I highly recommend unplugging from the 24-hour cable news outlets. Now is the time to get outside and enjoy the spring weather instead of doom scrolling through social media. The tulips and daffodils coming up are a lot more satisfying than the talking heads on TV. I find a lot more peace walking the trails at the old Wakefield Valley golf course than I do reading some of the bombastic columns and letters in our local newspaper. That’s not to say I don’t subscribe to the Times and enjoy reading it, but the extremist vitriol gets old.
I remember my old neighborhood in Prince George’s County. We had one neighbor who was the stereotypical grumpy old man. “You kids stay off my grass and keep your ball out of my yard!” Then we had the young parent who was out skateboarding with us or joining in a pickup game of football. As we journey through life, we meet people who are open and accepting, who enjoy the ride. Then we have the folks who would rather build barriers and find fault with those whom they disagree.
This is particularly apparent in politics. President Biden has not been in office for even two months, and already folks are asking, “What has he accomplished?” Well let’s think. He organized a COVID task force before he was inaugurated so his team was ready to go on day one. Unlike the previous president who lied about and then ignored the pandemic, Biden had an actual plan which has saved thousands of lives. A much-needed COVID relief bill has been signed into law.
You can tell the “keep off the grass” types who rely on Fox for their information. News flash — the power failures in Texas last month were not caused by the Green New Deal! They were caused by Texan utilities refusing to winterize their equipment. Because Texas doesn’t want Federal oversight, their grid is independent from the rest of the country; consequently, when their system failed, they had no back up. As an ironic twist, while Cancun Cruz was making up stories about why he ran away to Mexico, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised almost $5 million dollars in relief aid and volunteered at a Houston food bank. She represents New York, not Texas. Talk about being a good neighbor!
Let’s be honest, walking on the grass isn’t going to kill it. Retrieving a ball from someone’s yard isn’t infringing on their rights any more than expecting a person to wear a mask when out in public is. In the real world “cancel culture” is not more appalling than the domestic insurrectionists, invited and incited by a sitting president, who attacked and ransacked the Capitol. The election was not stolen, as verified by the FBI, the Justice Department, and over 60 courts. The Big Lie does far more damage to the integrity of our democratic republic than whether a few Dr. Seuss books will be pulled from publication. Protecting voting rights and preserving our environment are more important than Mr. Potato Head’s gender.
And why don’t we all take a deep breath when discussing the reopening of schools?
The push to reopen prematurely could have been a train wreck. Thanks to the hard work of teachers, instructional assistants, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, nurses, and the entire administrative staff, it has been as successful as possible under these conditions. Teachers are finally getting vaccinated, and schools are being deep cleaned every Wednesday. While this makes for a much safer environment, the mitigation factor nobody seems to mention is the relatively small number of students who attend in person. Once that number doubles, things could change. Masks are a given, but what about social distancing to the “greatest extent possible”? What does that even mean? Let’s hope it’s not a euphemism for letting things slide when convenient, especially with the number of new COVID cases rising in our schools.
Life will slowly get back to normal. Restrictions are being eased, more folks are getting vaccinated, and the weather is warming up. In no time at all, kids will be complaining about their teachers and how stupid school is. Virtual learning will fade from view as parents focus on rebuilding a sense of normalcy. The bare brown branches will soon be popping with new green growth. Let’s enjoy the season and embrace the neighborly path toward a better community.
Tom Scanlan writes from Westminster. He is a former employee of CCPS who taught for 33 years. Reach him at trscanlan@gmail.com.
For any member of the community who would like to submit a guest community voices column for publication consideration, it should be approximately 700 words and sent to bob.blubaugh@carrollcountytimes.com.