I am heartbroken to see Boston, the city I called home for 18 and a half years, is burning at this hour. Governor Baker has called in the National Guard to restore order.
Of course, Boston is far from the only place is burning but the streets I see burning are on the streets I walked for many years.
The protesters are pointing the finger at "white guys" (whether this means Antifa or white supremacists isn't exactly clear) and the cops. There might be some kernels of truth in there. But I'm not taking these claims at face value. Given we are still in the throes a deadly pandemic which has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 Americans this crowd shouldn't have gathered at all no matter the injustice of George Floyd's murder.
But gathered they have and, as a result, we are in the midst of the worst civil unrest in the United States since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. more than half a century ago. What is notable about the King riots is that Boston emerged unscathed thanks in large part to a James Brown concert at the Boston Garden which was broadcast live on WGBH. Needless to say, Boston is not so fortunate now.
Of course, a concert at the Boston Garden would not be possible under the present circumstances. But even it was possible there is a critical mass of people who are not amenable to reason and are now savoring the opportunity to burn everything down.
The only thing in which I can take any comfort is that no one in Boston has died of this violence - at least for now.
However judging by the lack of social distancing methinks Mass General Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center plus Brigham & Women's Hospital are going to be very busy in a couple of weeks. In which case, we can look forward to more death and despair.
I'd ask God to help us, but I know we are on our own.
Sunday, May 31, 2020
COVID-19 Testing Suspended in Los Angeles Due to Violent George Floyd Protests
Due to public safety concerns arising from the violence amid the protests of the killing of George Floyd, the city of Los Angeles has suspended COVID-19 testing. I wonder if other cities will follow suit.
As I argued yesterday the blatant disregard of social distancing at these protests would inevitably lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths. But if cities such as Los Angeles are unable to properly test for COVID-19 it will impede the ability of contact tracers to identify those exposed to the virus to mitigate its further spread.
This should concern the African-American community which has accounted for approximately a quarter of all COVID-19 deaths in this country and has been present in large numbers at these demonstrations nationwide. The Latino community has also been disproportionately affected. However contemptible the actions of the Minneapolis PD were in the death of George Floyd given the death and despair that COVID-19 has wrought in the African-American and Latino communities one would think there would be greater caution against partaking in these protests.
Unfortunately passion has overcome reason and that we shall soon pay an even bigger price than we have already paid.
Police Are Taking Cues From Trump Treating Reporters as an Enemy of The People
While I object to the George Floyd protests because of the violence on the part of some of the protesters and the blatant disregard for social distancing, I equally object to how journalists are being treated by the authorities across the country in their coverage of this story.
This began on Thursday night in Minneapolis with the arrest of CNN reporter Oscar Jimenez and his crew on live television.
On Friday night, Louisville PD fired pepper bullets at Kaitlin Rust and her crew who work for a local CNN affiliate live on air.
Saturday saw the arrest of CNN commentator Keith Boykin as he was taking pictures here in NYC along the West Side Highway. In Brooklyn, Huffington Post reporter Chris Mathias was arrested despite wearing a press pass. Meanwhile, back in Minneapolis, Ali Velshi was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet by state police. Tom Aviles, a photojournalist with the local CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, was also struck with a rubber bullet in the leg and, adding insult to injury, was arrested.
While must be a reasonable suspicion that race may have been a motive in these arrests (only Rust and Mathias are white) I believe there is something much larger at play here because I cannot think of an instance in American history when so many journalists have been arrested on American soil in such a short period of time.
On February 17, 2017, less than a month in office, President Trump saw fit to call the news media "an enemy of the American people". Trump has made this claim again and again with the desired effect. One in three Americans share this view and no doubt a healthy portion of this third of the American people work in law enforcement.
Given how freedom of the press is an essential tenet of the First Amendment, it is inconceivable to me that such a thing could have happened in the United States at this scale and that such a thing could be accepted by such a significant portion of the American population prior to Donald Trump in the White House.
When we consider these conditions I have an awful feeling this won't be the last time an American journalist is arrested on American soil whether for the duration of these protests or beyond. I also have an awful feeling that we will see an American journalist die on live TV. The danger here is that the more frequent the arrests (and deaths) the more likely a broader segment of the American public will accept it as a fact of life. This we cannot accept because if we don't have a free press we shall cease to be a free people.
This began on Thursday night in Minneapolis with the arrest of CNN reporter Oscar Jimenez and his crew on live television.
On Friday night, Louisville PD fired pepper bullets at Kaitlin Rust and her crew who work for a local CNN affiliate live on air.
Saturday saw the arrest of CNN commentator Keith Boykin as he was taking pictures here in NYC along the West Side Highway. In Brooklyn, Huffington Post reporter Chris Mathias was arrested despite wearing a press pass. Meanwhile, back in Minneapolis, Ali Velshi was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet by state police. Tom Aviles, a photojournalist with the local CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, was also struck with a rubber bullet in the leg and, adding insult to injury, was arrested.
While must be a reasonable suspicion that race may have been a motive in these arrests (only Rust and Mathias are white) I believe there is something much larger at play here because I cannot think of an instance in American history when so many journalists have been arrested on American soil in such a short period of time.
On February 17, 2017, less than a month in office, President Trump saw fit to call the news media "an enemy of the American people". Trump has made this claim again and again with the desired effect. One in three Americans share this view and no doubt a healthy portion of this third of the American people work in law enforcement.
Given how freedom of the press is an essential tenet of the First Amendment, it is inconceivable to me that such a thing could have happened in the United States at this scale and that such a thing could be accepted by such a significant portion of the American population prior to Donald Trump in the White House.
When we consider these conditions I have an awful feeling this won't be the last time an American journalist is arrested on American soil whether for the duration of these protests or beyond. I also have an awful feeling that we will see an American journalist die on live TV. The danger here is that the more frequent the arrests (and deaths) the more likely a broader segment of the American public will accept it as a fact of life. This we cannot accept because if we don't have a free press we shall cease to be a free people.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
The George Floyd Protests Have Thrown Social Distancing Out the Window
It would appear a critical mass of the country has decided we are no longer in a pandemic judging by the size of the George Floyd protests (both peaceful and violent) which have spread well beyond Minneapolis.
As demonstrated by the image of the large crowd outside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, social distancing has gone out the window. It's passe. It's so April 2020.
New York City is scheduled to begin reopening on June 8th. But I have a funny feeling these large gatherings might throw a monkey wrench in Governor Cuomo's plans. If public health experts believe there will be a surge in COVID-19 cases in Minneapolis this will surely be the case here in NYC, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and across the nation. The second wave of COVID-19 could arrive early because of collective carelessness.
In light of the fact that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe these George Floyd protests are every bit as irresponsible as the protests against various stay at home orders. Social distancing cannot be set aside for the sake of trendy politics nor for the tolerance of violence.
I have a bad feeling a lot of those people outside the Barclays Center and other parts of NYC will soon be requiring medical attention and for that they will have only themselves to blame.
Keisha Lance Bottoms Rises to the Top
Riots which began in Minneapolis in response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer earlier this week have spread all over the country in places such as New York, Louisville and Atlanta.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, spoke on Friday for just under five minutes. In less than five minutes, Bottoms rose to the top by both condemning the murder of Floyd while at the same time condemning protesters for not honoring the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. Bottoms admonished the protesters to go home. They would be wise to heed her advice because as I have argued their actions play right into the hands of President Trump.
I hope Joe Biden was watching. After all, she is a favorite of South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, a man to whom Biden owes a great deal. Last month, Clyburn touted Bottoms as a potential VP pick.
While I think Val Demings might be a more viable VP pick by virtue of her status as a former police officer and police chief, Bottoms eloquent remarks not only raise her stature but could help put Biden over the top in November.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, spoke on Friday for just under five minutes. In less than five minutes, Bottoms rose to the top by both condemning the murder of Floyd while at the same time condemning protesters for not honoring the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. Bottoms admonished the protesters to go home. They would be wise to heed her advice because as I have argued their actions play right into the hands of President Trump.
I hope Joe Biden was watching. After all, she is a favorite of South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, a man to whom Biden owes a great deal. Last month, Clyburn touted Bottoms as a potential VP pick.
While I think Val Demings might be a more viable VP pick by virtue of her status as a former police officer and police chief, Bottoms eloquent remarks not only raise her stature but could help put Biden over the top in November.
Friday, May 29, 2020
The Riots in Minneapolis & Elsewhere is Helpful to No One Except Donald Trump
Like millions of people, earlier this week I was horrified to watch George Floyd in the throes of death at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer and three of his colleagues who have since been dismissed from their jobs.
These former officers must be brought to justice. But given the number of police officers who have gotten away with murder for killing African-Americans it is understandable that many in the African-American community and beyond have little faith in the American justice system.
Yet I cannot comprehend how rioting in Minneapolis and other cities will make things better. How does breaching and burning down the 3rd precinct station of the Minneapolis Police Department bring justice for George Floyd?
Let us also consider that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed more than 100,000 American lives and counting. Nearly a quarter of those deaths are African-American. Given that there hasn't been a lot of social distancing being practiced I think we will be seeing a lot more COVID-19 cases in the African-American community. In this sense these gatherings are every bit as irresponsible as those who stormed the Michigan legislature bearing arms demanding haircuts.
As for those who were responsible for burning down the 3rd precinct I have only one thing to say.
Congratulations!!! You've just handed Donald Trump a second term and gain Minnesota in the process.
Of course, Trump quoting a segregationist era George Wallace isn't helpful either. Trump is selective in his condemnations as demonstrated in Charlottesville nearly three years ago. But if so-called progressives insist describing the burning of the 3rd precinct as progress then you can be sure people who might be ambivalent about Trump are going to think twice about abandoning him if they believe their homes, businesses and houses of worship could be next.
Joe Biden cannot afford to appear to be condoning these riots in any way nor can the Democratic Party. In which case, Biden's best move would be to name Florida Congresswoman and former Orlando PD chief Val Demings as his running mate. If Demings can demonstrate the ability to balance law and order with civil rights then perhaps there is hope. But this is far from guaranteed.
The riots in Minneapolis and elsewhere help Donald Trump because he thrives on fear and anyone who praises the burning the of the 3rd precinct is handing him ammunition that he will be more than happy to use because he knows there are enough voters who will answer his call to arms.
Let me reiterate that those former Minneapolis police officers responsible for George Floyd's death ought to go to prison. The Minneapolis PD also did not cover itself in glory last night by arresting a CNN reporter and his crew. But that does not change the fact that these riots are destructive and will not solve anything. If Trump is re-elected in November and takes Minnesota with him those who burned down the 3rd precinct will have only themselves to blame.
These former officers must be brought to justice. But given the number of police officers who have gotten away with murder for killing African-Americans it is understandable that many in the African-American community and beyond have little faith in the American justice system.
Yet I cannot comprehend how rioting in Minneapolis and other cities will make things better. How does breaching and burning down the 3rd precinct station of the Minneapolis Police Department bring justice for George Floyd?
Let us also consider that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed more than 100,000 American lives and counting. Nearly a quarter of those deaths are African-American. Given that there hasn't been a lot of social distancing being practiced I think we will be seeing a lot more COVID-19 cases in the African-American community. In this sense these gatherings are every bit as irresponsible as those who stormed the Michigan legislature bearing arms demanding haircuts.
As for those who were responsible for burning down the 3rd precinct I have only one thing to say.
Congratulations!!! You've just handed Donald Trump a second term and gain Minnesota in the process.
Of course, Trump quoting a segregationist era George Wallace isn't helpful either. Trump is selective in his condemnations as demonstrated in Charlottesville nearly three years ago. But if so-called progressives insist describing the burning of the 3rd precinct as progress then you can be sure people who might be ambivalent about Trump are going to think twice about abandoning him if they believe their homes, businesses and houses of worship could be next.
Joe Biden cannot afford to appear to be condoning these riots in any way nor can the Democratic Party. In which case, Biden's best move would be to name Florida Congresswoman and former Orlando PD chief Val Demings as his running mate. If Demings can demonstrate the ability to balance law and order with civil rights then perhaps there is hope. But this is far from guaranteed.
The riots in Minneapolis and elsewhere help Donald Trump because he thrives on fear and anyone who praises the burning the of the 3rd precinct is handing him ammunition that he will be more than happy to use because he knows there are enough voters who will answer his call to arms.
