Disasters in Slow Motion (pt. 21) - Sept 17, 2020

September 17 (21:38 GMT) - Actual Numbers vs. September 7 (02:17 GMT)
Worldwide Cases: 30,296,745 (+3,008,090)
Worldwide Deaths: 949,412 (+61,863)
Worldwide Mortality Rate: 3.12% (-0.12%)
Worldwide Mortality Rate (without US): 3.18% (-0.15%)
US Cases: 6,865,229 (+404,979)
US Deaths: 202,078 (+8,828)
US Mortality Rate: 2.94% (-0.05%)
US Total Recovered: 4,143,141 (+417,171)
Florida/Collier Cases: 674,456 (+28,025) / 12,324 (+430)
Florida/Collier Deaths: 13,806 (+1,805) / 196 (+12)
Florida/Collier Mortality Rate: 2.04% (+.19%) / 1.59% (+0.06%)

On September 15th, the US passed 200k dead due to Covid-19. I don’t know as the country at large even gives a damn any more. We will hit 300k dead by year’s end.

Americans continue to be our own worst enemy. Refusing to heed even the most basic of advice to prevent the spread of Covid-19, over a half a million people descended on Sturgis, SD. That gathering caused anywhere from 250-250,000 cases of Covid-19. 250k is a worst case scenario based on the data available, 250 is the number of confirmed cases. The real damage could be anywhere in the middle. That said, let’s talk about something tangentially related.

The United States of America hates education and teachers.

Seriously. While your knee jerk reaction might be to refute that, based upon your personal feelings on the matter - each and every day provides evidence to support this.

There is the asinine axiom, “those who can do, those who can’t teach”. Once upon a time, teachers were not only respected, they were held in high regard. Such a statement wouldn’t have even been considered. Now it rolls off the lips of most Americans, whether they believe it or not.

We can look to the fact that teachers are paying to supply their own classrooms, from their own pockets. Even the IRS barely gives them a tax break for this expected financial obligation. Already underpaid, teachers must pay for the privilege of being under-valued.

Teachers have been FIRED for failing students for cheating. Think about that for a moment, it really tells you most of what you need to know about the United States. “Cheat to win” is a way of life here.

Finally though, there is how teachers are being forced to return to the classroom, despite the fact that it is demonstrably unsafe. A friend who is a Collier County teacher, shared some eye-opening figures this morning.

Since schools in Collier County opened on August 31st, seventeen days ago, 31 children and 12 faculty members have been diagnosed with Covid-19.

• August 31st: 1 Student | 1 Faculty Member
• September 1st: 1 Student | 1 Faculty Member
• September 4th: 5 Students | 1 Faculty Member
• September 5th: 0 Students | 1 Faculty Member
• September 8th: 2 Students | 0 Faculty Member
• September 9th: 5 Students | 2 Faculty Members
• September 1oth: 1 Student | 1 Faculty Member
• September 11th: 4 Students | 1 Faculty Member
• September 13th: 0 Student | 1 Faculty Member
• September 14th: 7 Students| 0 Faculty Members
• September 15th: 3 Students | 2 Faculty Members
• September 16th: 2 Students | 1 Faculty Members

Forty three cases in seventeen days. This isn’t an isolated instance.

• Georgia: As of September 17, the State of Georgia has closed 2,235 schools across 214 districts, impacting 98,513 students.
• Cherokee County, GA: 1,193 quarantined for Covid-19 within 9 days, forcing the closure of the county’s schools.
• Lumpkin County, GA: 85 students and 9 faculty test positive.
• Delaware County, IN: 228 students were quarantined by Aug 12, forcing a temporary closure of all schools within the district.
• Kentucky: The State will soon start releasing Covid-19 infection numbers in schools - but has not yet done so.
• Tennessee: As of August 25th, 9 schools had already been due to Covid-19.

The list goes on and on... We are forcing teachers back into the classroom, despite the fact that some of them will die, simply because we cannot afford babysitters.