Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 8-6-20 E-edition

Thursday, August 6, 2020 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
Serving the Readers of the Reedley Exponent, Dimuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald.
A Mid Valley Publishing Newspaper
Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION The swamp is deep, varied
with Trump's detractors
“It's hard to remember that your
original mission was to drain the swamp
when you're up to your backside in al-
ligators.” This is an old Southern ad-
age which I grew up with and probably
never really appreciated the underlying
message until I saw Donald Trump as-
sume the presidency amid the personal
attacks from all his detractors. I'm talk-
ing about the swamp itself in the form
of embedded government bureaucrats, the media, aca- demia, Democrats and even establishment Republican leaders. That's an almost overwhelming load for anyone to carry each morning as they arise and go to work with people who are hell-bent on your destruction.
Truth is that all of this craziness started on the eve- ning of the general election in 2016. Originally, those who opposed Trump were simply seen as the resistance, but the predicate lie had already been laid when the previous administration decided to spy on the Trump campaign.
When that illegal operation by FBI, CIA and Justice failed to produce any evidence whatsoever, Peter Strzok, an FBI agent on a mission, was able to poke at the cold ashes until an independent counsel was appointed to in- vestigate basically nothing. This action was supported by Democrat lawyers who had been hand-selected to prosecute the hunt for evidence. This was an investiga- tion in search of a crime.
After more than a year or pursuing non-existent leads and regularly leaking innuendos to the press. Robert Mueller's band of merry men — and women — were unable to find anything even remotely untoward after having been given a blank check worth millions by the taxpayers for their investigation.
Being dissatisfied with that failure, Adam Schiff and the Democrats found a “whistleblower” who provided third-hand information which eventually led to articles of impeachment being filed alone party lines by a Demo- crat congress. Needless to say, what ensued was virtually a clown show which ended in an acquittal as anticipated by everyone. This was a Senate, outside of the usual sus- pects including Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski, soon disposed to the kangaroo court indictment. Adam Schiff and Gerald Nadler should have been embarrassed about their contribution to the impeachment circus.
Incidentally the charges leading to their actions arose from a disgruntled staff member, being provided by a “soy boy” Ivy League graduate who was virtually a Democrat operative. The standard had always been that whistleblowers must have first-hand knowledge of the event they are reporting.
Having survived three years of slings and arrows President Trump and the American people were cursed with a virus which escaped from a Chinese laboratory who failed to let the world for a month. In the interim, the people of Hunan were allowed to travel world-wide except for their own country.
Sadly, we now have Democrats, all of the television networks — both network and cable — The Washington Post and The New York Times alleging on a daily basis that our president has “killed people.” “Killing people” is a helluva accusation to hurl at at any human who is doing their best to deal with a problem someone else created!
Just when one would think that the “opposition” had run out of tricks, Cyrus Vance, the district attorney of New York, has requested eight years of the president's tax re- cords in a legal “hunting expedition,” If the courts were to provide his office access — even with no apparent need for such documents—one can be assured the very first thing that would happen would be a leaking of the information to a press corps anxious to smear the president.
Resistance is one thing, abject hatred of one's fellow human has a tendency to rise up and bite the purveyor of such hatred.
Life on quarantine
Rick Curiel — Sanger Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
Fred Hall
It finally hit home.
My wife and four of my in- laws recently tested positive for the COVID-19 Coronavi- rus. What a silent whirlwind it’s been.
We’ve been taking precau- tions since the pandemic be- gan. We minimize our travels, practice sanitation, maintain social distancing and wear masks while out in public gatherings. Like most people during this pandemic (the par- anoid and skeptics excluded), we try to maintain a level of caution that helps to protect us all while still holding on to a sense of normalcy.
But, like most people, we too tend to let our guard down around those closest to us, like family. And, on the rare occa- sion we do gather with others it’s with family.
That being said, my wife was exposed to a family mem- ber who works at a nursing home. Like many in the Cen- tral Valley, the nursing home is required to offer weekly testing for their employees.
The family member re- ceived her results on a Thurs- day after testing on a Tuesday. My wife was exposed to her on the Wednesday in between. Over the next few days, six members of the family were tested for the virus. Four came back positive, my wife included.
Though I was not directly exposed, because my wife
was I proceeded with caution. I, too, was tested, but only a few days after what I would call secondary exposure. You start doing the math and con- duct your research in times like these, hoping to make the most calculated decision as the hours and days go by.
My concern initially was that I didn’t want to test too early for fear that the virus would not yet show up in a lab test. However, I also feared waiting too long to avoid any prolonged disruption. I took it on the fifth day after being ex- posed, after learning it takes between five and seven days for the virus to be detected.
Quarantined for just a few days, I thought we would be on our road back to normal (well, the new normal) when I received the news that my re- sults came back normal. The results were negative. Though testing a day after my wife, my results came a day prior to hers.
There are a lot of open- ended questions when dealing with infection during a pan- demic. How? Where? When? Why? What next?
Knowing I was negative was only a momentary sense of relief. After all, I wasn’t the one directly exposed. So when my wife’s results came via email the next day I was hoping for the best. Instead, quarantine took on a whole new level.
Fortunately
for us, my wife
and my in-laws,
like the major-
ity of those in-
fected, expe-
rienced mild
symptoms and
few if any. But,
at the advice of her doctor, she went into full quarantine for a minimum of 10 days after hav- ing shown no symptoms.
In the meantime, I stepped up sanitation efforts through- out the house using disinfec- tant wipes to wipe down door knobs, light switches, handles and remotes. If I thought we touched it on a regular basis it got wiped down.
Suddenly, I was thrust into the position of ‘Mr. Mom’ — another hat in the wardrobe.
All the while, I couldn’t help wonder if I tested too early. I now knew that I was directly exposed to a person who tested positive for CO- VID-19, my wife. I can check that box now. I also knew well that in the time after testing and waiting for the results I could have contracted the vi- rus under quarantine.
And so, I tested again.
At the time of print I was still waiting for my results. If positive, my family and I will be quarantined for at least an- other week. If negative, well, it’s back to the new normal.
Rick Curiel is Sanger editor for The Times.
Rick Curiel
Letters from readers
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Thank you from RCTC
To our valued season ticket holders:
We hope you and your loved ones are healthy during the cur- rent crisis. As this new world around us evolves, we are all doing our best to see that the show can go on.
Due to the inability to au- dition and rehearse safely, we are sadly announcing the cancellation of the remainder of the 2019-20 season. The good news is that these shows are not gone forever. The two shows that were canceled this year, "Big River" and "Legends: Grand Ole Opry", will be in- cluded in our next season.
Since there were only two shows this year instead of the original four, we would like to offer you the following options:
• If you choose to renew sea- son tickets for our next season, we will give you a 50 percent discount off the annual price.
•Ifyoudonotwishtore- new season tickets, we will give you a voucher to see two shows of your choice next season.
You do not need to make your choice until a new season is announced. If neither of the above options are acceptable to you, please contact us to dis- cuss alternative arrangements.
Please keep in mind that the global health situation changes almost daily and will dictate
our reopening schedule. We hope to have a better idea when we can resume operations with- in the next few months, but all indications point toward the- atre not being possible until 2021 at the earliest.
When we do re-open we will take every measure possible to ensure that you not only enjoy a great show, but that you do so without concern for the safety of you or your loved ones.
We want to thank you for continuing to support us through these uncertain times. We are stronger together.
Reedley’s River City Theatre Company Board of Directors
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QUOTE
“Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamppost how it feels about dogs.”
— Christopher Hampton (1946 - )