Coronavirus - The Resurgence

So, just when we thought we were coming out of the other side of the COVID woods, we now find out there there's a new surge of cases. Places that had previously started the re-opening process are now backtracking and shutting things down again.

Now, lets back up a few weeks. While we were still being told to practice social distancing and to wear masks when in crowds, thousands of protestors gathered in the streets all over America. While some of them did indeed don facemasks, it seemed to be a futile gesture considering that they were literally rubbing elbows with fellow protestors.

When this all started to transpire, the first thought that entered my mind was, "Watch, there's going to be a spike in COVID cases in a few weeks..."

Well, I don't consider myself Nostradamus. But yet here we are, a few weeks later with a spike in COVID cases! Imagine that!

The amazing thing about the recent spike is that the media will not even suggest that the protests had anything to do with it. And to add to the drama, the initial onset of COVID cases were largely affecting senior citizens and individuals who had compromised immune systems. But we are now seeing a spike in young healthy adults. Hmm, and what age group has been participating in the protesting and other miscellaneous mob-based activity?

While some states like Florida and Texas are rolling back their re-opening processes, nothing is being said to discourage the random gatherings in the name of protest. I would like someone to explain to me how the COVID infection rate differs between a gathering of people in bar or restaurant versus a gathering of people at a statue demolition. And don't give me any bullshit about the indoor versus outdoor scenario. When mobs of "peaceful protestors" were looting liquor stores and other fine shopping establishments, they were also indoors and not particularly abiding by the standard social-distancing rules.

In my home state of Maryland, at last check, restaurants are currently allowed to conduct indoor dining at 50% capacity with tables being at least 6 feet part. Just curious, what are the rules when attending a police-bashing rally? I have been told of some restaurants being reported and cited for violating the social-distancing protocol. Has there been any enforcement or even criticism of large protests? Just so I'm clear, this has nothing to do with the protests themselves. I am strictly talking abut the number of people in a given space at the same time. Why the double standard?

Here's another wild idea (assuming that it's not already being done)....Maybe newly diagnosed COVID patients should be asked if they've attended a recent protest. That would at least give us an indication on whether the protests have contributed to the spike. But, of course, we'd be relying on honest feedback. And I'm not sure that's even possible anymore.....

kw

The Father's Day Cook-Out

When my Dad was still with us, we used to gather at his house every Father's Day for a family cook out. As I would pull up in the driveway, I would see my father beginning to methodically place the burgers and hot dogs onto the backyard grill. Sometimes, I think he purposely waited until he saw my car to do this because, like clockwork, he was at this same stage of  the "cooking" process every time I arrived for a cookout. He would greet me in his southern drawl by saying, "Hey Ken, how ya doin'? You wanna finish cooking these? I'm gonna go in the house and check on Linda." (Linda is my mother)

My Dad was a very frugal man. He could squeeze a quarter tight enough to make George Washington cry. As I tended to the meat on the grill, my Dad would eventually come back outside and tell me about the great deal that he got on the burgers and hot dogs. Sometimes, to back up his claims, he would head back into the house and return with a receipt. He would point out the regular price and then emphasize the discount that he got with the aid of his trusty coupons.

My Dad wasn't one to waste time or money with traditional ground beef either. He would always opt for the more economical, pre-made boxed burgers. In his later years, "Bubba Burgers" became his go-to brand. He would bring out a half-frozen box of these thing to me as I re-positioned the first run of meat on the grill. I would tell him that we already had plenty of food. But he always wanted to grill more just in case anyone wanted a second helping. 

Every now and then, my Dad would splurge and buy Nathan's all-beef hot dogs. This was a big deal for the family because we knew the mental struggle that he must have went thorough spending an extra buck on that pack of hot dogs. Listening to him talk up the "filet mignon of hot dogs" was priceless.

Sometimes, Dad would throw me a curve ball and bring out a tray of chicken. Now, I don't mind grilling burgers, hot dogs or even steak. But chicken has always been my weak spot. I almost always overcook it. In the end, it usually has the texture of chicken jerky (is that such a thing?). Anyway, Dad knew my about my grilling Archilles heel. So, he would point out that chicken thighs were easier to grill because they were "juicier". Of course, I knew the real reason that he opted for the the thighs was because they were considerably cheaper than the more coveted chicken breasts.

When the grilling was finished, I would pile everything onto a plate and head into the kitchen. There, I would find a table full of salads, cakes and a variety of other food sufficient enough to give the entire neighborhood a "second helping". We would all prepare our plates and find a place to sit in the cramped house. Usually with the Orioles playing on the TV in the background, we would talk about the current events of the world. My Dad would act as the moderator, walking around asking things like, "You alright? You need anything? How about some ice cream? I got a good deal on Edy's Mint Chocolate Chip. It was buy one get one free and plus I had a coupon. Anyway, there's about 10 gallons of it in the freezer. Go get ya some."

