Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong, I’ve never really had any difficulty expressing myself about an issue in writing. Before I weigh in on an issue, however, I try to find out as much as I can about it so that I can reasonably support whichever side I choose. But last week something happened so outrageously stupid that it knocked the verbal breath out of me for a moment and left me with my hands poised above the computer keyboard with no idea of where I wanted them to go next.
Surely, I had misread the news story. There is no way that an elected state official could have said something so incredibly, so unmitigatedly, so unadulteratedly, (Yes, I’ll say it now!) STUPID, DUMB, IDIOTIC, AND ANY OTHER ADJECTIVE MEANING DEVOID OF COMMON SENSE YOU CARE TO ADD.
All right, I’m breathing almost normally again. Don’t look now, but things aren’t good. The COVID variant is spreading almost as fast as the deadly wildfires wreaking havoc out West. Also, please sit down because if you are standing up, reading this will knock you down. At this writing, the state of Florida, in addition to being the Sunshine State, has the dubious distinction of leading the nation in COVID infections. Now the statistics vary each day, but several days ago, according to worldometer.info, Florida led the United States in infections, with 24,783, followed by Texas with 17,612.
With the variant cases rapidly spreading across the country, many states have been requiring their schools to use masks when students and teachers are inside. Certainly, this seems to make sense because the masks have proved effective in reducing the spread of the disease, but as you would expect, the masks have their naysayers.
Well, naysaying as one thing, but common sense is something else. Ron DeSantis is the governor of Florida, and he’s made it no secret that he opposes the wearing of masks. I’m not going to get into his rationale for his opposition because that’s not the point here.
What is the point, however, is his reaction to anyone disagreeing with his viewpoint? The governor has countermanded all orders for school children and teachers masking up, but he’s gone a step further. And it’s a giant step at that. DeSantis has proclaimed that school administrators who do not comply with his order and refuse to require masks in their school may not get a paycheck. That’s right. Administrators of Florida schools who allow mask mandates may be subjected to the fine of not being paid.
The CDC and myriad other health officials are saying school children should wear masks in the classroom, but this clown who’s the governor in Florida is threatening to dock the wages of school administrators who require children to wear masks in schools. The following is a statement DeSantis issued last Monday: “He said the state board of education ‘…could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members…’ if they issue rules requiring children to wear face masks.” This does not apply to teachers or other school employees.
Well, it makes sense to me. Send your well, unmasked child to school, where he or she could catch Covid. Of course, the resulting illness could have been prevented by a mask. What is DeSantis going to do next. I’ve got it! Don’t allow the football players to wear protective padding. This would be a great money saver. Oh, and by the way, parents would be responsible for paying all hospital bills.
Preventing school children from wearing masks until we get this pandemic under control is ludicrous. What’s really frightening is that DeSantis is not the only politician who opposes the masks and vaccinations. In my opinion, there isn’t a word to express such terminal stupidity. And yet people continue to place such men in places of power.
While the politicians are at it, they should terminate all school nurses and use the money from their salaries to send students on field trips to Washington, D.C. Here they will have the opportunity to watch elected officials as they work together in flawless harmony for the good of the country. The kids can even tour the Capitol Building, where on Jan. 6 supporters of the former president held a peaceful and orderly demonstration, during which just five people died, and many more were injured, including just 138 police officers. They could also visit the site that was set up to hang Vice President Mike Pence, but he was a disappointing no-show.
What a wonderful opportunity this is for the schoolchildren!
This just in:
The Florida governor’s office admitted on Friday that the state can’t control the pay of local employees. Instead, a governor’s spokesperson asked “activists, anti-science school board members” to decrease their own pay if the state proceeds with financial sanctions against their district.
In an email to the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times, Christina Pushaw, the governor’s press secretary said, “Those officials should own their decision—and that means owning the consequences of their decisions rather than demanding students, teachers, and school staff to foot the bill for their potential grandstanding.”
So now school officials are going to voluntarily cut their own salaries? RIGHT! It’s one thing for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to take a $5 million hit on his annual pay. The guy’s annual salary is around $14 million, and he has a reported net worth of $100 million. I doubt there are many school officials pulling that down.
GIVE IT UP, PEOPLE, AND LET THE KIDS WEAR THE DAMN MASKS!
PONDER THIS: If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? ~ Steven Wright
