I woke up a little shaken from a dream. In the dream and it was dark, things looked burned and destroyed. I was desperately looking for something, but I’m not sure what. I had an overwhelming feeling that I need to find something I had lost. Hunter? My soul? Not sure. But I woke up very disconcerted.
Last week was big week of studying. I needed to learn some very distinct lines to use as I emerge from the basement. As I travel around, my team informs me that any upcoming visits will be highly scripted and not involve press conferences if they can avoid it. They stress that I need to stay on script – NO talking except the talking points and scripts I’ve been working on.
OK.
We are going to Pittsburgh for a trial today. I am going to look dapper in my suit. I will flash my smile. And say:
Lock down the country. Close all schools. Mandate masks everywhere.
My pandemic response talking points. Trump says open, I say close. Trump says open the schools, I say close. It is what it is.
But in my heart, I just don’t know if that is the right call. I’ll do it. I’ll say it. But, I have a nagging fear, a nagging warning in the back of my brain.
What about the Children? That’s a hard one. 12 million kids are fed at school. Only 90 kids have died from Coronavirus but more than a 1000 have died from neglect or abuse since the shut downs. In an average year, 4 million referrals of neglect and child abuse come to state agencies. The groups most often likely to see and save children from child abuse are the teachers and school administrators. But, the shut downs have left the most vulnerable locked up with the people most likely to be the abusers. 80 percent of abuse is from family or caretakers – who are now locked with the children in their homes. An alarming number of children are showing up to hospitals severely injured and a large number are dying once they make it to the hospital. There is a reported uptick in severe and fatal abuse.
The CDC says open schools. The prestigious National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine put together a scientific panel who concluded that schools should open. Fauci says we should open schools for the psychological and physical wellness of the children. The American Academy of Pediatrics says we should reopen schools for children. Bill Gates says schools should reopen. Polls In the last few months that ask parents if schools should open have gotten as high as 87 percent who say yes, of course.
I have said many times, I will follow the science. But, what if Trump is actually following the science by saying, “Open the Schools”? Then, I have to find my own scientists to say close them. Because I have to go against whatever bad Orange Man says. Even if he may be right. After all, we have an election to win.
Main talking points: Orange Man bad, COVID-19 bad, Orange Man killed people with his response to the COVID-19 Trump China Flu, America flawed and bad. Violence not the answer, but it’s all Trump’s fault. I got it! Ready to go….
Come on, man.