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New Normal XIV: Just When You Thought it could not Get Worst By John Burl Smith On Friday July 10, 2020, the coronavirus tightened its grip on America, as the grim reaper entered its 6th month of its devastating ride across America. My family and I remain hunkered down, praying for COVID-19 to finally pass over. Over that period, I began to see the black community’s current circumstances facing this pandemic, like the Hebrew Children, after God’s warning, regarding the “angel of death,” he would send against Pharaoh. Shuttered and huddled behind their doors, obeying God command to shelter in place, with “blood on their doorposts,” obedience saved most. Among the most vulnerable population, at 77 years old, I thought things couldn’t get any worse back in March. However, last week Donald Trump did what no one was expecting, created a nightmarish scenario, as though telling kids a bedtime story. His pronouncement was the last thing parents and grandparents wanted to hear, under the current conditions. Trump’s declaration added even more anxiety to the many woes parents and grandparents throughout America had not considered just two months earlier. Riding roughshod, like a cowboy in the “old west,” Trump’s defiance of all logic was identical to Pharaoh’s when the angel of death began passing over, when Trump demanded “schools must open in September.” Again like Pharaoh, Trump has defied all warnings from prophets, soothsayers, scientists and doctors in his administration, as well as media pundits and even the guy on the corner, warnings of the coming disaster. Plowing ahead with his “reopen the economy strategy,” Trump dropped a bomb, on most families, which have been crying out about the chaos his total lack of leadership, refusal to use the defense production act to reeve up testing, no concern for lives lost, and no scientifically based plan to fight COVID-19 has left American citizens without relief. Trump’s “no plan” will add to their already stressed and very shaky survival strategies, which give the grim ripper free rein across America. Back in March, Democrats began talking about stimulus checks for small businesses and poorer Americans. Trump, Mitch McConnell and other Republicans railed against any plan to give money to poor Americans. Just when the American people thought help was on the way with the Democrats plan, giving money to the American people and small businesses hit hardest by the shutdown, as shelter in place and social distending orders took effect, Trump and Republicans led by McConnell, hijacked the Democrats stimulus idea and funneled trillions of dollars to their friends and cronies. Pushing back against helping essential workers, hospitals, cities, counties and states, as they fought the pandemic, a second stimulus package, Trump, while denying the seriousness of the crisis, fought wearing masks, social distending, shutting down the economy, shifted the burden of testing to states without assistance. He followed that with a blank refusal to take any responsibility for anything related to the coronavirus. Trump’s recalcitrance increased the pain and deaths among Americans. Continuing to dodge response for COVID-19’s growing death total, Trump and Mitch McConnell hamstrung Democrats, and hijacked the second stimulus package, giving even more money to his friends and cronies. Claiming credit, Trump sent out an executive order that put his name on the stimulus checks letters. Again, after throwing trillions of dollars at big business, friends and relatives, Trump forced “opening the economy,” down Democrats and American’s throats, and walked away from the crisis the country faced. Now, in the eleventh hour, come this conjurer Trump, pushing another stimulus package to aid his and Republicans reelection hopes. Facing his woeful performance as president, Trump now needs a stimulus bill to rescue his failing reelection hopes. After getting snookered by Tic-Tokers and K-popers that blew up the expected attendance in Tulsa, those crafty Kids enticed Trump’s campaign, which dollar signs in their eyes, to wildly over spend to accommodate the expected 100,000 fans, who were no shows. Trump’s MAGA-vation flopped, like biscuits without yeast, which is why he is scrambling now to find funds to funnel into Republicans reelection coffers. Hence, Trump is goggle-eyed, looking at another stimulus package. Just when you thought Trump had a change of heart, asking for another stimulus package to help poorer Americans, he has pinned his sagging reelection hopes, on paying his political supporters with another stimulus bill. However, I thought about the fact that I, along with millions of black American have not received their first stimulus check from the IRS Trump signed. Providing an interesting contrast, the Republican scuttled Trump’s impeachment back in February before the coronavirus pandemic began roaming free across America, had Mitch McConnell and his Republican game in the Senate voted to convict, the American people would have been spared these dark times and deaths today. Again, Trump boldly stood before the American people and told them “I take no responsibility” for the coronavirus’ grim reaper’s death ride across America. The New York Times reports that COVID-19 cases are increasing in 29 states and the University of Washington computer model projected nearly 180,000 deaths by October. The rise in cases is in states that rushed to reopen on Trump's command, now some states are experiencing over 500% increases in COVID-19 cases. But, Republican’s cowardice facing impeachment and the coronavirus pandemic, as they walked in lock step with Trump, fought wearing masks and social distending, while fighting any stimulus help Democrats proposed to help Americans citizens, are now doubling back, and demanding another stimulus package. Just when Americans thought things couldn't get any worse, red state governors, who jump the gun and onboard Trump’s grim reaper death train ride in their rush to reopen, even faster than the timid CDC guidelines are making hard u-turns. Reaping the whirlwind of their disastrous decision, now their cases are going through the roof and their citizens are dying, as a result of their noses jammed up Trump’s re**um. Hoping to please them, Trump is proposing another stimulus package, even though he fought help for cities and counties in the previous two stimulus efforts by Democrats, because Trump thought the economy gave him and Republicans a lock on the White House. Now that the grim reaper has