Let me reiterate that those former Minneapolis police officers responsible for George Floyd's death ought to go to prison. The Minneapolis PD also did not cover itself in glory last night by arresting a CNN reporter and his crew. But that does not change the fact that these riots are destructive and will not solve anything. If Trump is re-elected in November and takes Minnesota with him those who burned down the 3rd precinct will have only themselves to blame.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
In Light of George Floyd's Death by Minneapolis PD, Biden Should Avoid Klobuchar UPDATE
In today's edition of The Bulwark, Robert Tracinski makes the case for Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar to be Joe Biden's running mate:
There are a number of options I could recommend if Biden had not limited himself to nominating a woman. Colorado’s Jared Polis, for example, seems to be the Democratic governor who has managed the coronavirus crisis most successfully, free of disastrous early decisions and preening self-regard (Andrew Cuomo), heavy-handed overreach (Gretchen Whitmer), or hypocrisy (Ralph Northam).
But in today’s Democratic party, with its race and gender obsessions, Biden clearly feels the need to counterbalance his old-white-maleness with a partner who would, by implication, be the future first female president.
The challenge is that Biden shouldn’t just pick someone to excite the ideological activists. After the battle with the progressive side of the party, there may be a temptation to try to shore up his support on the left. This would be a mistake.
Just about everybody on the left has a strong incentive to vote for Biden simply because he’s not Donald Trump. The number of progressives who hate a moderate Democrat enough to stay home is small. Biden can afford to lose the votes of a couple hundred communists in Brooklyn, in order to gain thousands of swing voters in the Upper Midwest and Sunbelt.
There are a number of options I could recommend if Biden had not limited himself to nominating a woman. Colorado’s Jared Polis, for example, seems to be the Democratic governor who has managed the coronavirus crisis most successfully, free of disastrous early decisions and preening self-regard (Andrew Cuomo), heavy-handed overreach (Gretchen Whitmer), or hypocrisy (Ralph Northam).
But in today’s Democratic party, with its race and gender obsessions, Biden clearly feels the need to counterbalance his old-white-maleness with a partner who would, by implication, be the future first female president.
The challenge is that Biden shouldn’t just pick someone to excite the ideological activists. After the battle with the progressive side of the party, there may be a temptation to try to shore up his support on the left. This would be a mistake.
Just about everybody on the left has a strong incentive to vote for Biden simply because he’s not Donald Trump. The number of progressives who hate a moderate Democrat enough to stay home is small. Biden can afford to lose the votes of a couple hundred communists in Brooklyn, in order to gain thousands of swing voters in the Upper Midwest and Sunbelt.
Tracinski is correct in saying that Biden can afford to lose the votes of a couple hundreds communists in Brooklyn. But Biden cannot afford to lose several thousand African-American votes in Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and, yes, Minneapolis. Biden runs that risk if he picks Klobuchar.
In light of this week's death of George Floyd in broad daylight at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department, the selection of Klobuchar would not be helpful to Biden's cause and draw increased scrutiny to Klobuchar's career as a prosecutor. After all, Minneapolis is situated in Hennepin County. This would be the same Hennepin County where Klobuchar served as County Attorney from 1999 to 2007. Despite the killing of 29 police killings of mostly African-American civilians and 122 police misconduct incidents during her time in office she never once saw fit to prosecute a police officer. Then there is the case of a young, African-American male named Myon Burrell who sits in jail for a murder committed by someone else. In light of these facts it is curious that Tracinski characterizes Kamala Harris as "too much of a cop." If Harris is too much of a cop then what does that make Klobuchar?
Let us keep in mind that the African-American vote declined by 7% from 2012 to 2016. A significant portion of that decline was in cities like Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. If Hillary Clinton had garnered 77,000 more votes in those three cities, Donald Trump would never have seen the inside of the Oval Office. If a critical mass of the African-American community views Klobuchar as part of the problem rather than as part of the solution then there is a very good chance that you can add Minneapolis to that list. This is critical when one considers that Minnesota has the highest African-American voter turnout in the country. If African-American voter turnout stagnates or declines because of Klobuchar's presence on the ticket then Donald Trump wins a second term. The fact The Washington Post tells us that Klobuchar "scrambles to fix relations with the African-American community" raises a very large red flag which Biden cannot ignore.
Under the circumstances, Biden's wisest VP choice might be Val Demings, the Florida Congresswoman who spent more than a quarter century with the Orlando Police Department working her way from patrol officer all the way up to chief of police. Selecting an African-American female police chief would balance the concerns of African-Americans with regard to civil rights with the vital importance of law enforcement.
Of course anyone Biden picks to be his running mate will be subject to intense scrutiny. But given the visceral anger of a significant segment of the African-American community to the idea of a Biden-Klobuchar ticket I believe Biden would be wise to ignore Robert Tracinski's advice on the subject.
UPDATE: When Klobuchar was Hennepin County Attorney, she passed up several opportunities to prosecute Derrick Chauvin, the ex-officer at the center of Floyd's death, of police brutality and misconduct. This will not help her cause.
UPDATE: When Klobuchar was Hennepin County Attorney, she passed up several opportunities to prosecute Derrick Chauvin, the ex-officer at the center of Floyd's death, of police brutality and misconduct. This will not help her cause.
Trump Would Have Acted Faster Against COVID-19 If It Had Fact Checked Him
President Trump is expected to issue an executive order today regarding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act which would roll back liability protections for social media companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter.
Trump is doing this for two reasons. First, because Twitter dared to fact check two of his tweets regarding mail in balloting which contained verifiable false information. Second, he is doing this to deflect from the fact that 100,000 people and counting have died under his watch during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other words, it is all about him as usual. Trump is an aspiring tyrant who believes himself to be above criticism and sees fit to penalize those who would dare hold him to account. Of course, Trump is delving into matters over which he has no authority. But it is an act that will motivate his supporters to cast another ballot for him November. Even if he eventually overruled by the courts, his supporters will chant, "He Fight!!!" even if he is only fighting for himself.
It can be said that anything he does between now and November is for the purpose of deflecting from his COVID-19 response. If he wasn't planning on issuing an executive order against social media companies he would still be spreading conspiracy theories falsely accusing MSNBC host Joe Scarborough of murder.
Yet in light of his forthcoming executive order against Twitter it would be fair to say that if COVID-19 had dared to fact checked Trump he would have acted against it a whole lot sooner.
Alas COVID-19 doesn't care who you are and Trump just doesn't care - unless it about him.
Trump is doing this for two reasons. First, because Twitter dared to fact check two of his tweets regarding mail in balloting which contained verifiable false information. Second, he is doing this to deflect from the fact that 100,000 people and counting have died under his watch during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other words, it is all about him as usual. Trump is an aspiring tyrant who believes himself to be above criticism and sees fit to penalize those who would dare hold him to account. Of course, Trump is delving into matters over which he has no authority. But it is an act that will motivate his supporters to cast another ballot for him November. Even if he eventually overruled by the courts, his supporters will chant, "He Fight!!!" even if he is only fighting for himself.
It can be said that anything he does between now and November is for the purpose of deflecting from his COVID-19 response. If he wasn't planning on issuing an executive order against social media companies he would still be spreading conspiracy theories falsely accusing MSNBC host Joe Scarborough of murder.
Yet in light of his forthcoming executive order against Twitter it would be fair to say that if COVID-19 had dared to fact checked Trump he would have acted against it a whole lot sooner.
Alas COVID-19 doesn't care who you are and Trump just doesn't care - unless it about him.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Amy Cooper Will Not Find Redemption Without Forgiveness
As anyone who has seen the video will know that Ms. Cooper overreacted to Mr. Cooper's admonition that she leash her dog by calling the NYPD and repeatedly claiming she was being threatened by "an African-American man." Mr. Cooper kept his cool during Ms. Cooper's racist tirade which in the wrong hands could have brought him considerable harm up to and including his very life. Ms. Cooper has paid a deep price for her foolishness and reckless behavior. She has lost her job and her pooch. Good luck in finding a new career in the midst of a global pandemic. In the minds of many, Ms. Cooper would be deemed more toxic than COVID-19 itself.
In an article in The Bulwark, Mona Charen holds out the hope that Ms. Cooper can find redemption:
Amy Cooper told CNN that her “entire life” is being destroyed by this. She has apologized and claimed not to be a racist. Does anyone ever admit to racism? I think even David Duke claims that he’s merely standing up for white people.
Still, Amy Cooper can salvage some grace from this awful fall from it. She can start by confessing that, yes, she is a racist, and vowing to change. She can volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America or the Success Academy or some other organization that works to make life better for African-American kids. She can study up on the history of slavery and Jim Crow. And she can send a check to the ASPCA while she’s at it. She understandably feels that her life is being “destroyed,” but if she handles this right, it could be vastly improved. She could become a symbol of redemption instead of sin.
I suspect Charen might be engaging in wishful thinking here. In order for Ms. Cooper to find redemption it will be necessary for people to forgive her for her act. Understandably, people might not be inclined to do such a thing at the present moment. Her claims of not being a racist undermine her efforts at contrition.
But I also believe in a country where Twitter rules that we are a far less forgiving people than we once were. We prefer a pound of flesh and then another. Some will never be satiated. The Central Park Civic Commission has called upon Mayor de Blasio to ban Ms. Cooper from Central Park for the rest of her life. Given that Central Park runs for 50 blocks covering some 840 acres I'm not sure how this edict could possibly or practically be enforced. Although Charen has made some suggestions as to how Ms. Cooper could redeem herself, I'm not sure anything short of discovering a vaccine for COVID-19 would work.
Actually, I can think of one way. Amy Cooper could be forgiven if Christian Cooper is prepared to forgive her. It is a lot to ask and Mr. Cooper is under no obligation to do so. But if the families of those slaughtered at Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina could forgive white supremacist Dylann Roof then anything is possible - in good time.
Trump Says Wearing a Mask is "Politically Correct" as COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 100K
More than 100,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19 since early February.
As unacceptably high as those numbers are things would be much worse if we didn't wear masks when outdoors and when in areas where one cannot maintain social distancing.
But President Trump has undermined these efforts by refusing to wear a mask in public. Yesterday, he escalated this stance by demanding that Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason remove his mask during a Rose Garden press conference. When Mason stood his ground, Trump chortled, "You want to be politically correct."
Wearing a mask during a global pandemic has nothing to do with being politically correct, it has everything to do with protecting public health and with respect. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo understands this clearly. So does Joe Biden.
But Trump being Trump is trying to turn respect on its ear not only with his demand of Mason, but with his criticism of Biden wearing a mask during Memorial Day ceremonies. Trump's criticism has been reinforced by White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Fox News apologist Brit Hume. Like Mason, Biden is standing his ground and has called Trump "an absolute fool."
Unfortunately, there are absolute fools in our midst who are in lockstep with President Trump. They are small in number, but their voices carry and are amplified by the President.
We cannot let these foolish voices become the prevailing view of our public discourse where it concerns COVID-19. They wish to desensitize us about the death toll. To paraphrase Stalin, "One death is a tragedy. One hundred thousand is a statistic."
We cannot accept these attempts at desensitization from the White House down. At least 36,000 of these deaths could have been prevented had the Trump Administration taken appropriate action one week earlier.
The bottom line is that President Trump didn't take COVID-19 seriously before one American had died of it and he's not taking it seriously now that 100,000 have died of it. This won't change when this number reaches 200,000 or 1 million.
After all, President Trump has an election to win at whatever the cost. We must tell Trump that we are not prepared to pay that price.
As unacceptably high as those numbers are things would be much worse if we didn't wear masks when outdoors and when in areas where one cannot maintain social distancing.
But President Trump has undermined these efforts by refusing to wear a mask in public. Yesterday, he escalated this stance by demanding that Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason remove his mask during a Rose Garden press conference. When Mason stood his ground, Trump chortled, "You want to be politically correct."
Wearing a mask during a global pandemic has nothing to do with being politically correct, it has everything to do with protecting public health and with respect. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo understands this clearly. So does Joe Biden.
But Trump being Trump is trying to turn respect on its ear not only with his demand of Mason, but with his criticism of Biden wearing a mask during Memorial Day ceremonies. Trump's criticism has been reinforced by White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Fox News apologist Brit Hume. Like Mason, Biden is standing his ground and has called Trump "an absolute fool."
Unfortunately, there are absolute fools in our midst who are in lockstep with President Trump. They are small in number, but their voices carry and are amplified by the President.
We cannot let these foolish voices become the prevailing view of our public discourse where it concerns COVID-19. They wish to desensitize us about the death toll. To paraphrase Stalin, "One death is a tragedy. One hundred thousand is a statistic."
