Logic tends to tick people off.

A welder wears a mask. The government agency Occupational Safety and Health Association mandates this.

Hazardous Materials workers wear masks.  Again, the government agency OSHA mandates this.

Industrial Painters are required to wear masks. Again, the government agency OSHA mandates this.

Chemical workers are required to wear face masks. Again, the government agency OSHA mandates this.

Many Healthcare workers and laboratory workers are required to wear face masks. Again, mandated by a government agency.

The list is seemingly endless.  Nail Technicians wear face masks as do carpenters in many situations. Firefighters wear masks when entering burning buildings.

So, why is it many of these same people rebel against the government recommendations to wear face masks to stem the spread of COVID - 19? 

The most common response given is "liberty" which is laughable at best. They know not what "Liberty" meant in the context of the founding fathers. 

And why draw a line at the wearing of masks?

Why not draw the line at something meaningful?

WHY NOT DRAW THE LINE AT THE PAYING OF TAXES?

It is taxes that fund the government and enslave the people. Our founding fathers would be aghast at the size of today's federal government - all funded by taxes and fees.  Should not a priority be abolishing the IRS and rescinding taxes.  Should the people not have the right to chose how to spend the money they earn instead of giving an ever increasing portion of their wages to the government on federal, state and local levels. Often their hard earned money goes to fund things they do not believe in ... oh, like,  ABORTION.

Now, lets talk about LIBERTY you two-faced cowards.

You have the right to decide not to wear a mask.

The whole controversy over wearing or not wearing a mask finds me once again striving to balance my religious beliefs with our governmental laws. Of course, there is really no balance to be struck.

1. God
2. Country

Wearing a mask is done FOR others and that’s Bible 101

It can be argued that as an American citizen one has the right to decide for themselves.

That’s the crux of the abortion v anti-abortion debate, is it not?  Most non-maskers I know are also anti-abortionists. Strange that. It seems sometimes individual choice is okay and other times it is not?

So, you have a right to not wear a mask.

Okay.

Businesses also have the right to deny you service if you are not wearing a mask.

No Mask
No Shirt
No Shoes
No Service

I have actually seen such a sign. I have also seen non-mask wearers become belligerent and hostile toward employees for not being allowed access to a store or restaurant without wearing a mask.

You can’t have it both ways! 

With Freedom comes great responsibility. 

You make your decision and you reap your reward or consequence. 

You see, the I have a right to not wear a mask crowd confuse inconvenience with oppression. They confuse luxury with liberty for they know not what Liberty truly is.  And of course they conveniently blur the line between freedom and anarchy to fit their narrative. 

The most disheartening aspect of this debate is the need to teach adults to care for others. That’s what this is all about. Placing individual interests above those of the groups interests is selfish. A refusal to be inconvenienced by a luxury being impinged upon rather than being of service to fellow man. Evil.

Yeah, that got your attention, but it certainly is not in keeping with the teachings of any positive religion which promote good, so, evil it is. 

And divisive.  

Exactly what we need in our society these days is more divisiveness, right? (note my extreme sarcasm here) 

We need to focus on living FOR one another if we want to make the world a better place for all. 

But maybe, that’s not your goal? 

Perspectives: Political or ...?

I find myself getting caught up in the turmoil of our society and I purposely step back.

I freely admit some of the discourse makes me uncomfortable. I embrace that for I am a firm believer growth begins outside of wherever the current boundaries of my comfort zone exist.

Growth is exciting and frightening at the same time. It is a tricky proposition that can be complicated by who influences your growth as much and sometimes more so than the actual area of knowledge being expanded. This is where my current level of consternation has me concerned enough to step back.

It is obvious, to me, this country has lost its free press as our founding fathers knew it to be. Long gone are the independent news sources. To think our news was never presented in an editorial form would be the height of naïveté. Each local news organization presented information in the context of local social values and there was therefore a myriad of perspectives available for consumption. As our news sources have become increasingly corporatized the presentation of news has also become much narrower in scope.

I first began noticing this when perusing the Internet sites of foreign based news organizations in an attempt to track movements of U.S. Navy vessels abroad. Many foreign papers report which boats and ships enter local ports. Sometimes when a relative was restricted by orders or protocol from letting us know where they were, the foreign papers were able to do so - a benefit of a free global press.

This is when I began to realize the news we receive is censored. In this case purportedly for national security and the safety of our service personnel. These reasons are prudent and accepted without question due to making sense and a certain level of trust that existed in our armed forces leadership and the press itself.

Now, two plus decades later any trust I had in the press, in the media, has evaporated.  I’ve watched our local media outlets be bought out by and sold to ever larger corporate entities. Our once decidedly conservative newspaper has become increasingly liberal and at times radically so. I do view it ads a propaganda rag at this point in time - the same view I have of every widely available news source in this country today.