We would wind the day down, enjoying each others' company. As we prepared to leave, Dad would do his best to send everyone home with a large plate of leftover burgers, potato salad, etc. As we said our goodbyes, Dad would eventual catch us and thank us for coming. It was a special moment then but looking back on it now makes it even more cherished.

We all thought these gatherings with Dad would last forever. But like most good things, they eventually come to an end. Unfortunately, I'll never get to cook another Bubba Burger for my father. But I will always remember the joy and good times that I had with him in his back yard on Father's Day.

kw

Tension In Atlanta

While emotions are still smoldering over the death of George Floyd, we now have another police-involved killing of a black man in Atlanta. While the details are still being sorted out, the media is already building their own cases against the cops who were in involved. And the Atlanta police chief has already resigned.

So, in a nutshell, here's what we know about the actual incident so far.....

On Friday night, 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks pulled into a Wendy's drive-thru. At some point, he fell asleep in his car. Because he was blocking the drive-thru, a call was made to the police (by someone inside the Wendy's, I assume). When the police arrived, Brooks appeared to be intoxicated and was given a field sobriety test, which he failed. At some point after this, a struggle ensued between Brooks and the two officers. During the struggle, Brooks grabbed one of the officer's tasers/stun guns. Brooks then broke free and started to run across the Wendy's parking lot. During the pursuit, Brooks turned around and pointed the taser in the direction of the officers. The video appears to show the the taser being activated but I have not heard of the confirmation yet. This is when one of the officers fired several rounds at Brooks from which he ultimately died a short time later.

Protests ensued around the area of Brooks' death last night, The Wendy's restaurant was set on fire while protesters blocked the fire department's access. Maybe I'm naive but I don't see how destroying private property is accomplishing anything in these cases. The supporters of this destruction will argue that property can be replaced. They'll also say that the property owner should have insurance that will pay to rebuild it. To those who support this nonsense, would you feel the same if it was your home or business being torched? Would you crack a beer with the arsonists and sing Kumbaya around the makeshift campfire?

So, while the facts are still being sorted out, the officer who fired the bullets in this case has been fired. So much for that due process thing, huh? 

Ok, I get that the race implications can't be ignored. But just for a moment, if possible, let's take race completely out of this situation and ask some questions...

A drunk guy passes out in his car in the drive-thru lane of a fast-food restaurant. What was the restaurant supposed to do? Should they have just told other customers to drive around him? Should a social worker have been dispatched for a round of field counseling?

Once the guy failed the field sobriety tests, he was suspicious of driving under the influence and subsequently arrested. Should the police have just told him to not do it again and ask him nicely to move his car out of the drive-thru lane? Should they have offered him a cup of coffee and told him to be careful on his drive home? Who would be to blame if he killed someone on his drive home?

When the guy punched the cop, should the cop have just shook it off? Or maybe he should have warned the guy of the increased likelihood of a hand injury when punching someone in the head?

When the guy pointed the taser at the cops, should they have just taken the jolt like a piece of sizzling bacon? Ironically, six Atlanta cops were recently fired and charged with aggravated assault for using a stun gun in another recent incident. 

Hey look, I'm not trying to make light of this situation. After all, a guy died. I obviously don't know him personally but from what I understand, Brooks had three young daughters. He had just spent Friday getting one the children's nails done for her birthday. He was supposed to take her skating on Saturday. Sadly, he would never arrive to pick her up. And he never will again....

Folks, this isn't a black/white thing. This is a human thing. Don't let the media continue to divide us!

The tragedy of this particular situation is that it never needed to happen. The first mistake falls on Brooks himself for getting drunk and driving out to get a burger. The second mistake also falls on Brooks when he made the decision to fight with the police. And Brooks' third and most tragic mistake was pointing the stun gun at the cops. So, aside from what blame will ultimately fall on the police, Brooks had three opportunities to avoid being killed.

While police reform continues to be a major topic of discussion, I think something needs to be said on the way people (of any color) react when confronted by the police. Fighting with the police is never a good option. Don't set yourself up for a bad ending.

The cops in this situation were put in a bad spot. Maybe they did overreact. The jury is still out on that one. But when the adrenaline is running high and you feel threatened, the volatility of the situation increases exponentially. If we're going to try to fix these issues, we can't ignore the perspective from the cop's end. I'm not a psychologist so I'm not claiming to know the answers. But I think you need to consider all elements.

With all of this being said, I am certainly not condoning the shooting of Rayshard Brooks. I truly wish it never happened. And I truly wish that he would have gotten to take his daughter skating yesterday.....

kw