shredded that dream, and as a result COVID-19 is riding through the West, rolling over people, like Manifest Destiny rolled over Native People, so the US government could take their land. Looking at that picture, Trump is like a drowning swimmer, as one’s life flashes before ones’ eyes. Desperate this time around, Trump really needs another stimulus bill to slow his campaign’s freefall, heading into September. I pray Democrats, having gotten taken on past stimulus packages, have learned from Republicans, how to play real hardball? Trump’s slide in the polls, leaves him without any options that make it look like he has control of the economy and not desperate for money to pay for his high price campaign, after his Tulsa debacle. Democrats have caved in to Trump and Mitch McConnell every time they faced a challenge. American voters will see this time whether Democrats have the guts to stand up to Trump and say no for two reasons. First, passing another stimulus package will only help Republican show that control of the Senate gives Republicans control of government, no matter who is president. Secondly, if Democrats are going to win the White House they must turn out their voters, regardless of Republicans voter suppression tactics. Democrats must hold their water, because after the election they can craft a bill that will address the needs of the poor, health care for all, essential workers, cities, and counties. With previous stimulus packages, Democrats were nickel and dimed by Republicans, so they will not have enough money to fund a comprehensive package to address the major needs of the Nation. Democrats need to have some backbone and stand up to Republicans; they need to stop playing into Republicans hands. These times remind me of when Pres. Barak H. Obama, entered the White House, after Republicans’ reckless tax cuts and deficit spending to pay for them caused the “financial crisis,” by Republicans before 2008, now deficit hawk, they will come out of the woodwork, claiming there was no money, as they did with Pres. Obama. Today Republicans are up to their old tricks, trying to spend America into a hold, as they did Pres. Obama, and with Joe Biden in the White House, they will stream again there is no money for any programs Biden proposes. On the other hand, Democrats should not do anything to help Trump cover up his atrocious record, as president, especially over the next 31/2 months. Another stimulus package will help only Trump and Mitch McConnell, both of whom reelection hopes are in the toilet. Amy McGrath in Kentucky, in my opinion, needs to break out of her fumbling and folding, while cozying up to conservatives trying to “out Trump” Mitch McConnell, which is impossible. I take one last look back to April, when New York was the coronavirus’ worst case scenario, but the dire situation in the “Big Apple” has turned around, due to the strong and decisive leadership of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Trump, on the other hand, dumped all responsibility for COVID-19 on governors and his Monday morning quarterbacking from the White House has recently made reopening schools his new target. The nation has seen that tragedy, and pray we will not be forced to sit through reruns of that horror movie. Pushing to reopen the economy against everyone with courage and scientific knowledge, Trump demanded “full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes,’” when opening up the economy. Now, “come hell or high water,” Trump wants to throw our children under the school bus, rather than providing a safe environment for them. But, just as things seemed to be getting worse, the “Hope Revolution '' is gaining new life with Joe Biden’s campaign, while Donald Trump’s campaign has been in freefall, since Tulsa. I know many black voters say they do not see much difference between Joe Biden and Trump. However, I point to one vital truth, Joe Biden is the only American patriot standing between Trump and another 4 years of what we are living through presently. If that is what you want, vote for him. However, if you are hoping for change, something different, Joe is your guy!!!! Just as American parents and grandparents’ struggled, sheltering in place, the bomb Trump dropped on us; wiped out the small amount of stability we were managing in this almost impossible situation, and will worsen, if Trump’s demand for our children to return to school next month goes forward. Without Donald Trump providing a real plan, parents and grandparents’ backs will be against the wall. Trump's actions fly in the face of every bit of sanity, scientists and medical personnel have offered. Still today just when you thought you had seen the worst from Trump, after the coronavirus has overwhelmed the “coronavirus pandemic taskforce” and all associated with it, Trump’s feeble attempt at mitigation and testing, has allowed the nation to its destress, witness a President of the United Stated waved a white flag before an enemy. I need only one point to highlight the sinister nature of Trump’s demand that schools open for fall classes. The public schools are the only schools Trump is demanding open, and the thing is upwards of 80% of public schools students are African American. I will venture to say in urban areas 65% of whites attend private schools, which Trump said nothing about. So Trump’s intent here is to expose the black community to a higher level of COVID-19 than it currently faces. With 60% of the coronavirus pandemic victims who die in the US are African American that number will certainly go up. In some locations that number is lower and in others it is higher, while my point is whites are dying less than blacks, even though blacks supposedly make up only 23 % of the population in the US. Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, American citizens are witnessing another poltroonish display of Trump’s racist approach to governing. Trumps mad rush to force black children back into school signaled he has no strategy and does not plan to do anything beyond, forcing our children into death traps, like gas chambers in N**i concentration camps. In essence he is telling black children to learn to live with losing parents and grandparents and even some classmates. Trump implies that they should be glad it is not them. This was the psychology Adolf Hi**er used to slaughter millions of Jews. Trump is saying to the American people, as Hi**er told Germans, just “LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT!!!!” However, what he is really saying is, “LEARN TO DIE WITH IT!!!!”