Tuesday, August 10, 2021

DELTA VARIANT AND KIDS


Here is an opinion piece from The Guardian:

America shouldn’t be sending unvaccinated kids back to school                                                         Jorge A Caballero

The Delta variant is the latest setback on our path toward a new normal. This is the fourth major Covid-19 wave, and there’s a palpable sense of morbid familiarity. We know the drill: cases rise, hospitals are pushed to their limit, and then the deaths start piling up. We have grown numb to the ongoing mass casualty event, even as friends and neighbors share their stories of debilitating chronic symptoms. But data from around the world signal that the Delta variant is different, particularly when it comes to children.

Given everything we know about the Delta variant and long Covid in children, it is immoral to send unvaccinated kids, teachers, and staff into classrooms. The Delta variant dramatically increases the risk of long-term disability or death for everyone, but especially for the 73 million children living in America. We need to adjust our back-to-school plans immediately.

The odds of transmitting the Delta variant are more than 1.6 times higher than for the Alpha variant, which fueled the prior wave. A study by Imperial College London found that Covid-19 test positivity among UK children five to 12 years was two- to six-fold higher than for persons 45 and older. As of Wednesday, one in 10 Covid-19 test results for US children five to 11 years are positive, and the week-over-week rise in test positivity is climbing fastest for this age group. Covid-19 test positivity among US children 12-17 (12.3%) is higher than for any other age group.

A published report of Scottish data noted that the Delta variant doubles the risk of Covid-19 hospitalization, regardless of age. The number of US children in the hospital due to Covid-19 doubled between 30 June and 31 July. On Thursday, US hospitals reported 249 pediatric admissions due to Covid-19, which is four admissions shy of the all-time single-day record (253). On a population-adjusted basis, the weekly average of US children admitted to hospitals with Covid-19 is rising faster than any other age group (as of Wednesday).

There is growing evidence to show that even mild or asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 among children can evolve into chronic (“long”) Covid. Newly published research suggests that at least one in 25 children with Covid-19 experience symptoms lasting more than four weeks. A separate UK government report estimates that at least one in eight children still have symptoms five weeks after their initial infection. Emerging data also suggests that up to one in 50 asymptomatic Covid-19 cases among children will evolve into chronic Covid.

The good news is that our vaccines are highly effective against the Delta variant. Fully vaccinated persons have a significantly lower risk of developing symptoms, requiring hospitalization, or dying from Covid-19. The rate of Delta variant infection is three times lower among fully vaccinated persons, and the risk of developing long Covid is reduced by half. There is even preliminary data suggesting that mRNA-based vaccines may alleviate some symptoms of long Covid.

Make no mistake about it: vaccines save lives, but they are not enough to stop the spread of the Delta variant on their own. A new report out of the UK found that 44% of Delta variant infections occurred in fully vaccinated individuals. The US share of new Covid-19 cases among fully vaccinated individuals is expected to grow as more people are exposed to the Delta variant. Once infected, fully vaccinated people can (and do) transmit the novel coronavirus to others, albeit at half the rate of unvaccinated persons. Within a household, the rate of transmission of the Delta variant from a fully vaccinated person to an unvaccinated household member is at least 10%. Mississippi and Florida officials are learning, the hard way, that Delta variant spreads like wildfire inside of school buildings, particularly in the absence of universal masking and proper ventilation.

Masks reduce transmission and save lives. Surgical masks have been shown to reduce the risk of infection for the wearer by up to 67%. The latest projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that over 47,000 lives could be spared between now and October 31, if more than 95% of the population were to mask up in public. But masks are not enough, and we should expect at least 24,000 Covid-19 deaths from the current wave.

It is biologically impossible to test our children to safety. A new study showed that persons infected with the Delta variant had produced around 1,000 times more copies of the virus by the time they tested positive, as compared to persons infected with the original (novel coronavirus-2019) strain. The study traced 167 infections to a single index case. A separate study traced a total of 47 cases (including 21 secondary cases) to a single person. Simply put: the Delta variant makes each of its hosts into a walking super-spreader event before the person even realizes they’ve been infected.

The practical implication of these findings is that school reopening plans that hinge on universal mask mandates and frequent testing are doomed to fail. The UK’s experience offers a real-world lesson that we, in the US, must take to heart. Despite aggressive mitigation efforts and a $4.2bn whole-of-government testing program, one in 250 schools in England have experienced at least one Delta variant outbreak in the last four weeks. The reason for the failure is obvious: children in the UK have yet to become eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

We know what we have to do. Financial services, media, and technology companies are postponing their return-to-office plans. Several states are mandating indoor masking. New York City will require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, and other major cities are poised to follow suit. Employers are stepping up their efforts to vaccinate employees; and some are even mandating Covid-19 vaccinations. We know better than to send unvaccinated and/or unmasked persons into enclosed spaces. We should extend that logic to children and the spaces they inhabit as well.

We have strong data to support a set of federal minimum standards for schools. At a bare minimum, every classroom needs to have proper ventilation and every person that sets foot on a school campus must be masked at all times. For their own safety, and the safety of children, all faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated. For their own safety and to mitigate the impact of breakthrough cases, indoor instruction should be restricted to fully vaccinated students only. For the same reason, campuses with indoor cafeterias should be required to schedule meal breaks according to vaccination status. Where space and weather allows, outdoor seating should be made available to children. If any of these measures cannot be instituted, for any reason, then schools must offer the option of virtual learning.