We cannot accept these attempts at desensitization from the White House down. At least 36,000 of these deaths could have been prevented had the Trump Administration taken appropriate action one week earlier.
The bottom line is that President Trump didn't take COVID-19 seriously before one American had died of it and he's not taking it seriously now that 100,000 have died of it. This won't change when this number reaches 200,000 or 1 million.
After all, President Trump has an election to win at whatever the cost. We must tell Trump that we are not prepared to pay that price.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
History Channel Documentary on Grant Omits His 1862 Order to Expel Jews UPDATE
For the past two nights I have been watching Grant, a documentary on the life of Union General and the 18th President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant which has been airing on The History Channel. The three part mini-series concludes tomorrow night.
Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and based on Ron Chernow's 2017 biography of the same title, it is nice to see The History Channel actually airing programs about history instead of conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials.
The documentary is well produced and no expense was spared where it concerned its dramatization of Civil War battle recreations. It is clear to the viewer that if Ulysses S. Grant hadn't joined the Union Army the United States would have ceased to exist more than 150 years ago. It is also clear that Grant saw slavery as an anachronism. Although he married into a slave owning family, Grant worked alongside his slaves and in time saw fit to free them. Against this background, Grant is portrayed as man committed to the founding principle of all men being equal and a man who wanted the Union to live up to its principles.
But Grant was not always committed to this principle and issued the most anti-Semitic edict in the history of the United States of America. Tonight's episode began with a deep dive into the Vicksburg Campaign which followed the aftermath of the Battle of Shiloh. In December 1862, during the early days of the Vicksburg Campaign, General Grant issued General Order No. 11 which expelled Jews from the Department of Tennessee (which encompassed Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky). No mention was made of this order in tonight's episode. It is a curious omission given that Order No. 11 can be found on The History Channel's website. Meanwhile, Chernow has characterized Order No. 11 as a "self-inflicted wound" on Grant's part.
While ostensibly an anti-smuggling measure, Grant specifically singled out Jews as a class and ordered "that all of the class of people be furnished passes and required to leave." Mind you, Grant issued this order a fortnight before the Emancipation Proclamation. So while African-Americans were just being freed from the bondage of slavery, the Jews under Grant's rule were being ordered to leave the Department of Tennessee just as they had been expelled from much of Europe. Grant's order was profoundly unAmerican.
Because Grant's order applied to all Jews living in the Tennessee Authority it affected Jews who supported the Union cause including Cesar Kaskel of Paducah, Kentucky, the president of the local Union League club. Kaskel traveled to Washington, D.C. and sought counsel from a local Jewish businessman and philanthropist named Adolphus Solomons who arranged for Kaskel to have an audience with President Lincoln. After hearing Kaskel's pleas, Lincoln promptly countermanded Grant's order in January 1863.
Now it's possible General Order Number 11 might be mentioned in tomorrow night's conclusion in its treatment of the 1868 presidential election as the matter arose during the campaign. During the campaign, Grant claimed that a subordinate drafted the order and that he had signed it without looking at it. This is a dubious claim on Grant's part because Lt. Colonel John Rawlins, who was his attorney and later his Secretary of War, strongly objected to Order No. 11 because he did not believe Lincoln would abide by it. To which Grant replied, "Well, they can countermand this from Washington if they like, but we will issue it anyhow."
However, Grant managed to mitigate the damage when several prominent Jews publicly declared that he had seen the error of his ways on Order 11. Grant easily defeated Democrat Horatio Seymour, a former Governor of New York, in the general election. During Grant's two terms in office, he appointed many Jews to positions in the federal civil service and in 1876 became the first U.S. President to attend the dedication of a synagogue when he set foot in Adas Israel in Washington, D.C.
None of this takes away from Grant's significance as a military strategist in the survival of the Union and ensuring the end of slavery. But when watching Grant one is the left with the impression that his only flaw was his alcoholism. It is clear that Grant lost his sobriety (even if only for a brief period) where it concerned Jews for whom he was responsible governing. Grant's virtues should be extolled, but his shortcomings should be acknowledged as well.
UPDATE: The 1868 election was an afterthought in the final installment of Grant. In treating it as an afterthought there was no acknowledgement of the mistrust from the Jewish community as a result of Order No. 11 and how he overcame it. I am disappointed that DiCaprio and Chernow thought this did not warrant any mention during the course of this six hour documentary.
Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and based on Ron Chernow's 2017 biography of the same title, it is nice to see The History Channel actually airing programs about history instead of conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials.
The documentary is well produced and no expense was spared where it concerned its dramatization of Civil War battle recreations. It is clear to the viewer that if Ulysses S. Grant hadn't joined the Union Army the United States would have ceased to exist more than 150 years ago. It is also clear that Grant saw slavery as an anachronism. Although he married into a slave owning family, Grant worked alongside his slaves and in time saw fit to free them. Against this background, Grant is portrayed as man committed to the founding principle of all men being equal and a man who wanted the Union to live up to its principles.
But Grant was not always committed to this principle and issued the most anti-Semitic edict in the history of the United States of America. Tonight's episode began with a deep dive into the Vicksburg Campaign which followed the aftermath of the Battle of Shiloh. In December 1862, during the early days of the Vicksburg Campaign, General Grant issued General Order No. 11 which expelled Jews from the Department of Tennessee (which encompassed Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky). No mention was made of this order in tonight's episode. It is a curious omission given that Order No. 11 can be found on The History Channel's website. Meanwhile, Chernow has characterized Order No. 11 as a "self-inflicted wound" on Grant's part.
While ostensibly an anti-smuggling measure, Grant specifically singled out Jews as a class and ordered "that all of the class of people be furnished passes and required to leave." Mind you, Grant issued this order a fortnight before the Emancipation Proclamation. So while African-Americans were just being freed from the bondage of slavery, the Jews under Grant's rule were being ordered to leave the Department of Tennessee just as they had been expelled from much of Europe. Grant's order was profoundly unAmerican.
Because Grant's order applied to all Jews living in the Tennessee Authority it affected Jews who supported the Union cause including Cesar Kaskel of Paducah, Kentucky, the president of the local Union League club. Kaskel traveled to Washington, D.C. and sought counsel from a local Jewish businessman and philanthropist named Adolphus Solomons who arranged for Kaskel to have an audience with President Lincoln. After hearing Kaskel's pleas, Lincoln promptly countermanded Grant's order in January 1863.
Now it's possible General Order Number 11 might be mentioned in tomorrow night's conclusion in its treatment of the 1868 presidential election as the matter arose during the campaign. During the campaign, Grant claimed that a subordinate drafted the order and that he had signed it without looking at it. This is a dubious claim on Grant's part because Lt. Colonel John Rawlins, who was his attorney and later his Secretary of War, strongly objected to Order No. 11 because he did not believe Lincoln would abide by it. To which Grant replied, "Well, they can countermand this from Washington if they like, but we will issue it anyhow."
However, Grant managed to mitigate the damage when several prominent Jews publicly declared that he had seen the error of his ways on Order 11. Grant easily defeated Democrat Horatio Seymour, a former Governor of New York, in the general election. During Grant's two terms in office, he appointed many Jews to positions in the federal civil service and in 1876 became the first U.S. President to attend the dedication of a synagogue when he set foot in Adas Israel in Washington, D.C.
None of this takes away from Grant's significance as a military strategist in the survival of the Union and ensuring the end of slavery. But when watching Grant one is the left with the impression that his only flaw was his alcoholism. It is clear that Grant lost his sobriety (even if only for a brief period) where it concerned Jews for whom he was responsible governing. Grant's virtues should be extolled, but his shortcomings should be acknowledged as well.
UPDATE: The 1868 election was an afterthought in the final installment of Grant. In treating it as an afterthought there was no acknowledgement of the mistrust from the Jewish community as a result of Order No. 11 and how he overcame it. I am disappointed that DiCaprio and Chernow thought this did not warrant any mention during the course of this six hour documentary.
Biden Should Socially Distance From Omar & Any Other Dem Who Believes Reade
In an interview with the UK's Sunday Times, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said she believed Tara Reade's sexual assault claims against Joe Biden. Omar stated, "I do believe Reade. Justice can be delayed but should never be denied." She added if it was up to her Biden would not be the party's nominee. Omar was a supporter of Bernie Sanders.
Yesterday, in response to criticism of her statements, Omar tweeted:
Believing survivors is consistent with my values. Yes, I endorsed against Biden and I didn’t pick him as our nominee. With that said, in this interview I did on May 6th, we talked about that and quotes aren’t always in context. I will vote for him and help him defeat Trump.
For starters this endorsement is about as tepid as a cup of lukewarm tea. Omar has no stake in a Biden victory. His defeat gives so-called progressives more within the party. So she has no reason to go out on a limb for Biden and every incentive to undermine him.
Omar also operates on the presumption that Reade is a survivor even though this has not been established as fact. But then she suggests The Times took her out of context. In which way? Omar doesn't say. This tells me she is trying to have her cake and eat it. With friends like this, Biden doesn't need any more enemies than he has already. He does not need "allies" who are willing to be useful idiots for President Trump. The same can be said of Omar's fellow squad allies Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who also recently made statements earlier this month lending credence to Reade's allegations.
Yet in recent days, Reade's credibility has come into question. In recent years, Reade has testified as an expert witness in various criminal proceedings claiming a degree with from Antioch College but Antioch issued a statement indicating Reade never completed a baccalaureate. This has prompted defense attorneys for clients her testimony helped convicted to move to reopen their cases.
It would also be wise to read Cathy Young's recent Quillette piece regarding Reade's divorce proceedings. As with Joe Biden, when Reade first made allegations against her ex-husband they were non-violent only to change her story.
In an interview with MSNBC earlier this month, Biden said that if anyone believes Reade then they shouldn't vote for him. He added, "I wouldn't vote for me if I believed Tara Reade."
In light of Omar's statements and that of her fellow squad members, Biden would be wise to socially distance himself from them. By stating she believes Reade, Omar is stating that she is unwilling to give Biden the presumption of innocence. In so doing, she has convicted Biden without all the facts and is now awaiting his sentence. Under these circumstances, Omar and company can do Biden no good on the campaign trail even if that campaigning is now being done virtually.
Of course, Biden has to be careful when drawing attention to Tara Reade. This is where Biden's female running mate comes into the picture. Whoever he picks for VP is going to have to be willing to defend Biden without a hint of ambiguity where it concerns Tara Reade whether it comes from the Trump campaign or from fellow Democrats. Simply put, Biden's VP pick is going to have to be willing to tell Ilhan Omar to go to hell.
Yesterday, in response to criticism of her statements, Omar tweeted:
Believing survivors is consistent with my values. Yes, I endorsed against Biden and I didn’t pick him as our nominee. With that said, in this interview I did on May 6th, we talked about that and quotes aren’t always in context. I will vote for him and help him defeat Trump.
For starters this endorsement is about as tepid as a cup of lukewarm tea. Omar has no stake in a Biden victory. His defeat gives so-called progressives more within the party. So she has no reason to go out on a limb for Biden and every incentive to undermine him.
Omar also operates on the presumption that Reade is a survivor even though this has not been established as fact. But then she suggests The Times took her out of context. In which way? Omar doesn't say. This tells me she is trying to have her cake and eat it. With friends like this, Biden doesn't need any more enemies than he has already. He does not need "allies" who are willing to be useful idiots for President Trump. The same can be said of Omar's fellow squad allies Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who also recently made statements earlier this month lending credence to Reade's allegations.
Yet in recent days, Reade's credibility has come into question. In recent years, Reade has testified as an expert witness in various criminal proceedings claiming a degree with from Antioch College but Antioch issued a statement indicating Reade never completed a baccalaureate. This has prompted defense attorneys for clients her testimony helped convicted to move to reopen their cases.
It would also be wise to read Cathy Young's recent Quillette piece regarding Reade's divorce proceedings. As with Joe Biden, when Reade first made allegations against her ex-husband they were non-violent only to change her story.
In an interview with MSNBC earlier this month, Biden said that if anyone believes Reade then they shouldn't vote for him. He added, "I wouldn't vote for me if I believed Tara Reade."
In light of Omar's statements and that of her fellow squad members, Biden would be wise to socially distance himself from them. By stating she believes Reade, Omar is stating that she is unwilling to give Biden the presumption of innocence. In so doing, she has convicted Biden without all the facts and is now awaiting his sentence. Under these circumstances, Omar and company can do Biden no good on the campaign trail even if that campaigning is now being done virtually.