We no longer have a free press.

I do not ascribe to President Trump’s proclamations the mainstream media presents “fake” news. My take is the mainstream media presents news in a manner to fit whatever their ownership’s narrative is.  Conservative and liberal outlets alike are catering to their clientele and seeking to influence whatever independents remain. In doing so they are collectively obscuring the truth from public consumption. In short, interpretations of events are being relegated to two distinctly separate and decidedly different narratives leaving much of the public not knowing who to believe ... and so they tune out almost all news which is an extremely dangerous thing for a country that has seen a free press to be fundamental to check and balance government.

Who to believe?

We all local for guidance in interpreting life. The radicalization of the media has made this a dicey undertaking that some embrace fervently as others decidedly eschew the same. The promotion of division within our society.

I myself get caught up in this subtle but significant tidal wave fueled by emotional response. At least until I remember to step back and refocus on who can be trusted in this crazy world.

I have found one single solitary source I can trust in interpreting what is going on in this world. Before I share this information with you I think it important to call your attention back to the current status of our free press; almost all news presented to us is done so through polticalized lens. We receive news with a decidedly conservative or liberal lean in presentation. The key is to remove politics from the equation and replace them with something pure in nature and substance.

God and His Word presented in the Holy Bible.

Well, that’s my filter for the news anyway. I also view the news through the Native American heritage of past family generations. You might avail yourself of religious documents and teachings of Judaism, Islam, Buddha, et. al. and any positive religion focusing on Love and the Golden Rule is perfectly acceptable for these purposes.

We become so focused on negatives, the evil present in news reported, we fail to look for a God’s presence in the event, in the world. It is His world after all and we are just passing through it. When we approach life in this manner and are vocal, visible advocates for what is Godly things begin to change for the better. Our perspective, or motivations, our lives and those around us.

I am not suggesting we eliminate consumption of news altogether. No, what I am urging is to filter all news through the perspective of God instead of the perspective of politics.  Politics are divisive. God is inclusive. Which do you desire? Which will you advocate for and promote?

It doesn't matter.

Remember the Titans.

Coach Boone: This is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight that we are still fighting among ourselves today. This green field right here, painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys. Smoke and hot lead pouring right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. You listen, and you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. 

The movie was set in 1971.  One hundred six years after the end of the Civil War. 

It is now 2020 another 49 years removed from the events of Alexandria, Virginia that the movie Remember the Titans was based on. 

Has anything changed?

The answer is, yes. Yes, things have changed and for the better.

Is there still more work to do?  Yes, there will always be more work to do.

What drives change? 

This is not asked philosophically or rhetorically. 

What drives change is matter. 

Matter?

Yes, matter.  If it matters to you, you will be a part of the change. If not, if you do not care, are not impacted?  Meh.

Are suburban and rural white Americans racists towards blacks?  For the most part, no, they are not. 

Look, I live in a suburb looked upon by outsiders as being affluent. Yes, there are million dollar homes where I live. There is also subsidized housing and what can only be described as poor neighborhoods in the same community.  On my street we have 3 black families and a Hispanic family. We have a Jewish family. Catholics and Protestants.  It's a pretty diverse neighborhood.  Are any of us directly impacted by BLM and rioting? The Burning, Looting and Murdering that takes place in big cities? 

Nope. 

Do we care?

In passing, perhaps.

These matters do not really impact the quality of our lives, so we only marginally care.  Yeah, it's terrible what's happening we should say a prayer and maybe donate something to somebody in recognition of their plight.  Hey, honey what's for supper and could you bring me a beer please?  Are you taking Becky to dance class and me taking Danny to ball practice or you want to switch up tonight?

Gone from mind is the social injustice and upheaval others find themselves in ... because we are not directly, not personally impacted. We "care" in passing.

Now, if a BLM crowd starts marching down our street and we feel our homes, property and lives are being placed in jeopardy?  Well, look to Mark and Patricia McCloskey's response when that happened to them.  Suddenly they cared. Suddenly things mattered to them. They feared their quality of living was about to be directly and negatively impacted. 

Covid-19 is a dangerous pandemic if you are directly impacted or it's a total farce if you are not impacted.  You care very much about Covid-19 if a loved one contracts the virus. If you do not know anyone who has had the virus, let alone died from the virus, it's no big deal to you.  Wear masks or don't wear masks - it depends on whether covid-19 matters to you.  

Do you feel covid-19 will negatively impact your life?  

If you answer, no, you don't wear a mask, you frequent bars and restaurants, attend concerts and carry on as normal ... until covid-19 impacts you.  What?!  No sports?  Why the hell not?  Covid-19 ... "some" people did not take seriously the calls for all to help mitigate the spread of the disease. They didn't wear masks, they didn't practice social distancing BECAUSE it didn't matter to them. Well, at least until they took college football away... NOW, it really matters to them.

