The CDC has done it again. It reversed itself on masks for the vaccinated. Remember, it was only 30 days ago that President Joe Biden declared victory over COVID-19. We were supposed to be free of masks. The president even said so — twice — on national teevee. The vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask, he said.
Well, like the president himself, that statement didn’t age well.
Now governors and mayors across the land (the Democrat variety, that is) are following the president’s new lead and ordering all government workers to wear a mask or be tested once a week for COVID. They want private businesses to adopt the same mask-up-or-else policy, which, of course, most will sadly do.
Remember when the slogan of the day was “Follow the Science.” Well, there’s no science behind this reversal. In fact, the CDC’s own numbers show the vaccinations are working as advertised and virtually no unvaccinated person is dying from the so-called “delta variant.” So why the Darth Vader reversal? Why do legitimate questions about the science behind the move get waved off with the line: “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
My faith is shaken and I’m not afraid to say it: Color me confused. We were promised by no less than the president of the United States that if we got vaccinated we’d be free of masks. We got vaccinated only now to be told we still must wear a mask or possibly lose our jobs.
Disappointing!
DEFUND THE POLICE AIN’T WORKIN’
Chinatown in Oakland has hired what they call “ambassadors” to walk around the tourist destination area. Story on them begins this way:
“Sakhone Lasaphangthong starts his day at 5 a.m. power-washing the streets of Oakland’s Chinatown.
As he cleans, he keeps his “ears and eyes open in case there is a cry for help.” Sometimes help means offering water or food to passersby — which Lasaphangthong keeps in the back of his truck. Other times, it means working with police to de-escalate a tense situation with a bystander.”
This essentially is a work-around to the city defunding police.
Oakland has so many problems with crime, it’s hard to pinpoint one single error that has led to the current state. But 5 will get you 10 that defunding the police did not help.
MEANWHILE …
Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer was assaulted and robbed last week in Jack London Square in Oakland. Luckily for Ms. Boxer, 80, Oakland is a “defund the police” city. So, she won’t have to testify against her assailant because there is, like, zero chance of an arrest. Ms. Boxer, however, will be assigned a Berkeley intern social worker to help her work through the paperwork.
ONE MORE THING
— Your a good reader if you just flinched.
— When you can’t think of a word, say: “I forget the English word for it.” That way people will think you are bilingual, instead of an idiot.
— I asked my wife if I was the only one she’d been with. She said, “yes, the others were solid nines and tens.”
— Mashed potatoes are Irish guacamole.
— I see people mountain biking. I’m going to do that, too, as soon as I can get my leg through my underwear in the morning without losing my balance.
— Excuse us while we attend to a reader shocked by the jokes in this column.
Thanks for dropping by this week. We are glad to have you. Happy trails until we meet again. Live free, be kind and always question authority.
(Sherman Frederick is a Hall of fame Nevada journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media.You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com, or by phone at 702-525-2440.)
NVCondor says
I know this is just a small town newspaper and you have a pretty small readership, but I still think your misunderstanding and perpetuating erroneous statements about COVID need to be addressed.
The CDC has stated that vaccinated people, who become infected with COVID, may be asymptomatic or mildly ill, but they can still spread the virus to others, that aren’t vaccinated. And because we still have a huge number of people that have not been vaccinated, wearing a mask is just one way to avoid potential infections, hospitalizations, and deaths of those unvaccinated. individuals.
I know right wing pundits and commentators love to whine about the changing dynamics of this virus. But if you know anything about science at all, you know that the directions can shift as you acquire more data. That’s that nature of science.
So, instead of making glib remarks or vilifying those who are tasked to fight this disease, you might save your few readers lives by endorsing getting vaccinated and wearing a mask until we’ve beaten this thing. COVID can only mutate, making new variants, in unvaccinated people.
I look forward to reading your next commentary with you doing that.