Of course, Biden has to be careful when drawing attention to Tara Reade. This is where Biden's female running mate comes into the picture. Whoever he picks for VP is going to have to be willing to defend Biden without a hint of ambiguity where it concerns Tara Reade whether it comes from the Trump campaign or from fellow Democrats. Simply put, Biden's VP pick is going to have to be willing to tell Ilhan Omar to go to hell.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Why Memorial Day is a Paradox Especially in 2020
I consider Memorial Day to be something of a paradox.
It is ostensibly the most solemn of our federal holidays dating back to the end of the Civil War.
Indeed, I made a point today of walking by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Riverside Park which is dedicated to those who fell on the Union side.
On the other hand, Memorial Day is deemed the beginning of summer and as such is a day of escape and frivolity.
As I noted last November 11th when I compared Veterans Day in the United States with Remembrance Day in Canada I made the case that Remembrance Day was more solemn than both Veterans Day and especially Memorial Day because "despite our best efforts has become a day of reverie synonymous with barbecues."
The paradox has become far more glaring in 2020 with COVID-19. Images of a large pool party in the Missouri Ozarks and a crowded boardwalk in Maryland over this Memorial Day weekend conveys an image of Americans as a frivolous, selfish lot either in denial or indifferent as we speed towards 100,000 deaths and counintg.
I understand the need the go outside and enjoy warm, fresh air and I certainly did that today, but I made a point of avoiding crowds which is why I walked across the street from Riverside Park where there were far fewer people milling about. I say this not as a recitation of virtue, but consideration for my fellow man. Yes, it is important to get fresh air and exercise while gathering one's daily bread. But spending a prolonged period of time among a large, dense crowd (especially while not wearing a face covering) does more harm than good. We should not engage in such activities until such time permits that it can be done without spreading an infectious and deadly disease. The bottom line is I don't see how such destructive behavior honors our fallen soldiers.
Of course, once COVID-19 no longer presents the lethal threat that it does now the Memorial Day paradox remains. How does one observe a holiday for those killed in battle by standing over a grill or tossing a frisbee?
The remedy to this paradox is to switch Memorial Day with Veterans Day. I think November 11th would be a more fitting day for Memorial Day. Before it was renamed Veterans Day after the Korean War, it was known as Armistice Day as it signified the end of WWI and lamented those who died in battle. Given that Veterans Day honors our living veterans wouldn't be better to honor them with a parade (once it is safe to do so) at the end of May rather than in the middle of November? If Veterans Day is in May then we can pay tribute to our living veterans and enjoy our freedoms which come with summer. If Memorial Day is in November we can pay tribute to those who have fallen as the leaves descend.
Consider it a modest proposal.
Regardless of whether this modest proposal is given any consideration, I would like to take this moment to honor all American servicemen who have died on the battlefield, in air or at sea in conflicts past and present in service to the United States of America.
It is ostensibly the most solemn of our federal holidays dating back to the end of the Civil War.
Indeed, I made a point today of walking by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Riverside Park which is dedicated to those who fell on the Union side.
On the other hand, Memorial Day is deemed the beginning of summer and as such is a day of escape and frivolity.
As I noted last November 11th when I compared Veterans Day in the United States with Remembrance Day in Canada I made the case that Remembrance Day was more solemn than both Veterans Day and especially Memorial Day because "despite our best efforts has become a day of reverie synonymous with barbecues."
The paradox has become far more glaring in 2020 with COVID-19. Images of a large pool party in the Missouri Ozarks and a crowded boardwalk in Maryland over this Memorial Day weekend conveys an image of Americans as a frivolous, selfish lot either in denial or indifferent as we speed towards 100,000 deaths and counintg.
I understand the need the go outside and enjoy warm, fresh air and I certainly did that today, but I made a point of avoiding crowds which is why I walked across the street from Riverside Park where there were far fewer people milling about. I say this not as a recitation of virtue, but consideration for my fellow man. Yes, it is important to get fresh air and exercise while gathering one's daily bread. But spending a prolonged period of time among a large, dense crowd (especially while not wearing a face covering) does more harm than good. We should not engage in such activities until such time permits that it can be done without spreading an infectious and deadly disease. The bottom line is I don't see how such destructive behavior honors our fallen soldiers.
Of course, once COVID-19 no longer presents the lethal threat that it does now the Memorial Day paradox remains. How does one observe a holiday for those killed in battle by standing over a grill or tossing a frisbee?
The remedy to this paradox is to switch Memorial Day with Veterans Day. I think November 11th would be a more fitting day for Memorial Day. Before it was renamed Veterans Day after the Korean War, it was known as Armistice Day as it signified the end of WWI and lamented those who died in battle. Given that Veterans Day honors our living veterans wouldn't be better to honor them with a parade (once it is safe to do so) at the end of May rather than in the middle of November? If Veterans Day is in May then we can pay tribute to our living veterans and enjoy our freedoms which come with summer. If Memorial Day is in November we can pay tribute to those who have fallen as the leaves descend.
Consider it a modest proposal.
Regardless of whether this modest proposal is given any consideration, I would like to take this moment to honor all American servicemen who have died on the battlefield, in air or at sea in conflicts past and present in service to the United States of America.
Friday, May 22, 2020
A Thought for Patrick Ewing
NBA Hall of Famer and Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing disclosed that he has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Ewing, 57, revealed his condition on Twitter stating, “This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones."
Currently, Ewing has been hospitalized and is in isolation. No one else associated with the Georgetown program has tested positive for COVID-19.
I hope we will take Ewing's warning very seriously especially those eager to reopen the country to what it was before.
I don't think America understood the full import of COVID-19 until the evening of March 11th. Two things happened that night. Tom Hanks disclosed that he and wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for COVID-19 and the NBA announced it was suspending its season.
While I am a baseball fan, I think basketball is America's national pastime in the 21st century and the loss of the NBA made people sit up and take notice. A hoops hungry nation tuned in by the millions to ESPN to watch the Michael Jordan documentary series The Last Dance. Ewing, who played the bulk of his 17-year NBA career with the New York Knicks and a frequent rival of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, played no small part in the series and reluctantly watched it.
Ewing is among the most iconic NBA players of his era and is synonymous with both Knicks and the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. His career has now come full circle at Georgetown where he played under John Thompson earning a NCAA title in 1984. With this in mind, I think Ewing's COVID-19 diagnosis will make a lot of Americans sit up and take notice especially if there is a turn for the worse.
Needless to say, I hope Patrick Ewing makes a full recovery and when the time is right can return to coaching basketball at Georgetown for many years to come.
Ewing, 57, revealed his condition on Twitter stating, “This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones."
Currently, Ewing has been hospitalized and is in isolation. No one else associated with the Georgetown program has tested positive for COVID-19.
I hope we will take Ewing's warning very seriously especially those eager to reopen the country to what it was before.
I don't think America understood the full import of COVID-19 until the evening of March 11th. Two things happened that night. Tom Hanks disclosed that he and wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for COVID-19 and the NBA announced it was suspending its season.
While I am a baseball fan, I think basketball is America's national pastime in the 21st century and the loss of the NBA made people sit up and take notice. A hoops hungry nation tuned in by the millions to ESPN to watch the Michael Jordan documentary series The Last Dance. Ewing, who played the bulk of his 17-year NBA career with the New York Knicks and a frequent rival of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, played no small part in the series and reluctantly watched it.
Ewing is among the most iconic NBA players of his era and is synonymous with both Knicks and the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. His career has now come full circle at Georgetown where he played under John Thompson earning a NCAA title in 1984. With this in mind, I think Ewing's COVID-19 diagnosis will make a lot of Americans sit up and take notice especially if there is a turn for the worse.
Needless to say, I hope Patrick Ewing makes a full recovery and when the time is right can return to coaching basketball at Georgetown for many years to come.
Trump Wanting Packed Churches Again is Unchristian
When I read that President Trump had declared churches to be "essential services" and threatened to override any Governor I was reminded of Trump's recent of claim of "total authority" over the states. It also reminded me of his desire to have "packed churches" on Easter Sunday. In both instances, Trump had to back off.
However, in this instance, I suspect Trump will bear this cross a bit longer. His support among both Evangelical Christians and Catholics is softening. With 38.6 million Americans having lost their jobs over the past two and a half months, it would be impossible for Trump to boast about the economy. And "Obamagate" is only going to appeal to his most ardent supporters. So the only card Trump has left to play is to be a culture warrior. Trump thundered, "Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship. It's not right."
While this could lure some Evangelicals and Catholics back into Trump's fold, his statements ignores two crucial points.
First, Trump ignores the fact that churches, synagogues and mosques have been conducting virtual services for weeks. If Trump attempts to overrule a state edict I'm not sure how a court would agree with his argument as long Americans who wish to worship can do so online. In communities where internet access might be limited there is also the option of drive-in churches. Thus it is not necessary to have a packed church for Americans to worship.
Second, Trump ignores how rapidly COVID-19 can spread in mass gatherings. When I wrote about my experiences in learning about contact tracing earlier this week I cited an example of a person who attended a Mother's Day service at a church near Sacramento, California, tested positive for COVID-19 and exposed 180 people to the virus. If Trump's edict is implemented this will happen all over the country. Keep in mind that Americans over the age of 65 attend religious services more frequently than any other age demographic. This same demographic is also the most susceptible to dying of COVID-19 with an estimated 80% of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States are people 65 years of age and older. By bringing pressure to bear upon houses of worship to reopen there is a grave risk in a spike of COVID-19 infections and deaths among older Americans. Mind you, the COVID-19 death toll in this country is nearing 100,000.
Given these facts one can only conclude that Trump deeming churches to be essential services and to be immediately reopened while threatening to overrule Governors who may wish to proceed with more caution demonstrates his motives are political, not spiritual.
I dare say President Trump's edict is downright Unchristian.
However, in this instance, I suspect Trump will bear this cross a bit longer. His support among both Evangelical Christians and Catholics is softening. With 38.6 million Americans having lost their jobs over the past two and a half months, it would be impossible for Trump to boast about the economy. And "Obamagate" is only going to appeal to his most ardent supporters. So the only card Trump has left to play is to be a culture warrior. Trump thundered, "Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship. It's not right."
While this could lure some Evangelicals and Catholics back into Trump's fold, his statements ignores two crucial points.
First, Trump ignores the fact that churches, synagogues and mosques have been conducting virtual services for weeks. If Trump attempts to overrule a state edict I'm not sure how a court would agree with his argument as long Americans who wish to worship can do so online. In communities where internet access might be limited there is also the option of drive-in churches. Thus it is not necessary to have a packed church for Americans to worship.
Second, Trump ignores how rapidly COVID-19 can spread in mass gatherings. When I wrote about my experiences in learning about contact tracing earlier this week I cited an example of a person who attended a Mother's Day service at a church near Sacramento, California, tested positive for COVID-19 and exposed 180 people to the virus. If Trump's edict is implemented this will happen all over the country. Keep in mind that Americans over the age of 65 attend religious services more frequently than any other age demographic. This same demographic is also the most susceptible to dying of COVID-19 with an estimated 80% of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States are people 65 years of age and older. By bringing pressure to bear upon houses of worship to reopen there is a grave risk in a spike of COVID-19 infections and deaths among older Americans. Mind you, the COVID-19 death toll in this country is nearing 100,000.
Given these facts one can only conclude that Trump deeming churches to be essential services and to be immediately reopened while threatening to overrule Governors who may wish to proceed with more caution demonstrates his motives are political, not spiritual.
I dare say President Trump's edict is downright Unchristian.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Biden's Best VP Selection Might Be an Iraqi War Veteran or a Former Police Chief
Joe Biden's VP shortlist has emerged and here who has made the list:
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth
Florida Congesswoman Val Demings
Not this might not necessarily be an exhaustive, but it is telling that Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams and Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto aren't on the list. Let us assume for now that this is the final list.
Obviously, Klobuchar is receiving the lion's share of the attention by virtue of her presidential campaign and swift endorsement of Biden. While I can see Biden picking Klobuchar if he thinks he's at risk of losing Minnesota and need a strong critic of the Trump Administration's coronavirus response in very personal terms as her husband survived COVID-19, she is tremendous liability by virtue of her harsh treatment of her staff and would likely alienate African-American voters by evidently putting an innocent man in jail when she was the Hennepin County Attorney. I think Klobuchar does Biden more harm than good.
