Muh Muh Muh My Corona (virus)

He said he would, and he did.

 

The coronavirus situation at meatpacking plants is going to eventually force a conversation on undocumented immigration and refugee/asylum immigration. I don't anticipate it being a pleasant conversation, either.

But what's happening there isn't right. The workers, many of whom fit into immigrant/refugee categories, are not sufficiently protected - or, they weren't - and, on some level, apparently language barrier is an issue, as well. My sense is, some of the living situations with undocumented immigrants - to be exact, the number of families living in a given apartment or house - is probably less than ideal, too.

America struggles with the immigration issue because it's mostly a "welp, not a job I'd do anyway" kind of situation. It leaves at this moment, however.

 

Everywhere that I have lived over the last forty years has had a population of Hispanic workers. Often these are men who have left their family behind and come to America to get ahead. Back in the 80's in Houston, every Friday if you went to Kroger after work, there would be a line of these guys at the Western Union window, wiring money home to wife or mama. It was very typical for five or six guys to split a two bedroom apartment to keep the cost of rent minimal.

With Covid-19 in the air, that has become an entirely different situation.

 

It's not an exaggeration to say it is 20-1 by restaurants to stay drive-through/carryout despite being allowed to open. Everyone seems to realize it's not worth it except the people in charge.

 

Yeah, I don't think it's that big of a safety deal because many restaurants will opt out of opening their dining rooms.

Does it affect federal government payments to those folks? I hope not.

 

I'm genuinely curious, and maybe this is me being a pollyanna or whatever, but, it's Friday. Summer temps have hit everywhere. It's the end of a week.

What is the point of leading a national broadcast with this story?



First, I think we've all had plenty of projections and reports - dire and sunny - that change in a matter of weeks. Second, the report includes this bit of wording:

"The virus caught the global community off guard, and its future course is still highly unpredictable. There is no crystal ball to tell us what the future holds and what the 'end game' for controlling this pandemic will be."

OK. Why are you leading a broadcast with a medical report that admits it's speculating?

 

The curve has been flattened in many places, by all accounts. I mean that. It has. Medical facilities are not overwhelmed. So, the curve having been flattened, what now? Stay inside forever? Until God's spirit passes by? What?

I'm not saying I'm one of the people out at the beach. I'm not. I won't be. I'm saying, what's the new narrative? Nobody dies? It can't possibly be that. Nobody gets it? That's not possible, either. What are we staying inside for?

When the WHO actually admits Sweden is the model for the new normal - and we all know what Sweden is doing right now - what's normal for the US? Whatever a local health director says it is? Some angry person on Twitter's opinion? However Fauci feels on a given day?

 

Our condo assoc, per the state of SC is allowing short term rentals starting today. No one from NY,NJ,CT can rent though. The building gets renters from Ohio so it's ok to bring it in from there. The buildings pools and deck area was closed as of yesterday, haven't heard the latest on that.