinitely curious if the same folks who continued to protest knowing their message had been coopted are also the same folks who support the continued lockdowns. Newsflash, you are too selfish to be taken seriously.
So use your brains instead of allowing your emotions to be whipsawed by others. Stop taking to the streets until the thugs crawl back under their rocks. You are only making things worse.
Dear County Executive Elrich, Members of the County Council and Dr. Travis Gayles:
Balancing the impacts from a highly contagious virus and the shutdown is a difficult task and we appreciate your efforts to do so. While I understand the council’s primary goal is to save lives from covid unfortunately the decision to prolong the shutdown will put other lives at risk. While a letter could be devoted entirely to the negative impacts of the shutdowns (one of which is attached for your reference) suffice it to say that many people and businesses are seriously suffering. The data suggests that a balanced, targeted approach is possible.
During the press conference Wednesday, Mr. Elrich said his top two metrics for lifting the stay at home orders were total case numbers and ICU utilization rates. Mr. Elrich suggested that death rates are not going to be changed much by testing and contact tracing. He also stated that death rates are the hardest numbers to change. How can any metric have a higher priority than who dies from the disease? Does this suggest Mr. Elrich believes that regardless of what we do, the vulnerable will die from covid? Eventually we will all die of something, but a targeted approach can help protect the vulnerable from dying of covid and allow the rest of us to get back to work.
Who is at the greatest risk of dying from covid and might benefit the most from an effort to lower death rates? Nursing home patients. This group comprises 74% of the 465 total deaths in the county. But please also note that 85% of all deaths are folks over 65. Who has a low risk of dying from the disease? People under 65 especially those without underlying health conditions. Only 0.007% of county citizens under 65 have died from covid with or without underlying health conditions. What other name does this low risk group go by? The workforce.
Only total case and death numbers are provided in the dashboard which is not helpful for understanding risk or evaluating a targeted strategy. Deaths of nursing home patients and those over 65 with serious underlying conditions should be eliminated from any trends that will impact the decision to reopen. While the lives of nursing home patients are as important as any other life, these folks are not the ones who are shopping and operating businesses. Plus nursing homes are highly specialized environments that are not found in general office and retail. If it is not possible to segregate the data this way, please add charts to the dashboard for under and over 65 daily fatality rates and you will find as I did with Maryland data that the trend has been flat for over a month.
Data charts that only include nursing home stats should also be created to guide decisions and strategies to protect patients and staff. This segregated information will also allow the citizens and county to monitor results.
Hospitalizations are a key metric. The dashboard states that in order to reopen we must achieve 14 days of acute bed utilization rate of 70% or less of the total number of acute beds. We have had 0 days under 70% for acute beds. Are we to assume that if nothing changes we will have at least 14 more days before we can reopen? Please note that the top utilization rate for both covid and noncovid patients was 83% and only 6 days since April 30 have been over 80%. In other words, we have been able to accommodate all patients since the beginning of the pandemic with beds to spare.
Only a notable spike would cause a shortage of acute care and ICU beds. If a spike were to occur, when would that be? Well after reopening. Therefore waiting another 14 days to reopen achieves nothing but negative health, emotional and financial impacts to the citizens. Rather than passively watching the numbers, is there an approach that balances the needs of all of the citizens utilizing advance planning? For example, is it possible to transfer patients between hospitals to balance the load or develop a plan to increase beds immediately in the event of a spike?
Antibody testing and other situations such as the aircraft carrier Roosevelt suggest as many as 50% of covid positive people could be asymptomatic and far more of the population has been infected than indicated by current testing. This suggests that increased testing will result in increased cases for some undetermined period of time. While I completely support the County’s new programs to increase testing, even if 5% of the population is tested monthly, many folks could still be walking around unaware they have covid. The only way to manage that is through physical distance, good hygiene and masks when within 6’ of another. Why should small businesses be held hostage while testing ramps up when the same avoidance practices must be instituted regardless? Considering that county essential workers are not required to quarantine when they have been exposed to covid, the health department must have high confidence that these practices will stop the spread. Let’s extend this confidence to the entire workforce and reignite demand in the county.