Maggie Hassan might not be a familiar name to some, but she is familiar name in Boston as many New Hampshire residents work in the city and New Hampshire election ads flood Boston's airwaves. Hassan served two terms as Governor before being elected to the Senate. As with Klobuchar, Biden could pick Hassan if he fears losing the Granite state. In some respects, Hassan's problem is diametrically opposed to that of Klobuchar where it concerns her staff. A former member of Hassan's staff was sentenced to four years in federal prison for accessing the records of five Republican Senators and disseminating the information online after they helped to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Another staffer also plead guilty for assisting the staffer access Senate computers after his termination and lying to investigators.
From where I sit this raises a red flag. While Hassan herself might not have engaged in this conduct, it does indicate a lack of control and discipline of her staff as well as presenting a potential liability to Biden down the line. If this could happen under Hassan's watch as a U.S. Senator it could certainly happen in the Office of the Vice President with a far graver set of circumstances thus spelling trouble to a Biden White House.
Governors Whitmer and Lujan-Grisham have won plaudits for their COVID-19 responses in their respective states and both have stood up to President Trump with Lujan-Grisham reading him the riot act in a conference call with other state governors over the dissemination of medical supplies. Both Governors are from strategically significant states. Of course, Trump won Michigan in 2016 and Biden is eager to get it back with Trump seeking to wrest New Mexico from the Democratic column. But both Whitmer and Lujan-Grisham are first term Governors who have a lot on their plate where they are and it is best they keep on top of their respective state's COVID-19 response. Further complicating matters for Whitmer has been flooding which has forced the evacuation of thousands of Michigan residents. Under the circumstances, this would not be an opportune time for Whitmer to leave office.
Which leaves an Iraqi war veteran and a former police chief as Biden's best choices on the list.
Before her election to the U.S. Senate in 2016, Duckworth had a lengthy military career serving as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot who was wounded in Iraq in a battle with insurgents losing both of her legs. While Illinois is a safe Democratic state, it would be fitting if Biden picked a Senator from Illinois as he was picked by an Illinois Senator.
Meanwhile, Val Demings served with the Orlando Police Department for 27 years spending the last three and half years of her law enforcement career as the department's chief of police before retiring in 2010. Elected to Congress in 2016, Demings got notice as one of the managers in the House impeachment proceedings against President Trump. That alone would get Demings under Trump's thin skin. Given that Florida is now Trump's home state it would also get under his skin if Demings could help Biden wrest the Sunshine state from him.
Both Duckworth and Demings have had careers in areas that would normally appeal to Republican voters. Both are moderates. While this might turn off some progressives, it could be offset by their minority status (Duckworth is Asian-American while Demings is African-American). Barring any shocking revelations, their character has been beyond reproach.
If it comes down to those two I give Demings a slight edge given the significance of African-Americans in the Democratic Party. Although Demings and Duckworth aren't household names should Biden pick either I think both will leave a positive impression while not doing him any harm.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth
Florida Congesswoman Val Demings
Not this might not necessarily be an exhaustive, but it is telling that Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams and Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto aren't on the list. Let us assume for now that this is the final list.
Obviously, Klobuchar is receiving the lion's share of the attention by virtue of her presidential campaign and swift endorsement of Biden. While I can see Biden picking Klobuchar if he thinks he's at risk of losing Minnesota and need a strong critic of the Trump Administration's coronavirus response in very personal terms as her husband survived COVID-19, she is tremendous liability by virtue of her harsh treatment of her staff and would likely alienate African-American voters by evidently putting an innocent man in jail when she was the Hennepin County Attorney. I think Klobuchar does Biden more harm than good.
Maggie Hassan might not be a familiar name to some, but she is familiar name in Boston as many New Hampshire residents work in the city and New Hampshire election ads flood Boston's airwaves. Hassan served two terms as Governor before being elected to the Senate. As with Klobuchar, Biden could pick Hassan if he fears losing the Granite state. In some respects, Hassan's problem is diametrically opposed to that of Klobuchar where it concerns her staff. A former member of Hassan's staff was sentenced to four years in federal prison for accessing the records of five Republican Senators and disseminating the information online after they helped to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Another staffer also plead guilty for assisting the staffer access Senate computers after his termination and lying to investigators.
From where I sit this raises a red flag. While Hassan herself might not have engaged in this conduct, it does indicate a lack of control and discipline of her staff as well as presenting a potential liability to Biden down the line. If this could happen under Hassan's watch as a U.S. Senator it could certainly happen in the Office of the Vice President with a far graver set of circumstances thus spelling trouble to a Biden White House.
Governors Whitmer and Lujan-Grisham have won plaudits for their COVID-19 responses in their respective states and both have stood up to President Trump with Lujan-Grisham reading him the riot act in a conference call with other state governors over the dissemination of medical supplies. Both Governors are from strategically significant states. Of course, Trump won Michigan in 2016 and Biden is eager to get it back with Trump seeking to wrest New Mexico from the Democratic column. But both Whitmer and Lujan-Grisham are first term Governors who have a lot on their plate where they are and it is best they keep on top of their respective state's COVID-19 response. Further complicating matters for Whitmer has been flooding which has forced the evacuation of thousands of Michigan residents. Under the circumstances, this would not be an opportune time for Whitmer to leave office.
Which leaves an Iraqi war veteran and a former police chief as Biden's best choices on the list.
Before her election to the U.S. Senate in 2016, Duckworth had a lengthy military career serving as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot who was wounded in Iraq in a battle with insurgents losing both of her legs. While Illinois is a safe Democratic state, it would be fitting if Biden picked a Senator from Illinois as he was picked by an Illinois Senator.
Meanwhile, Val Demings served with the Orlando Police Department for 27 years spending the last three and half years of her law enforcement career as the department's chief of police before retiring in 2010. Elected to Congress in 2016, Demings got notice as one of the managers in the House impeachment proceedings against President Trump. That alone would get Demings under Trump's thin skin. Given that Florida is now Trump's home state it would also get under his skin if Demings could help Biden wrest the Sunshine state from him.
Both Duckworth and Demings have had careers in areas that would normally appeal to Republican voters. Both are moderates. While this might turn off some progressives, it could be offset by their minority status (Duckworth is Asian-American while Demings is African-American). Barring any shocking revelations, their character has been beyond reproach.
If it comes down to those two I give Demings a slight edge given the significance of African-Americans in the Democratic Party. Although Demings and Duckworth aren't household names should Biden pick either I think both will leave a positive impression while not doing him any harm.
Four Simple Reasons Why Trump Won't Wear a Mask in Public
I am not at all surprised that President Trump refused to wear a mask in front of cameras while touring a Ford plant today in Ypsilanti, Michigan manufacturing PPE despite warnings from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
There are four simple reasons for President Trump's behavior.
First, President Trump cares only for himself.
Second, President Trump believes the rules do not apply to him and that he is above the law.
Third, President Trump is pandering to his supporters.
Finally, no one is prepared to say no to President Trump.
That President Trump cares only for himself is self-evident. If he wore a mask it would send the message that the COVID-19 pandemic is about all of us including the President of the United States. But wearing a mask would show empathy and Trump considers empathy a sign of weakness. He would rather spend his time engaging in conspiracy theories about President Obama than easing our collective pain with the loss of 95,000 Americans and counting.
When someone cares only for himself can we be surprised when that same person does not believe he is subject to the rules? This is a bad enough quality in an ordinary citizen, but when the President of the United States exhibits this trait during a global pandemic which has reached the White House and Mar-a-Lago then this is a clear and present danger. Because there will be a critical mass of the population who will ask themselves, "If the President isn't wearing a mask then why should I?"
This brings me to Trump's most fervent supporters who will be emboldened to stop wearing masks. Expect many more people to declare, "I got hydroxychloroquine, I'm fine," as happened at a protest a week ago in Long Island amid Trump's claim that he has been taking the anti-malarial drug to prevent COVID-19 despite no clinical evidence to support doing so. Indeed, I do not believe Trump is actually taking hydroxychloroquine, but was inspired to make the claim after viewing the protests on TV. After all, the main target of those protesters was the media with a local TV news reporter named Kevin Vesey being told, among other things, that he is an enemy of the people and that he's a virus. It is well worth remembering that when Trump refused to wear the mask on camera he said, "I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it." Statements like this will keep Trump supporters motivated to go to the polls for him.
But above all else no one was going to stop Trump from defying the law. Not Bill Ford who said whether Trump wore a mask was "up to him" reinforcing the conviction that the rules don't apply to the President. And for all of Michigan AG Nessel's strong words and condemnation of Trump being "incredibly disrespectful to our state" neither she nor Governor Whitmer were prepared to enforce state law and incur the wrath of Trump and the MAGATs. Sometimes words just aren't enough. Because this is only the beginning. Unless someone puts their foot down and demand that Trump wears a mask in public then he isn't going do it.
We cannot President Trump where it concerns reasons one through three. But we can where it concerns reason four and if we aren't willing to exercise that power then we are complicit in all the reasons why President Trump behaves the way he does.
There are four simple reasons for President Trump's behavior.
First, President Trump cares only for himself.
Second, President Trump believes the rules do not apply to him and that he is above the law.
Third, President Trump is pandering to his supporters.
Finally, no one is prepared to say no to President Trump.
That President Trump cares only for himself is self-evident. If he wore a mask it would send the message that the COVID-19 pandemic is about all of us including the President of the United States. But wearing a mask would show empathy and Trump considers empathy a sign of weakness. He would rather spend his time engaging in conspiracy theories about President Obama than easing our collective pain with the loss of 95,000 Americans and counting.
When someone cares only for himself can we be surprised when that same person does not believe he is subject to the rules? This is a bad enough quality in an ordinary citizen, but when the President of the United States exhibits this trait during a global pandemic which has reached the White House and Mar-a-Lago then this is a clear and present danger. Because there will be a critical mass of the population who will ask themselves, "If the President isn't wearing a mask then why should I?"
This brings me to Trump's most fervent supporters who will be emboldened to stop wearing masks. Expect many more people to declare, "I got hydroxychloroquine, I'm fine," as happened at a protest a week ago in Long Island amid Trump's claim that he has been taking the anti-malarial drug to prevent COVID-19 despite no clinical evidence to support doing so. Indeed, I do not believe Trump is actually taking hydroxychloroquine, but was inspired to make the claim after viewing the protests on TV. After all, the main target of those protesters was the media with a local TV news reporter named Kevin Vesey being told, among other things, that he is an enemy of the people and that he's a virus. It is well worth remembering that when Trump refused to wear the mask on camera he said, "I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it." Statements like this will keep Trump supporters motivated to go to the polls for him.
But above all else no one was going to stop Trump from defying the law. Not Bill Ford who said whether Trump wore a mask was "up to him" reinforcing the conviction that the rules don't apply to the President. And for all of Michigan AG Nessel's strong words and condemnation of Trump being "incredibly disrespectful to our state" neither she nor Governor Whitmer were prepared to enforce state law and incur the wrath of Trump and the MAGATs. Sometimes words just aren't enough. Because this is only the beginning. Unless someone puts their foot down and demand that Trump wears a mask in public then he isn't going do it.
We cannot President Trump where it concerns reasons one through three. But we can where it concerns reason four and if we aren't willing to exercise that power then we are complicit in all the reasons why President Trump behaves the way he does.
Trump & McConnell Tell The Unemployed to FPUC Off
As with millions of other Americans who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to weekly unemployment benefits I also receive an additional $600 a week (before taxes) under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program.
FPUC was part of the CARES Act which was enacted into law on March 27th which provided for additional relief for the unemployed through July 31st. With unemployment showing no signs of slowing down, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act last week which would have extended FPUC by six months through January 31, 2021.
However, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell oppose this provision.
In other words, Trump and McConnell have told America's unemployed to FPUC off.
Yesterday, McConnell told House Republicans during a conference call that the GOP was "going to have to clean up the Democrats’ crazy policy that is paying people more to remain unemployed than they would earn if they went back to work." Trump evidently echoed McConnell's sentiments during a private lunch yesterday with Senate Republicans.
It is true that many workers are making more money now than when they were gainfully employed. I am among them. Indeed, I earn nearly double the money I did when I was employed. I earn enough money to pay for the sublet I'm now occupying to socially distance from my Dad. There's no way I could have done so on my salary. This is not a question of unemployment benefits being too generous but rather than employers simply don't pay enough. But this is a much larger question with no easy answer.
With regard to the matter at hand, it would be one thing to end FPUC if the economy could bounce back safely and quickly, but there is no realistic projection that this state of affairs will end anytime soon. Jobs are not exactly in abundance and hiring an army of contact tracers (many of them in Kentucky which McConnell represents) would scarcely put a dent into an economy descending into depression.
