Big-Government conservatives like you try to impose the government will on students and teachers. Sick of your overgrown fat blob authoritarian government. Slim down, Mr. Big Government. GOOD DAY Pathetic how you conservatives hang on the government tit to educate your kids. "I demand my FREEDOM to demand gub'mint services!"
Time to get back to the whole point of this thread that Trump troll seemed to enjoy sending in a whole sidetracked nonsensical political propaganda pumping discussion that nobody agrees with anyway. ThatBThat stufftstuff belongstbelongs in other threads. This thread was about reopening schools at a time we are sending in support to help meet the demands our hospitals needed with nurses to help save lives.
Yep, I've come to agree that schools should be shut down. Depending on how long this goes on, any progress on closing the achievement gap may have to wait another generation or two. This will have significant long-term effects. The severity of which will be determined by how long schools need to remain closed.
Are most of the districts around Houston still going to have sports, like football, volleyball, and basketball which are close contact sports? What about band and choir? All that hot air and spit being blown into the air in a crowded band hall or with a bunch of singers in choir room. Hmmmm. There are just so many activities around the school that I worry about, outside of the classroom, like gym, art class, cafeteria, music class, playgrounds, and school buses. It's a terrible predicament for everyone, but not the end of the world. I do believe we will eventually have a vaccine, but also know it might take time to find the right one, which proves effective, without terrible side effects. Hopefully that happens before next school year. If so, then it will all be worth the wait, especially if we can save lives.
Except yesterday Abbott said that all schools have to be in-person only after 8 weeks from their start date. Local governments have no say.
If things get worse, and infections do break out in schools that open up then he will have to change that decision. If not, he would be directly responsible for endangering the lives of everyone forced into an unsafe environment.
One more important fact is that In July, Texas reported coronavirus 3,315 deaths and 252,884 cases. Both totals in July were more than all other months of the pandemic combined.
Abbott is an idiot. He's proven that. If conditions aren't safe, I can tell you right now that cities like Austin won't follow Abbott's "edict." What is he going to do? Send the Texas Rangers to force the schools to open? A bizarre reverse parody of George Wallace? If they have to, teachers will go on strike, in my opinion. Not only to save themselves, many being middle aged and/or at risk, but to save the parents and grandparents who are at risk if their kids bring Covid-19 home, which would happen if conditions are anywhere near what they are now. Abbott can say whatever he likes. Reality will smack him in the face. It has already. He blew it when he didn't mandate wearing masks statewide, being afraid to irritate trump, and blew it big time when he didn't mandate masks before Memorial Day for the same reason and began to "open up" the state too early. So what happened? The state is being overwhelmed by Covid-19. He was forced to finally do something. Abbott's incompetence has killed and hospitalized an incredible number of Texans. Abbott has been a failure as governor when it mattered most. A heck of a lot of people in Austin feel the same way, and not only in Austin. Every major city in Texas has a Democratic mayor. In 2018, the GOP lost 12 state representatives and 2 state senators to the Democratic Party. I doubt if they will be throwing parties after the elections in November. The era of Republican Party dominance in the state is drawing to a close, in my humble opinion.
I have a doctor friend that is hands-on with Covid patients, not 24/7, but in the occasional controlled setting. This doctor feels comfortable enough to travel on planes, eat at restaurants and go to the gym. I asked him if schools should be opening. He said **** no. Lulz. He confirmed a few of my thoughts. Teachers didn't sign up for this, they're not nurses. Janitorial staff is not properly trained (or paid) to sanitize for a virus like this (not even in hospitals). He mentioned the data isn't there YET to demonstrate kids spreading this at the same level of adults, BUT, you don't need data or studies to understand the nature of children. They touch everything constantly. We already know they spread the flu and other disease. You don't even need the data to validate the risks. It's common knowledge. And to me it's like... let's take PRECAUTION instead of waiting on confirmation FOR ONCE, geez. Kids not going to school is not good. But we need to treat this like wartime and stop operating like we're living under normal circumstances. Sacrifices have to be made. And just in case yall want to know how I feel (probably not) - see below.
My school will not release numbers on its COVID cases for students and faculty, coz it's "not useful." Seems un-American. Knowing if the number is 5 or 500 seems useful to me. . . . Can you find out the numbers for your school?
That's messed up. Honestly, it should be broadcast on the local news when and if this starts happening. People have a right to know what is happening.
That's America. I'm heavily connected to China, so I know how they do it there (not that I'm endorsing it): if you test positive, they publish your name and all the names found through contact tracing, so the public will know. To help people avoid the virus. China lets the public know who tests positive. In America. . . . A local bar was found to be a major spreader of the virus. Which bar? Sorry, that's a secret! Coz America. You say you have a gut feeling you were at that bar and got exposed? Sorry, I can't tell you if your friends tested positive. They will tell you if they feel like it. Now go self-quarantine. And get tested. So our city knows that one of the bars out there has been a major hotspot for the virus, but not which one. It's like a fun mystery where you avoid all of them instead of just that one.
If your coworker or neighbor tests positive, no one needs to tell you that. Does that make any sense? If I test positive but keep going to work and don't tell anybody, no one will know. Does that make any sense at all? Look how stupid the CDC guidelines are: People who receive positive results on an antibody test but don’t have symptoms of COVID-19 or have not been around someone who may have COVID-19 are not likely to have a current infection. They can continue with normal activities, including work, but still take steps to protect themselves and others. People who receive positive results on an antibody test and who are currently or recently sick or have been around someone with COVID-19 should follow CDC recommendations on caring for themselves and protecting others, and when they can be around other people again. So you can go to work if you test positive. It just depends if you feel "OK" or "not OK." "Feel pretty good? Go to work! Wanna call in sick with COVID, you can do that too! Your boss won't mind. It's all up to you America Baby!" And now, a message from the Bill Gates Vaccine Factory: "I'm COVID positive. I have a right to be a waiter just as much as you do. Equality. It's what America's all about." [insert pic of ambiguous young person with large moist eyes]
If that's the case why hasn't 45 been listening to the scientific studies he has made this much worse than it had to be.