The statement in the meeting Wednesday that when stay at home orders are lifted, the county might only allow stores to do curbside pickup was extremely troubling. Certainly all the members of the council have noticed that people are not staying home. They are out shopping in big box stores. Does science dictate that we are only safe in big corporate retail and at greater risk in small independent stores? No. Science does tell us how to stop the spread and small business owners are very capable of maintaining physical distance and instituting appropriate hygiene standards. Therefore, why should government officials decide which businesses live and which die? The County should stop giving big box retailers a crushing advantage over our small businesses and open fully.
Every day matters. Each minute we remain closed, the consequences will pile up exponentially from deferred medical treatments, unemployment and financial devastation. Suicide rates have increased as has substance abuse, physical abuse and depression. The fact that we now have food lines in the county speaks volumes. Small businesses are genuinely suffering which will have its own long term health impacts. Many businesses will not survive. Has the county examined what will happen to its tax base if small business is decimated?
Regardless of the council’s good intentions, continued stay at home orders will not deliver us from covid. We implore the council to proactively balance the needs of all the citizens and implement a targeted approach that protects the vulnerable and allows the healthy to assume personal responsibility and get back to work. Any business that can maintain physical distance guidelines should be allowed to open fully. The data supports that action and the new guidance from the CDC regarding the transmission of the virus should give all of us more confidence to move forward. And finally, please obtain input from the people of the community who will explain how both covid and the shutdown have impacted their lives and livelihood.
Let’s examine the curve that Governor Hogan has used to guide reopening decisions. Does it make sense? Here is my latest dive into the data and it is disturbing at best.
As of May 7, 2020 nursing home patients accounted for 57% of all corona virus deaths in Maryland. While there is much discussion of these numbers, we should take this one step further and also ask why any decision to reopen should be based on data that includes nursing home stats. While the lives of the elderly are just as important as any other life, they are not the folks who will restart this economy. Ideally two curves would be examined, daily death data for people over and under 65 net of nursing home stats. Unfortunately Maryland has not provided that data and is unlikely to do so. The best we can do is use the info that Maryland posts daily and create charts for under and over 60 and under and over 70.
To that end, I gathered the daily data by age group from April 1 to the present and with simple math determined the number of deaths each day. With that information, data was collated and charts created.
The trends speak volumes. The under 60 and 70 charts are not the ominous curve that Governor Hogan has used to maintain economy crushing stay at home orders. Instead we see flat death trends for those under 60 and a very slight uptick when include deaths between 60-69. The frequently discussed curve can only be found for those over 70. The bottom line? For the majority of the workforce, the curve has been essentially flat since at least April 15.
What do we learn from these charts? The first thing is that we have failed the elderly in nursing homes. The second is that Governor Hogan has based his decisions on the wrong curves. This data suggests that we should have changed course some time ago and put a serious strategy in place to protect the vulnerable and let the young kickstart this economy. But no, Hogan never looked at things this way or, if he did, he ignored it.
We will debate forever why Governor Hogan and others ignored commonsense strategies in favor of extended lockdowns even after they knew that the much feared curve only applied to the elderly. We will wonder why they never shared this information with the citizens. We will wonder why they simultaneously crushed small business, added untold debt and failed to protect the vulnerable. What a total failure of government. And how disgraceful that we let them do it.
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Even though the curve is flat for younger people, the corona virus is still with us. At every age, we must continue to maintain physical distance, use proper hygiene and stay away from the vulnerable.
Maryland only releases number of cases and deaths by age group. I did not chart cases because the testing rate has increased so it is not an apples and apples comparison. In my view, since the hospitals have capacity, the only measure that should guide decisions is how many people live and die from the disease.
On April 15, Maryland changed how they accounted for deaths because there was a reduction. From that point on Maryland included confirmed and “probable” deaths. For this reason I assume that death counts prior to April 15 included probable deaths. Because probable deaths are too ambiguous, the charts begin on April 16 and only include confirmed deaths.
Please note that the data Maryland publishes daily is silent on comorbidities. Therefore the data includes folks who died with or without a serious underlying condition. This is important because many have said we should stay shutdown because a large percentage of the population have a serious underlying condition. This does not appear to be a valid argument because the data shows that there is a flat trend for those under 60 regardless. Between 60 and 70, I suspect underlying conditions play a larger role but without more data it is difficult to speculate. Ideally, we would know how many people died in each age group with a comorbidity.
It would also be excellent if we knew how many people with underlying health conditions survived corona virus.