For my part, I have applied for over 60 jobs in nearly 7 weeks of unemployment and have studied to be a contact tracer. I'm not sure what else Trump and McConnell would ask of me and millions of others in far worse positions than myself. Well, I doubt we will get an answer because McConnell doesn't give a fuck about you unless you're a millionaire while Trump just doesn't give a fuck.
If I had to hazard guess I believe that McConnell will eventually agree to extend FPUC by 90 days through October 31st and Trump will go along. That would be three days before the election and I'm sure Trump and McConnell would tell Americans that if you re-elect them they'll be happy to extend it another 90 days - January 31, 2021. So we could end up with the same extension after all but not until Trump and McConnell have finished stringing us along.
Two men have never so richly deserved to lose an election.
FPUC was part of the CARES Act which was enacted into law on March 27th which provided for additional relief for the unemployed through July 31st. With unemployment showing no signs of slowing down, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act last week which would have extended FPUC by six months through January 31, 2021.
However, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell oppose this provision.
In other words, Trump and McConnell have told America's unemployed to FPUC off.
Yesterday, McConnell told House Republicans during a conference call that the GOP was "going to have to clean up the Democrats’ crazy policy that is paying people more to remain unemployed than they would earn if they went back to work." Trump evidently echoed McConnell's sentiments during a private lunch yesterday with Senate Republicans.
It is true that many workers are making more money now than when they were gainfully employed. I am among them. Indeed, I earn nearly double the money I did when I was employed. I earn enough money to pay for the sublet I'm now occupying to socially distance from my Dad. There's no way I could have done so on my salary. This is not a question of unemployment benefits being too generous but rather than employers simply don't pay enough. But this is a much larger question with no easy answer.
With regard to the matter at hand, it would be one thing to end FPUC if the economy could bounce back safely and quickly, but there is no realistic projection that this state of affairs will end anytime soon. Jobs are not exactly in abundance and hiring an army of contact tracers (many of them in Kentucky which McConnell represents) would scarcely put a dent into an economy descending into depression.
For my part, I have applied for over 60 jobs in nearly 7 weeks of unemployment and have studied to be a contact tracer. I'm not sure what else Trump and McConnell would ask of me and millions of others in far worse positions than myself. Well, I doubt we will get an answer because McConnell doesn't give a fuck about you unless you're a millionaire while Trump just doesn't give a fuck.
If I had to hazard guess I believe that McConnell will eventually agree to extend FPUC by 90 days through October 31st and Trump will go along. That would be three days before the election and I'm sure Trump and McConnell would tell Americans that if you re-elect them they'll be happy to extend it another 90 days - January 31, 2021. So we could end up with the same extension after all but not until Trump and McConnell have finished stringing us along.
Two men have never so richly deserved to lose an election.
Monday, May 18, 2020
D'Backs Outfielder Starling Marte's Wife Dies of Heart Attack
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Starling Marte's world came undone tonight when he announced the sudden death of his wife Noelia on social media. She had sustained a broken ankle and was awaiting surgery when she suffered a heart attack. I have yet to see an account which provides her age, but she was a young woman whose daughter turned four over the weekend. This kind of tragedy is not unfamiliar to Marte. His mother died when he was only 9 years old. Now his daughter is without a mother as well as his seven year old son who shares his name.
Marte, now 31, was acquired by the D'Backs in January from the Pittsburgh Pirates where he had spent his entire professional career which began when he was a teenager in 2007 reaching the majors in 2012. Under normal circumstances baseball might be a welcome distraction, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put this season into doubt. The only solace in all this that Marte has his children and they have him. R.I.P.
Marte, now 31, was acquired by the D'Backs in January from the Pittsburgh Pirates where he had spent his entire professional career which began when he was a teenager in 2007 reaching the majors in 2012. Under normal circumstances baseball might be a welcome distraction, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put this season into doubt. The only solace in all this that Marte has his children and they have him. R.I.P.
Why I Doubt Trump is Actually Taking Hydroxychloroquine
After not mentioning hydroxychloroquine for nearly a month, President Trump now claims he has been taking the anti-malaria drug for the past week and a half to prevent COVID-19 even though there is no empirical evidence to suggest it is a viable therapeutic.
As with nearly everything he says, I don't believe him. For someone who seeks to preserve his power I cannot see him taking such a risk. Hydroxychloroquine is a drug powerful enough to induce a heart attack. It cannot be bought over the counter.
But I can think of why Trump would make such a claim. Because if Trump says he takes hydroxychloroquine, his supporters will follow suit. Assuming it doesn't kill them (like it did for one man out in Arizona) and they don't get COVID-19 then they will claim Trump was right to say it was a "game changer" after all.
Indeed when I heard Trump's revelation I immediately thought of the angry protest in Long Island last week against Governor Andrew Cuomo's New York Pause. One protester was chasing Kevin Vesey, a local TV reporter covering the story. The reporter demanded the protester back off to which he replied, "I've got hydroxychloroquine, I'm fine."
Let us remember that Trump has a made a point of praising these protesters who called reporter Vesey "an enemy of the people" and "a virus". In which case, there is no doubt that Trump saw the fellow who said "I've got hydroxychloroquine". If I were to hazard a guess I believe that video is what is prompted Trump's claims today.
In which case, look for Trump to continue to push hydroxychloroquine from now until election day unless, of course, of bunch of his supporters end up dying in the process. In which case Trump will push something else to motivate his supporters to not only come to the polls but motivate them to hate anyone who dares to be critical of him. Just as there is no miracle drug to cure COVID-19 there is no miracle drug to cure hatred and ignorance.
As with nearly everything he says, I don't believe him. For someone who seeks to preserve his power I cannot see him taking such a risk. Hydroxychloroquine is a drug powerful enough to induce a heart attack. It cannot be bought over the counter.
But I can think of why Trump would make such a claim. Because if Trump says he takes hydroxychloroquine, his supporters will follow suit. Assuming it doesn't kill them (like it did for one man out in Arizona) and they don't get COVID-19 then they will claim Trump was right to say it was a "game changer" after all.
Indeed when I heard Trump's revelation I immediately thought of the angry protest in Long Island last week against Governor Andrew Cuomo's New York Pause. One protester was chasing Kevin Vesey, a local TV reporter covering the story. The reporter demanded the protester back off to which he replied, "I've got hydroxychloroquine, I'm fine."
Let us remember that Trump has a made a point of praising these protesters who called reporter Vesey "an enemy of the people" and "a virus". In which case, there is no doubt that Trump saw the fellow who said "I've got hydroxychloroquine". If I were to hazard a guess I believe that video is what is prompted Trump's claims today.
In which case, look for Trump to continue to push hydroxychloroquine from now until election day unless, of course, of bunch of his supporters end up dying in the process. In which case Trump will push something else to motivate his supporters to not only come to the polls but motivate them to hate anyone who dares to be critical of him. Just as there is no miracle drug to cure COVID-19 there is no miracle drug to cure hatred and ignorance.
The Value of Learning About Contact Tracing
I have now been unemployed for a month and a half and have not made a great deal of progress in my job search despite my best efforts. A global pandemic has a way of drying up the job market.
But there is demand for at least one position - contract tracer. Late last week, a Facebook friend suggested I look into the free online course that was launched by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health called "COVID-19 Contact Tracing" which is taught by infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Emily Gurley. The course is divided into five modules and a final examination and takes about five and a half hours of your time.
With time in abundance, I took my Facebook friend up on the suggestion and earlier today I completed the course with a grade of 95.66% (the minimum grade is 85%). No sooner that I had completed the course I immediately began applying for contact tracer positions.
Now at this point you might be asking - what the hell is contact tracing?
Simply put it is a public health strategy aimed at mitigating the spread of an infectious disease. It has been used for everything between the measles and Ebola and now for COVID-19. A contact tracer gets in touch with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 and makes a plan for them to isolate for the duration of their symptoms to avoid spreading it to others.
Additionally, in the course of communicating with a COVID-19 patient a contact tracer determines who he or she have had contact with during their infectious period. When that information is determined the contact tracer gets in touch with the COVID-19 patient's contacts and works with them to make a plan to quarantine for 14 days so as stop any further spread of COVID-19.
An example of contact tracing at work during the COVID-19 pandemic is finding the 180 people who were exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 the day after attending a Mother's Day church service in California's Butte County just north of Sacramento. Most contact tracing would likely be considerably smaller than that but no less challenging if people are reluctant to answer the phone, if there are language barriers or if they are undocumented.
As usual I harbor no illusions. There are no guarantees a job as a contact tracer will be in my future. Here in New York, specialized health training or professional healthcare experience is a prerequisite but that is not the case for states like Massachusetts or Missouri. From what I have seen so far there seems to be a lot of demand for contact tracers in Kentucky. So I applied for a position there. Whether that would involve moving down there or working remotely isn't clear. But then again what is these days? As always we shall see.
Undoubtedly the demand for contact tracers will exceed the supply. In the event that I am not in demand there is the value of learning about contact tracing and its importance as a public health tool. In a time where a high value is placed on ignorance and misinformation the gaining of knowledge and gathering of facts becomes that much more important. If nothing else there is something I know today that I did not know yesterday. All I can hope is to be able to use this knowledge tomorrow.
But there is demand for at least one position - contract tracer. Late last week, a Facebook friend suggested I look into the free online course that was launched by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health called "COVID-19 Contact Tracing" which is taught by infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Emily Gurley. The course is divided into five modules and a final examination and takes about five and a half hours of your time.
With time in abundance, I took my Facebook friend up on the suggestion and earlier today I completed the course with a grade of 95.66% (the minimum grade is 85%). No sooner that I had completed the course I immediately began applying for contact tracer positions.
Now at this point you might be asking - what the hell is contact tracing?
Simply put it is a public health strategy aimed at mitigating the spread of an infectious disease. It has been used for everything between the measles and Ebola and now for COVID-19. A contact tracer gets in touch with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 and makes a plan for them to isolate for the duration of their symptoms to avoid spreading it to others.
Additionally, in the course of communicating with a COVID-19 patient a contact tracer determines who he or she have had contact with during their infectious period. When that information is determined the contact tracer gets in touch with the COVID-19 patient's contacts and works with them to make a plan to quarantine for 14 days so as stop any further spread of COVID-19.
An example of contact tracing at work during the COVID-19 pandemic is finding the 180 people who were exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 the day after attending a Mother's Day church service in California's Butte County just north of Sacramento. Most contact tracing would likely be considerably smaller than that but no less challenging if people are reluctant to answer the phone, if there are language barriers or if they are undocumented.
As usual I harbor no illusions. There are no guarantees a job as a contact tracer will be in my future. Here in New York, specialized health training or professional healthcare experience is a prerequisite but that is not the case for states like Massachusetts or Missouri. From what I have seen so far there seems to be a lot of demand for contact tracers in Kentucky. So I applied for a position there. Whether that would involve moving down there or working remotely isn't clear. But then again what is these days? As always we shall see.
Undoubtedly the demand for contact tracers will exceed the supply. In the event that I am not in demand there is the value of learning about contact tracing and its importance as a public health tool. In a time where a high value is placed on ignorance and misinformation the gaining of knowledge and gathering of facts becomes that much more important. If nothing else there is something I know today that I did not know yesterday. All I can hope is to be able to use this knowledge tomorrow.
I Didn't Know Ken Osmond (a.k.a. Eddie Haskell) Became a Cop
Actor Ken Osmond, best known for playing the antagonist Eddie Haskell on the 1950's and 1960's sitcom Leave It to Beaver, passed away this morning at the age of 76. No cause of death has been released.
I must admit that I've never watched much Beaver but when I have it was Osmond's portrayal of Haskell which stood out. Eddie Haskell wasn't much of a friend to Wally & the Beave though he did like to suck up to Ward and June Cleaver and any other adult within his radius. He could be described as a "frenemy" decades before the term had ever been conceived.
Like many child actors of his era including his Beaver co-stars Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow, Osmond was typecast and had trouble finding acting work. But Osmond took an unusual path - he became a cop for the LAPD.
I must confess not only did I have no idea that Osmond was a police officer but that he had been shot in the line of duty back in 1980.
For all the police procedurals on TV, Ken Osmond could have created a show with an authenticity that it would probably hurt to watch it. Indeed, the shooting led to Osmond becoming clinically depressed and eventual early retirement. Under those circumstances, Osmond probably relished the opportunity to reprise the role of Eddie Haskell when TV movie Still the Beaver and subsequent syndicated TV series The New Leave It to Beaver came along during the 1980's. After seeing humanity at its worst being typecast wasn't such a bad thing after all. R.I.P.