So, the question we should be asking ourselves is this; "should" it matter to me even if I am not directly impacted by it?   Should I be proactive about things mattering to me?  Or should I be reactive as to when things really matter to me?  

Personal choices to be sure.  

Perhaps th equality of the decisions we make needs to matter a little bit more to us?  

A little learning is a dangerous thing ... covid-19 deaths

“A little learning is a dangerous thing.
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring;
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again.”

Alexander Pope

The graphic below is circulating among Ohio residents on social media. At first glance, the statistics presented make a strong case Covid-19 is not the menace to the general populace it has been portrayed to be. In actuality the graphic depicts partial truth and the rest of the story supports the proposition this strain of coronavirus has been and remains a dangerous threat.

I learned quite a bit about hospitals, nursing homes and health insurance over the last few years. First through my mother’s struggles with Alzheimer’s and cancer. Then through my own struggles one year ago.  I am far smarter about certain aspects of the information presented above yet hardly an expert.

When one is hospitalized the facility walks a fine line between healing and operating as a business. It is important to remember a nursing home also operates as a for profit business. Insurance companies operate as for profit businesses. And Medicare and Medicaid have guidelines to follow and conditions that must be met.

In my mother’s case, she was diagnosed with cancer in the hospital. Quality of life was far more important to us the quantity of life given she was 88 years old.  We decided not to treat the cancer. The hospital wanted to release her to go home that day EXCEPT Medicaid required a three day hospital stay before she could enter a nursing home.

The Hospitalist pressured to have mother released from the hospital in subtle ways. He made it clear mother did not need to be hospitalized. I knew several of the physicians who had attended to mother when she was brought into the hospital. They knew the game and were able to “run tests” on mother over the course of the 43 day stay required to get her admitted to a nursing home.

Once in the mourning home things went smoothly for the first week to 10 days. Mother was Alzheimer’s ravaged, but handled the required physical and occupational therapy well. The cancer was advanced but not yet physically debilitating. The accompanying pain was being mitigated through the administration of narcotics.

Then the nursing home administration began broaching the subject of sending mother home.  This became a daily occurrence. Luckily for me, my wife is both a CPA and an attorney.  Through her work asa guardian ad litem she understood what was going on. A nursing home has only so many beds. Medicaid patients like my mother was are not profitable. They wanted mother’s bed for a patient with private insurance or individually wealthy enough to pay for their own stay. A business decision.

Home Hospice was mentioned often in those days, but home healthcare of any type can be expensive and less than adequately staffed. We had been done the home health care route after mother had fallen and broken her tailbone a few years prior. And what I knew of hospice was it was as much or more for the family as it was for the patient.

We were caught in no-mans-land. A nursing home that preferred not to have her there - would her quality of care suffer - on one side. A hospital that felt she did not need hospitalization. Whatever limited level of home health care would be provided by Medicaid with the remaining burden falling upon my family.  We would gladly have cared for mother. In fact, Mother had lived with us for 17 years. Her deteriorating condition had become overwhelming to us and our 3 sons.

As it worked out, Mother passed in the nursing home after a 2 month stay. Hospice was called in and they were a tremendous help to me and the family who availed themselves to the care offered. I learned a lot about the healthcare process through Mother’s travails. Not nearly as much as I would learn in the last year though.

My own health issues are chronicled elsewhere on this blog. The short version is, I suffered a heart attack while on vacation, had double by-pass surgery and spent 11 days hospitalized. I thought at the time the hospitalist was rushing my discharge. I just didn’t feel right, but he finally wore me down and pretty much shoved me out the door.  I had good insurance, but evidently there are l8muts the insurance company placed on stays in the hospital and the hospitalist served as the enforcer if those policies.

I struggled at home and was finally advised to return to see my cardiologist. I saw a nurse who determined I had fluid on and in my lungs and abdomen. A specialist cane in and drained 2 liters of fluid from me. I was sent home, but only made it a few minutes down the road. I was transported back to the hospital by ambulance while in respiratory arrest. Upon arriving in the emergency room, I went into sudden cardiac arrest. I was given last rights. I died. After 13 minutes I was resuscitated.  That time I spent 13 days in the hospital. The last 4 or 5 days under increasing pressure from the hospitalist to discharge me home, to a short-term care facility or to a nursing home. I did not qualify for the short-term facility. I wanted no part of a nursing home. I finally said “fuck it” and went home.

I called the world renown Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. I had to wait a week, but was seen, admitted and spent another 11 days in the hospital. The last 2 days were in a secondary step down room and then a normal hospital room.  It was kind of like beginning a stay in a 5 star hotel, being forced to move to a mid-range hotel and finally to a no-amenity cheapie hotel.  I got the message and returned home. I have been steadily progressing ever since. Thank you.

