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Hazel's avatar

We have a school board meeting tonight. I am sure the group of far rightists, many parents others just angry hell benders, will attend. Last month it was CRT. The school board said ok to mask choice on July 27 and the Gov of VA clipped that with a state code passed by the General Assembly in March of 21. It states schools have to abide by CDC guidelines. CDC changed to masks indoors on Aug. 4. Aug 5 the Gov pulled the state code card. So students masked up here yesterday when schools opened for first time. I was called up and called a Communist for writing a story that said the General Assembly on the state level would have to address that Code of Virginia, the local school board cannot. Even posted the state code on school boards and their responsibilities.

My adult kids now call me, "Momrad."

We have the ion filters paid for by Federal Pandemic funds I asked for verification and got it. Our school division reflected the low numbers cited in your North Carolina study last Spring.

As for my school division, we have a public dashboard of cases in the schools. Caught hell from the far rightests about that as well.

My advice is contact your representatives, write your Governor, use these facts Judd and team provide. Yep rattle the cage, but you just might be saving the life of a child, a teacher, a bus driver or even your own or someone you love.

Judd you rock!

Jean in Florida's avatar

Thank you for this well written article which clearly states the facts of the matter. I would like to add that Florida has received about $15 billion to use in making schools safe for students to return full time, & very little of that has been spent. Has the quality of the air circulating in the schools been addressed? I doubt that DeSantis has given much thought to it.

Hazel's avatar

You always give me hope that some one in FLA has good sense.

Jean in Florida's avatar

Thank you. There are lots of people with good sense here, just not enough voting yet to turn the state blue! We came close last time, but still have a ways to go! 😸

Joseph Mangano's avatar

If Hell exists, I believe there is a place in it for Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott. Truly repugnant.

Ian Mark Sirota's avatar

And don't forget Noem in South Dakota. Not as high a profile as those two, but just as odious and execrable.

Jarathen's avatar

And Reynolds in Iowa. All praying at the orange altar in a naked press for power.

Ian Mark Sirota's avatar

Again to my point, there is a constant "race to the bottom" between DeathSantis, Abbott and Noem as to which is the most evil heir to the Orange Asscactus. This sadly is the society in which we now live, one in which "freedom" is conflated with anarchy and where selfishness and ignorance have inexplicably become virtues in the eyes of many Republicans.

Jarathen's avatar

I keep wondering how these governors can get away with willfully endangering their citizens while at the same time begging for help for situations they are intentionally creating. DeSantis, Bennett, Reynolds, Hutchinson, they are doing everything they can to prevent people from protecting themselves, and that's not even accounting for their disinterest in incentivizing vaccines, looser gun laws, etc., which vary by state. I would not normally ask for the federal government to even attempt to interfere with most state-level things, but it feels like people are being shoved into harm's way to score political points, and it's scary. My kid is old enough to be vaxxed, and is, and he'll be masking up, but in the absence of school mandates, which are now ILLEGAL in Iowa, the virus will spread and kids will get sick. Some may die. For no good reason.

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Aug 12, 2021
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Hazel's avatar

I think death is answering a few questions when the anti masker and antivaxxers are having one of their own die. A State Trooper died from it in the area. Some of his anti everything Trump supporter friends have mellowed from the shock of it. The family in the obituary have asked for social distancing and the wearing of masks. Sad and sympathy for all involved. Likely a preventable death, but the loss of a public servant, friend and loved one who joined over 600k thousand in this brutal disease.

Jarathen's avatar

We have a real bad case of "Protagonist Syndrome" here in the States, where everyone thinks the world is their own story and nothing bad can happen to them or those that matter. And then it does due to completely predictable outcomes and they just can't believe it.