I must admit that I've never watched much Beaver but when I have it was Osmond's portrayal of Haskell which stood out. Eddie Haskell wasn't much of a friend to Wally & the Beave though he did like to suck up to Ward and June Cleaver and any other adult within his radius. He could be described as a "frenemy" decades before the term had ever been conceived.
Like many child actors of his era including his Beaver co-stars Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow, Osmond was typecast and had trouble finding acting work. But Osmond took an unusual path - he became a cop for the LAPD.
I must confess not only did I have no idea that Osmond was a police officer but that he had been shot in the line of duty back in 1980.
For all the police procedurals on TV, Ken Osmond could have created a show with an authenticity that it would probably hurt to watch it. Indeed, the shooting led to Osmond becoming clinically depressed and eventual early retirement. Under those circumstances, Osmond probably relished the opportunity to reprise the role of Eddie Haskell when TV movie Still the Beaver and subsequent syndicated TV series The New Leave It to Beaver came along during the 1980's. After seeing humanity at its worst being typecast wasn't such a bad thing after all. R.I.P.
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Memo to Eric Trump: 90,000 Americans Didn't Die to Stop Your Dad From Holding Rallies
As of now COVID-19 has afflicted 1.5 million Americans. The death toll from this infectious disease in this country has now topped 90,000 in the space of 100 days.
But President Trump's younger son Eric would have us believe that stay at home mandate (to which his father agreed) is nothing more than a conspiracy to prevent tens of thousands of people from gathering to hear his Dad talk out of his ass for three hours. During an appearance on Saturday night with Jeannine Pirro on Fox News, he made the claim that once the election is over that COVID-19 will "magically disappear" and Democrats will call for a re-opening of the country.
First and foremost, COVID-19 isn't going to disappear - magically or otherwise - until there is either a vaccine or an effective therapeutic. Between now and November a lot more Americans are going to die of COVID-19. The 90,000 Americans who have died over the past 100 days and those who will die over the next 170 days didn't lose their lives because they are trying to stop President Trump from holding political rallies. It's much more serious than that.
Now I honestly don't think Eric Trump actually believes this shit. But a significant segment of Trump supporters certainly do. Eric Trump knows it and has no reservations in peddling such garbage if he thinks it will get his father re-elected. Whether he actually believes it matters far less than the fact that he said it.
His intervention reinforces the fact that his father bungled the COVID-19 response from the get go and he continues to make things worse. All Trump and his cronies (including his children) can do is pass the buck and blame either China or Barack Obama.
The Chinese government is worth of its share of criticism and have much to answer for where it concerns COVID-19, but it wasn't Beijing who suggested people self-medicate with hydroxychloroquine or inject themselves with disinfectant or claim anyone who wanted a test for COVID-19 could get one.
President Obama is also worthy of his share of criticism during his two terms in office. But Obama hasn't been in the White House for three years and four months. So at what point does Trump take responsibility for what has happened under his watch? Obama richly deserves to be criticized for the implementation of Obamacare, but his administration was far more effective where it concerned its response to both the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009-2010 and the Ebola Crisis of 2014. As I have argued previously, when it comes to comparing the 90,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19 to the Obama Administration's response to swine flu and Ebola, Trump is playing a very weak hand. Mind you, I made this point a week ago. A week later another 10,000 people have died. Chances are we will reach 100,000 COVID-19 deaths by Memorial Day. I shudder to think what those numbers will be on election day in November.
But by all means keep talking Eric Trump. You have clearly inherited your father's cruelty and selfishness. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 90,000 Americans and counting. Yet to hear you talk you would think the only family to have suffered over the past three and a half months is your own.
But President Trump's younger son Eric would have us believe that stay at home mandate (to which his father agreed) is nothing more than a conspiracy to prevent tens of thousands of people from gathering to hear his Dad talk out of his ass for three hours. During an appearance on Saturday night with Jeannine Pirro on Fox News, he made the claim that once the election is over that COVID-19 will "magically disappear" and Democrats will call for a re-opening of the country.
First and foremost, COVID-19 isn't going to disappear - magically or otherwise - until there is either a vaccine or an effective therapeutic. Between now and November a lot more Americans are going to die of COVID-19. The 90,000 Americans who have died over the past 100 days and those who will die over the next 170 days didn't lose their lives because they are trying to stop President Trump from holding political rallies. It's much more serious than that.
Now I honestly don't think Eric Trump actually believes this shit. But a significant segment of Trump supporters certainly do. Eric Trump knows it and has no reservations in peddling such garbage if he thinks it will get his father re-elected. Whether he actually believes it matters far less than the fact that he said it.
His intervention reinforces the fact that his father bungled the COVID-19 response from the get go and he continues to make things worse. All Trump and his cronies (including his children) can do is pass the buck and blame either China or Barack Obama.
The Chinese government is worth of its share of criticism and have much to answer for where it concerns COVID-19, but it wasn't Beijing who suggested people self-medicate with hydroxychloroquine or inject themselves with disinfectant or claim anyone who wanted a test for COVID-19 could get one.
President Obama is also worthy of his share of criticism during his two terms in office. But Obama hasn't been in the White House for three years and four months. So at what point does Trump take responsibility for what has happened under his watch? Obama richly deserves to be criticized for the implementation of Obamacare, but his administration was far more effective where it concerned its response to both the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009-2010 and the Ebola Crisis of 2014. As I have argued previously, when it comes to comparing the 90,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19 to the Obama Administration's response to swine flu and Ebola, Trump is playing a very weak hand. Mind you, I made this point a week ago. A week later another 10,000 people have died. Chances are we will reach 100,000 COVID-19 deaths by Memorial Day. I shudder to think what those numbers will be on election day in November.
But by all means keep talking Eric Trump. You have clearly inherited your father's cruelty and selfishness. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 90,000 Americans and counting. Yet to hear you talk you would think the only family to have suffered over the past three and a half months is your own.
Justin Amash Comes To His Senses; No White House Bid
A year ago, I strongly considered casting my presidential ballot for Justin Amash.
A month ago, after Amash announced he was forming a presidential exploratory committee, I was far less enthusiastic about the idea.
Yesterday, Amash came to his senses and announced he was abandoning any White House aspirations for 2020.
Among other things, Amash cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a factor in his decision though only in regard to his electoral viability. Whatever his reasoning, his decision to bow out is the wise one.
While Amash was a profile in courage in bucking the GOP and calling for President Trump's impeachment after reading the Mueller Report, not every profile in courage should be President of the United States. Had there been no COVID-19 pandemic, I would likely have given Amash strong consideration. But as I argued a month ago, the response to COVID-19 requires a strong federal government and Amash's political philosophy is antithetical to that approach. Nor was I impressed when he encouraged the stay at home protesters in his native Michigan against Governor Whitmer.
However, I do think Amash can still effectively serve his congressional district if his constituents see fit to reject their Trumpist GOP candidate. However, should Amash not be re-elected as an independent I am sure he will find other ways to contribute to our public discourse.
Let me now address the elephant in the room or in this case the donkey. No one is entitled to be President, but Amash's presence in the race (particularly in Michigan) could have complicated Joe Biden's path to the White House. That complication is now gone although Jesse Ventura could throw a wrench into things should the Green Party see fit to nominate him as their standard bearer.
There are only two possible outcomes in the presidential election. We either keep President Trump or we take a chance on Biden - Amash or no Amash. COVID-19 is a matter of life and death. If we re-elect Trump we choose death. If we elect Biden we choose life. Which would you choose?
A month ago, after Amash announced he was forming a presidential exploratory committee, I was far less enthusiastic about the idea.
Yesterday, Amash came to his senses and announced he was abandoning any White House aspirations for 2020.
Among other things, Amash cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a factor in his decision though only in regard to his electoral viability. Whatever his reasoning, his decision to bow out is the wise one.
While Amash was a profile in courage in bucking the GOP and calling for President Trump's impeachment after reading the Mueller Report, not every profile in courage should be President of the United States. Had there been no COVID-19 pandemic, I would likely have given Amash strong consideration. But as I argued a month ago, the response to COVID-19 requires a strong federal government and Amash's political philosophy is antithetical to that approach. Nor was I impressed when he encouraged the stay at home protesters in his native Michigan against Governor Whitmer.
However, I do think Amash can still effectively serve his congressional district if his constituents see fit to reject their Trumpist GOP candidate. However, should Amash not be re-elected as an independent I am sure he will find other ways to contribute to our public discourse.
Let me now address the elephant in the room or in this case the donkey. No one is entitled to be President, but Amash's presence in the race (particularly in Michigan) could have complicated Joe Biden's path to the White House. That complication is now gone although Jesse Ventura could throw a wrench into things should the Green Party see fit to nominate him as their standard bearer.
There are only two possible outcomes in the presidential election. We either keep President Trump or we take a chance on Biden - Amash or no Amash. COVID-19 is a matter of life and death. If we re-elect Trump we choose death. If we elect Biden we choose life. Which would you choose?
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Phyllis George, R.I.P.
Phyllis George, a former Ms. America pageant winner who became one of the first female TV sports broadcaster and later the First Lady of Kentucky, passed away of leukemia on Thursday. She was 70.
A native of Texas, George competed on the pageant circuit winning Miss Texas in 1970 before coming to national prominence when she won Miss America the following year. In 1975, George joined CBS Sports and became a reporter for the network's NFL pre-game show The NFL Today. She remained with the program until 1978 when her second husband John Y. Brown ran for and was elected Governor of Kentucky serving one term in office making George the First Lady of Kentucky.
In 1985, George had a brief stint as the co-anchor of the CBS Morning News.
In recent years, George has receded from the limelight concentrating on business ventures as well as promoting folk art in Kentucky. In 2007 there had been speculation that George was considering entering the political arena and either running for Governor or challenging Mitch McConnell for his Senate seat but this did not come to pass.
George is survived by two children including her daughter Pamela Brown who is currently the senior White House correspondent for CNN.
As for me, I shall always remember Phyllis George for her 1979 appearance on The Muppet Show during which she sang a romantic song about of all things carbon paper accompanied by Rowlf the Dog. This might be a good laugh for those who are shedding tears. R.I.P.
A native of Texas, George competed on the pageant circuit winning Miss Texas in 1970 before coming to national prominence when she won Miss America the following year. In 1975, George joined CBS Sports and became a reporter for the network's NFL pre-game show The NFL Today. She remained with the program until 1978 when her second husband John Y. Brown ran for and was elected Governor of Kentucky serving one term in office making George the First Lady of Kentucky.
In 1985, George had a brief stint as the co-anchor of the CBS Morning News.
In recent years, George has receded from the limelight concentrating on business ventures as well as promoting folk art in Kentucky. In 2007 there had been speculation that George was considering entering the political arena and either running for Governor or challenging Mitch McConnell for his Senate seat but this did not come to pass.
George is survived by two children including her daughter Pamela Brown who is currently the senior White House correspondent for CNN.
As for me, I shall always remember Phyllis George for her 1979 appearance on The Muppet Show during which she sang a romantic song about of all things carbon paper accompanied by Rowlf the Dog. This might be a good laugh for those who are shedding tears. R.I.P.
Fred Willard, R.I.P.
Actor/comedian Fred Willard passed away of natural causes yesterday. His death was announced on Twitter by actress Jamie Lee Curtis. He was 86.
Willard's death comes shortly before the premier of the Netflix TV series Space Force starring Steve Carell. His final credit comes 53 years after making his first TV appearance.
Among his TV credits in the 1960's and 1970's include Get Smart, Love, American Style, The Bob Newhart Show and Laverne & Shirley. Willard made several appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as a member of the comedy troupe The Ace Trucking Company before becoming part of the cast of the short-lived TV series Sirota's Court starring Michael Constantine as well as his portrayal of Jerry Hubbard in Fernwood Tonight and America 2-Night. I first remember Willard as one of the hosts on Real People in the late 1970's & early 1980's.
In 1984, Willard appeared in a small role in the Rob Reiner film This is Spinal Tap. Willard would become friends with Christopher Guest resulting in him becoming part of the stock company of actors who appeared in a series of Guest's off-beat comedy films in the 1990's and 2000's such as Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.
Willard also had recurring roles on some of the most successful TV shows in history - Roseanne, Everybody Loves Raymond and Modern Family. He made regular appearances in skits with both Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon and also portrayed Ed Harken in the Anchorman movies starring Will Ferrell.
Willard was married for 50 years until his wife Mary Lovell passed away in 2018. He is survived by a a daughter and a grandson.
