John Thompson: Oklahoma Politicians Mumbling about the Coronavirus
John Thompson is a historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma.
He writes:
The McAlester Public Schools are in the Oklahoma county where COVID is now #1 in the state in per capita COVID infections. A week before the scheduled opening, McAlester reports five positives linked to football. But its schools will still provide in-person instruction.
This is just one of 50 schools with infections on the eve of their reopening in a state which had had a low infection rate, but that is now in the “Red Zone,” with more than 100 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. We must finally ask why responsible leaders, such as the mayors of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, are so unwilling to challenge Trumpian true-believers who undermined science-based public health actions, even as a crisis is clearly unfolding.
A week ago, I hoped to communicate with some of the adults in the room – who I know understand that a second burst of COVID is virtually inevitable. So, I started with a joke, borrowing from the late political Oklahoma humorist, James Boren, who used to say, “When in doubt mumble.”
Trying to persuade, I noted that medical experts and responsible political leaders must always wrestle with CONTINUE READING: John Thompson: Oklahoma Politicians Mumbling about the Coronavirus | Diane Ravitch's blog