What does all this have todo with the graphic above?  Well, I’ve been vetting myself for you so you understand I speak from experience.

When patients are admitted to the hospital for Covid-19 they often stay a few days before being discharged either home or to a nursing home for extended care. Just reading local health department reports of those dying from this disease it becomes apparent it is a slow death. From diagnosis to death is often 4 - 6 weeks. Where are many of these final days spent? In nursing homes.

Even if the patient had never set foot in a nursing home before contracting Covid-19, once they stay in a nursing home that becomes listed as their place of residence. If they are re-admitted to the hospital, they are listed as being from the nursing home. So, yeah, most deaths from covid-19 are to residents from nursing homes ... only now you know more of the story.

What are we doing?

segregation: the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart.

As I drove home from practice this morning I was listening to ESPN Radio. Elle Duncan was a guest on the Golic & Wingo show to provide commentary on DeSean Jackson, Stephen Jackson and in particular Senator Kelly Loeffler who have all made headlines or are trending because of recent utterances each has made.

Ms. Duncan made some interesting and insightful comments about the situations involving the aforementioned people. Her fervor for racial and social justice was front and center throughout. I appreciate when people speak their minds, especially when it is obvious they have well formed opinions whether I personally agree or disagree with the opinions they express.

On DeSean Jackson Ms. Duncan opined she felt naivete was at least partly to blame while still holding him accountable for quoting Adolph Hitler on anything. She further chastised Jackson for blaming one oppressed group for another groups oppression. While I believe the word oppression is both misused and overused in today's world, I understand her general overall position and even agree with it.

Then as she segued in discussing Senator Loeffler's comments concerning Black Lives Matters and LGB's Ms. Duncan committed a like transgression in inferring advocation for something I feel certain she is actually not in favor of.

As I listened to Ms. Duncan lambaste Senator Kelly Loeffler and suggest Sen Loeffler should be forced out as a part owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream because of views that have offended portions of the Black Lives Matter and LGB communities within the WNBA it occurred to me that Ms. Duncan was promoting segregation.

Because Sen. Loeffler has differing views from a suggested majority of WNBA players she should have to sell her ownership stake in the Atlanta Dream?


Why?


And more to the point, what good would that do?


Black Lives Matter is already an extremely divisive movement. Officially it is an admittedly Marxist organization financially supporting Democrat Party presidential candidates. Unofficially the nomenclature has been adopted by racial equity and social justice advocates as a call to action, at times violent action. Still others have embraced the nomenclature as an apologetic and cleansing rallying cry to align themselves in support of the black community. And there are those on video who are using BLM as a tool to promote segregation which is in and of itself yet another divisive decision surrounding the promotion of a purported noble cause.

How can we ever heal and progress if we are segregated from opposing views?
All white conservative ladies to the right side of the room, please.

All black LGB ladies to the left side of the room, please.

Now co-exist in society, but do not associate or interact with one another. Just stick to your side and your opinions.

Isn't that a recipe for insanity if doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is insane?

I am once again taken aback by how intolerant of tolerance those seeking tolerance can truly be. It appears to me what is often meant by "tolerance" is "it's my turn now." We've done it your way, not we're doing it my way. Role reversal. And that is precisely what it sounded like Ms. Duncan was advocating for this morning. Southern white Democrats were pro-segregation - they wanted the whites kept separated from the blacks. Today Ms. Duncan advocated for setting apart the mostly black pro-BLM WNBA players from a white conservative owner. This sounds more like revenge than reciprocity, doesn't it?

There is an opportunity at hand to educated and learn, but that can only occur if we interact with open minds, open hearts and a commitment not to change others, but to understand others. Only then can change begin to occur and gain momentum. It's not so much "you have to change to think the same as I do" as it is "I have to change so I can understand you." One of these we each have personal control of, the other we do not.

Let's Talk Standards

I am always amazed at how each day takes on a theme.

As practices have begun I have drawn attention to standards. We can all talk a good game about standards. We identify what ideal standards are in the form of goals we set.

My team has heard me state "anyone can set goals." That's the easy part. Defining the process necessary to achieve your goals and adhering to that process is the difficult part.

Actions are stronger than words and a standard is not what you say it will be; a standard is what you demonstrate it will be. A standard is not what you preach, but what you practice. A standard is what you allow and or do not allow to happen on your watch.

If we do not adhere to high standards we have no right to expect others to adhere to high standards. We should never lower a standard to accommodate someone who refuses to raise their own standard. Why make something less of ourselves when the focus should be on continuously and constantly raising everyone's standards to new heights?

I believe this is the foundation for the principle that ascribes one should surround him or her self with people who will make one a better person. As John Kerr wrote in Legacy, better people make better people, better organizations, better society.

So, even though the day is still quite young its theme seems to be standards. This has come up in readings, conversations and in general since I first awoke. And of course, it has now come up in my writings.