Fred Willard wasn't the star of the show, but if there was an ensemble comedy he was an essential part of making it work. When the spotlight shone on Willard he rose to the occasion. R.I.P.
Willard's death comes shortly before the premier of the Netflix TV series Space Force starring Steve Carell. His final credit comes 53 years after making his first TV appearance.
Among his TV credits in the 1960's and 1970's include Get Smart, Love, American Style, The Bob Newhart Show and Laverne & Shirley. Willard made several appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as a member of the comedy troupe The Ace Trucking Company before becoming part of the cast of the short-lived TV series Sirota's Court starring Michael Constantine as well as his portrayal of Jerry Hubbard in Fernwood Tonight and America 2-Night. I first remember Willard as one of the hosts on Real People in the late 1970's & early 1980's.
In 1984, Willard appeared in a small role in the Rob Reiner film This is Spinal Tap. Willard would become friends with Christopher Guest resulting in him becoming part of the stock company of actors who appeared in a series of Guest's off-beat comedy films in the 1990's and 2000's such as Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.
Willard also had recurring roles on some of the most successful TV shows in history - Roseanne, Everybody Loves Raymond and Modern Family. He made regular appearances in skits with both Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon and also portrayed Ed Harken in the Anchorman movies starring Will Ferrell.
Willard was married for 50 years until his wife Mary Lovell passed away in 2018. He is survived by a a daughter and a grandson.
Fred Willard wasn't the star of the show, but if there was an ensemble comedy he was an essential part of making it work. When the spotlight shone on Willard he rose to the occasion. R.I.P.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Phil May, R.I.P.
Phil May, lead singer of the U.K. band Pretty Things, passed away today following complications from hip surgery following a cycling accident. He was 75.
May was the only constant member of the Pretty Things over its 45 year history during which it went from blues rock, soul, psychedelia, hard rock and new wave. The Pretty Things most significant contribution to rock was their landmark 1968 album S.F. Sorrow which is considered by many to be the first rock opera based on a short story written by May.
Unfortunately S.F. Sorrow would prove to be a sorrowful experience for the band and would cause founding member Dick Taylor (who played bass in The Rolling Stones before Bill Wyman) to leave the group for seven years. Their label EMI had bigger priorities with The Beatles' White Album and The Kinks Village Green Preservation Society being released the same week with the band left to design its own album cover. S.F. Sorrow would fare even worse in the United States when it was released by Motown's Rare Earth label the following year. S.F. Sorrow had the misfortune of being released after Tommy by The Who and being deemed a ripoff even though it had been recorded first.
However, over the past half century, S.F. Sorrow has gradually been recognized for its merits and its reputation has been enhanced with every passing year. It certainly helped that May was highly respected by other musicians like David Bowie, Arthur Brown and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Indeed, Gilmour and Van Morrison would join May during the Pretty Things final concert in 2018.
I leave you with May singing "The Loneliest Person", the closing track from S.F. Sorrow. R.I.P.
May was the only constant member of the Pretty Things over its 45 year history during which it went from blues rock, soul, psychedelia, hard rock and new wave. The Pretty Things most significant contribution to rock was their landmark 1968 album S.F. Sorrow which is considered by many to be the first rock opera based on a short story written by May.
Unfortunately S.F. Sorrow would prove to be a sorrowful experience for the band and would cause founding member Dick Taylor (who played bass in The Rolling Stones before Bill Wyman) to leave the group for seven years. Their label EMI had bigger priorities with The Beatles' White Album and The Kinks Village Green Preservation Society being released the same week with the band left to design its own album cover. S.F. Sorrow would fare even worse in the United States when it was released by Motown's Rare Earth label the following year. S.F. Sorrow had the misfortune of being released after Tommy by The Who and being deemed a ripoff even though it had been recorded first.
However, over the past half century, S.F. Sorrow has gradually been recognized for its merits and its reputation has been enhanced with every passing year. It certainly helped that May was highly respected by other musicians like David Bowie, Arthur Brown and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Indeed, Gilmour and Van Morrison would join May during the Pretty Things final concert in 2018.
I leave you with May singing "The Loneliest Person", the closing track from S.F. Sorrow. R.I.P.
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Bob Watson, R.I.P.
Former MLB player and executive Bob Watson passed away on Thursday following a long battle with kidney disease. He was 74.
A native of Los Angeles, Watson was signed as an amateur free agent by the Houston Astros in 1965. Watson would make his big league debut with the Astros the following year at the age of 20. Originally a catcher, the Astros would move Watson to first base in 1970 when he began to play on a regular basis. Watson would be selected to the NL All-Star Team in 1973 and 1975. That year Watson earned the distinction of scoring the one millionth run in MLB history, an achievement which earned him $10,000, a platinum Seiko watch and a million Tootsie Rolls. It was later discovered that Watson did not, in fact, score the millionth run. No one knows who actually did, but Watson got to keep the money, the watch and gave away the Tootsie Rolls to the Boys & Girls Club.
Watson would enjoy his best seasons in 1976 and 1977 with 100 plus RBI seasons. During the '77 season, Watson hit for the cycle. That same year Watson along with Astros teammates Enos Cabell, Cesar Cedeno, J.R. Richard, Ken Forsch and manager Bill Virdon made a cameo in the film The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training part of which was filmed in the Astrodome. Watson uttered the memorable line, "Hey, let the kids play."
After nearly 15 seasons in the Astros organization, Watson would be traded to the Boston Red Sox during the middle of the 1979 season. Although Watson's tenure in Boston was short-lived he did make MLB history when he again hit for the cycle becoming the first player to do so in both leagues.
Prior to the 1980 season, Watson signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees. That year he reached the post-season for the first time as the Yankees won the AL East title. However, they would be swept in the ALCS by the Kansas City Royals. In 1981, Watson played in his only World Series. Watson went 7 for 22 hitting .318 with 2 HR and 7 RBI. He might have been a possible World Series MVP, but the Yankees fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
Early in the 1982 season, the Yankees traded Watson to the Atlanta Braves for minor leaguer and future Gilmore Girls actor Scott Patterson. Watson would be part of a Braves team that would win its first NL West title in 13 seasons though he did not appear in the post-season. He remained with the Braves through the 1984 season. In 19 MLB campaigns, Watson would collect 1826 hits for a lifetime batting average of .295 with 184 HR and 989 RBI.
In 1988, Watson would return to the World Series as the hitting coach of the AL champion Oakland A's. While Watson provided tutelage to the likes of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, the A's were upset by the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
Watson would survive a bout of prostate cancer in 1994. In 1995, Watson would reunite with the Astros when he was named the team's general manager. After two seasons, Watson would serve in the same capacity with the New York Yankees finally earning a World Series ring in 1996, the first African-American GM to earn this distinction. In 1998, Watson left the Yankees for MLB serving as its vice-president for discipline as well as vice-president for rules and on field operations. Watson served in these capacities until his retirement after the 2010 season.
Back in March, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Watson made his final public appearance when the Houston Astros dedicated an education center and youth academy in his honor. R.I.P.
A native of Los Angeles, Watson was signed as an amateur free agent by the Houston Astros in 1965. Watson would make his big league debut with the Astros the following year at the age of 20. Originally a catcher, the Astros would move Watson to first base in 1970 when he began to play on a regular basis. Watson would be selected to the NL All-Star Team in 1973 and 1975. That year Watson earned the distinction of scoring the one millionth run in MLB history, an achievement which earned him $10,000, a platinum Seiko watch and a million Tootsie Rolls. It was later discovered that Watson did not, in fact, score the millionth run. No one knows who actually did, but Watson got to keep the money, the watch and gave away the Tootsie Rolls to the Boys & Girls Club.
Watson would enjoy his best seasons in 1976 and 1977 with 100 plus RBI seasons. During the '77 season, Watson hit for the cycle. That same year Watson along with Astros teammates Enos Cabell, Cesar Cedeno, J.R. Richard, Ken Forsch and manager Bill Virdon made a cameo in the film The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training part of which was filmed in the Astrodome. Watson uttered the memorable line, "Hey, let the kids play."
After nearly 15 seasons in the Astros organization, Watson would be traded to the Boston Red Sox during the middle of the 1979 season. Although Watson's tenure in Boston was short-lived he did make MLB history when he again hit for the cycle becoming the first player to do so in both leagues.
Prior to the 1980 season, Watson signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees. That year he reached the post-season for the first time as the Yankees won the AL East title. However, they would be swept in the ALCS by the Kansas City Royals. In 1981, Watson played in his only World Series. Watson went 7 for 22 hitting .318 with 2 HR and 7 RBI. He might have been a possible World Series MVP, but the Yankees fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
Early in the 1982 season, the Yankees traded Watson to the Atlanta Braves for minor leaguer and future Gilmore Girls actor Scott Patterson. Watson would be part of a Braves team that would win its first NL West title in 13 seasons though he did not appear in the post-season. He remained with the Braves through the 1984 season. In 19 MLB campaigns, Watson would collect 1826 hits for a lifetime batting average of .295 with 184 HR and 989 RBI.
In 1988, Watson would return to the World Series as the hitting coach of the AL champion Oakland A's. While Watson provided tutelage to the likes of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, the A's were upset by the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
Watson would survive a bout of prostate cancer in 1994. In 1995, Watson would reunite with the Astros when he was named the team's general manager. After two seasons, Watson would serve in the same capacity with the New York Yankees finally earning a World Series ring in 1996, the first African-American GM to earn this distinction. In 1998, Watson left the Yankees for MLB serving as its vice-president for discipline as well as vice-president for rules and on field operations. Watson served in these capacities until his retirement after the 2010 season.
Back in March, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Watson made his final public appearance when the Houston Astros dedicated an education center and youth academy in his honor. R.I.P.
Former MLB Player & Manager Art Howe in ICU With COVID-19
Former MLB player and manager Art Howe is in intensive care in a Houston area hospital with COVID-19. Howe, 73, began feeling symptoms earlier this month but was hospitalized on Tuesday.
Howe, a native of Pittsburgh, was signed by his hometown team as a free agent in 1971 following a tryout with the team and would make his big league debut with the Pirates during the 1974 season. Prior to the 1976 season, the Pirates traded Howe to the Houston Astros for Tommy Helms. Howe would spend the next seven seasons with the Astros playing all over the infield becoming a fan favorite. He was part of the Astro teams which reached the post-season in both 1980 and 1981. After missing the entire 1983 season with an injury, Howe would join the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984 and would remain with the team until he was released early in the 1985 season ending his playing career. In 891 career games over 11 seasons, Howe collected 682 hits for a lifetime batting average of .260 with 43 HR and 293 RBI.
In 1986, Howe joined the Texas Rangers coaching staff as Bobby Valentine's bench coach. He would remain in this capacity for three seasons before the Astros hired him as their new manager prior to the 1989 season succeeding Hal Lanier. However, after failing to reach the post-season after five seasons, the Astros would dismiss Howe in favor of Terry Collins.
Howe would join the Los Angeles Dodgers as a scout in 1994 and then ventured down to the Dominican Republic and managed Azucareros del Este to their first championship in the Dominican Winter League in early 1995. Later that year, Howe joined the coaching staff of the Colorado Rockies under manager Don Baylor. That season the Rockies would earn the first ever NL Wild Card spot.
On the strength of his success in the D.R. and with the Rockies, the Oakland A's would give Howe a second chance to manage in the big leagues. Howe had the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of Tony LaRussa who had departed for the Cardinals after leading the A's to three straight AL pennants and a World Series title in 1989. Over the next seven seasons, Howe would earn 600 wins as manager of the A's guiding them to three consecutive post-season appearances from 2000 through 2002 encompassing two AL West titles in 2000 and 2002 and an AL Wild Card spot in 2001.
The New York Mets would hire Howe as their manager in 2003 succeeding his old friend Bobby Valentine. After two lackluster seasons, Howe was dismissed in favor of Willie Randolph. In 14 seasons as a MLB manager, Howe had a won loss record of 1129-1137. Howe's coaching career would end where it began spending the 2007 and 2008 seasons as a bench coach with the Texas Rangers serving under Ron Washington who had served under him with the A's.
For some people, Art Howe might be remembered from the 2011 movie adaptation of Michael Lewis' book Moneyball. This is most unfortunate. While the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman was a great actor, his portrayal of Howe was not representative of his character or his reputation. Unsurprisingly, Howe was not pleased with his portrayal either.
But anyone who knows baseball knows the high regard in which Art Howe is held. Needless to say, I hope Howe can recover and reunite with his wife Betty to whom he has been married more than 50 years.
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