My Thoughts
The hypocrisy of some people—more noticeably, politicians, bureaucrats, and their media shills—should be cause for embarrassment, but it is not; like cringeworthy sunburn embarrassing or a mortifying case of heat rash, but it is not. Their overweening hubris denies any dis-ease or discomfiture over their sanctimonious dissembling for they are fully protected, having slathered themselves with a copious plaster of SPF-100 (Shame Protection Factor 100%.)
Hypocrites are easy to spot, just look for a supercilious skunk slithering the slimy halls of public buildings, academe, and media outlets; just follow your nose. Tragically, examples abound, for hypocrites are evidently as hyper-productive as rabbits, and nothing smells more of hypocrisy than a public official whose lips are moving. Two recent lip-smacking instances serve to prove this to be so.
First, from the Washington Free Beacon, July 23, 2020:
Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser (D.) issued a universal masking order for her city Wednesday but exempted lawmakers, judges, and federal employees.
The order mandates the wearing of masks in all indoor and outdoor settings where social distancing cannot be observed. No other designated profession is exempt from wearing a mask, except when a piece of work equipment would preclude mask use. Consequences for ignoring the order include fines of up to $1,000.
Apparently, mayor Bowser believes that lawmakers, judges, and federal employees are naturally immune from Coronavirus. Either that, or she is hoping her exemption will result in widespread infection of D.C. politicos, presumably limited to the opposition. This reminds of the admonition found in Matthew 23:4-7:
They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the marketplaces, and being called rabbi by men.
And then, there is the hypocrisy surrounding the reopening of schools. The dripping hypocrisy of school administrators, teachers’ unions, politicians, and the media is enough to gag a maggot. Despite the assurance of the American Academy of Pediatrics and an abundance of experiential evidence from around the world, these hypocrites continue to play with the futures of our children as if it were a game of “catch me if you can.”
Case in point, a recent headline: “Poll: Only 8 Percent of Americans Think Schools Should Fully Reopen With In-Person Instruction” would lead one to think that 92% believe schools should not reopen. If you believe that you would be wrong by a country mile. The poll, conducted by AP-NORC between July 16-20, was based on the opinions of 1,057 adults— there was no indication as to whether these adults were parents of school age children which might make a difference in the results one might think. The full results paint a completely different picture.
Open as usual, no adjustments 8%
Open with minor adjustments 14%
Open with major adjustments 46%
Do not open at all 31%
Now, I am no genius when it comes to math, but I can generally add two or three numbers and come up with a reasonably close approximation. Let’s see … 14 + 46 adds up to 60, I believe. Check my math if you would, please. So, 60% of those polled think schools should reopen with in-person instruction after some adjustments and 8% think schools should reopen with no adjustments. Again, check my math, but I believe that adds up to 68% or more than two-thirds of those polled think schools should reopen. Wow!
Then there is the Harvard School of Public Health who recently issued a report on the reopening of schools, “Studies show that social distancing measures have been critical to flattening the curve for COVID, but school closures may be among the least effective of these measures. A study of county rates of COVID across the United States earlier this year found no evidence school closures influenced the growth rate of COVID.”
Then there is the experiential evidence of school openings in numerous European countries.
Denmark: Social Distancing. Masks not required. No spread of Coronavirus.
Norway: Social Distancing. Masks not required. No spread of Coronavirus.
Austria: Social Distancing. Masks not required. No spread of Coronavirus.
Finland: Staggered student arrivals. Masks not required. No spread of Coronavirus.
Sweden: Never closed schools. Masks not required. No spread of Coronavirus.
Ignoring all this, the teacher’s unions and school administrators in cahoots with public officials continue to insist that it is too soon, unsafe, and dangerous for children to come back to school. Do you smell a skunk? Or is it a self-serving rat? It is hard to smell the difference these days. Just one example to clear the air of their foul odor. From the Washington Examiner, July 11, 2020, headline: “LA teachers union demands defunding the police and charter ‘moratorium’ before reopening schools”.
The Los Angeles Teachers Union issued a research paper arguing schools in the district can’t reopen without certain policy provisions in place ranging from mandatory face masks to a “moratorium” on charter schools and the defunding of police.
“Police violence is a leading cause of death and trauma for Black people, and is a serious public health and moral issue,” the union said. “We must shift the astronomical amount of money devoted to policing, to education and other essential needs such as housing and public health.”
As for charter schools, the union called for a “moratorium.” The paper contended that they “drain resources” from public schools and claimed that they “double-dipped” during the pandemic by taking federal bailouts, even though their state funding did not decline.
The paper ended with a section titled, “In Conclusion: Normal Wasn’t Working For Us Before. We Can’t Go Back.”
Their hypocrisy oozes like Aunt Jemima syrup on yesterday’s hotcakes. Wake up America!
Just my thoughts for a Friday, for what it is worth.