Schools have the funding to implement these changes, but they lack clear and concise federal guidelines. Billions in federal funding have been earmarked specifically to keep children safe from Covid-19. Several federal agencies need to work together to clarify their guidance, and coordinate enforcement of these minimum standards.

If the task is approached thoughtfully, but with urgency, we stand a good chance of navigating the school year without jeopardizing the health and wellbeing of the 45 million children who are currently ineligible for vaccination. Above all, we must approach back-to-school with eyes wide open: the Delta variant leaves absolutely no margin for error.

Dr Jorge A Caballero is a board-certified anesthesiologist, data engineer and health equity advocate. His work has informed congressional action and his analyses of Covid-19 disparities have been featured by the San Francisco Chronicle, Axios, ABC News, and the Wall Street Journal

 As a parent of a child who is ineligible for vaccination, Caballero's piece concerns me. I don't think the UFT is even demanding a remote option. Eva Moskowitz is offering one through early October for her charter schools.

98 comments:

  1. Why cant parent make a simple choice
    Based on what they deem best;temote or in person. What is the problem?no vax available.choose to go in anyway or stay home.last time they gave them a choice, about 75% optes forvremote...the exsct opposotevthey stated.when offeted to return, most didnt.is that why they dontboffer remote?maybe they can track yhe computer to see who was working and who was milking..

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  2. We are only asking for a remote option.

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  3. Trust me teenagers are not afraid of getting Covid with or without the vaccine.

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  4. We had 35 covid patients in the hospital two weeks ago, when I worked the other night we shot back up to 153. My patient the other night was younger than me, I’m 29, he didn’t make it. It’s bad y’all.

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  5. We have a surge in pediatric Covid hospitalizations. My colleagues have never seen anything like it. They’ve never seen this many sick kids with Covid on ICUs. We’re vaxxing kids fast. But the hospitalizations are in unvaxxed kids

    Please stop telling my colleagues to “calm down”

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  6. I wonder how many posters who are adamant about "freedoms" when it comes to vaccinate mandates, also support DeSantis' position on masks?

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  7. Left wing doom and gloom! What else is new?

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  8. This is why I hate politics. No remote option is bc the mayor is banking his political legacy or future on reopening NYC and you need schools open to do this. You think the mayor cares about health of people ?

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  9. Where I work…. We had zero COVID patients. None of the medical staff want the vaccine. — just another anonymous commenter with zero evidence to back up a claim.

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  10. Unfortunately this debate like seemingly everything else in this country becomes political. If you are Republican you are against masks. If you are Democrat you are against any vaccine Trump was in office for and takes credit for.

    Follow the science but also follow common sense.
    -The vaccines work. They prevent serious illness. Anyone getting the virus after getting the vaccine is far less at risk for serious illness
    -Masks work. The fact the flu illnesses dropped considerably while we were all washing hands and wearing masks proves that.

    2 months ago I would have said just wait until November when numbers start to go up and we will see what happens. Now I say if they wait until November this may explode far beyond last fall because the amount of infections that will spread throughout the school will be massive especially in neighborhoods that don't trust the vaccine which are many African American communities. They will be hit hardest again.

    I am all for mandates. I am all for saying you have a choice to get a vaccine or not and take that risk if you don't want to. But 12 and under do not have that option.

    Remote may not be an option yet but it should be a consideration at this time.

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  11. I got a better idea put them maskless into a crowded lunchroom(fingers in mouths), force and threaten staff to cover.

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  12. Let’s be honest. Many accommodated teachers have gotten used to saving money on commuting and childcare .Luckily , there are those who , like other essential workers, went in daily. Where would the schools have been without teachers reporting in person? I never posted a picture of myself on a beach during a school day or tagged myself teaching from a second home. There are those who teach and there are those who teach remotely. Big difference

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  13. You also failed to mention in your posts whether these people were vaccinated or not. My guess is they weren't. We would be in the clear now had everyone who was eligible got the vaccination.

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  14. Kids are not dying from this. Neither are vaccinated adults. We can't just keep everyone home forever here. What constitutes a hospitalization? If a parent gets scared and takes their kid to a hospital... is that a hospitalization? Yes you can always hear a scary story here and there but that is also true of getting in a car, or walking outside, or getting the flu. By the way what a crock of shit that the delta variant has more of a chance to give you long lasting effects. How would they know such thing already? Misleading terminology in this piece.

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  15. Schools are going to be open in NYC. That is a fact. Get used to it. The Mayor does not care about covid.

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  16. Kids last , always!

    DOE mission statement.

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  17. The stupidity of thinking an airborne virus can be wiped out by staying at home is more contagious than the virus itself. For those who are under the age of 75 the death rate is lower than 5%. The vaccines are out there. We never closed down for any other variations of the flu, which are generally more lethal to children. If you are too stupid to take care of yourself, there's nothing anyone else can do for you. Life has been disrupted for far too long while Chicken Little policies have destroyed lives and businesses. If grocery stock boys have to go to work, you lazy hypochondriacs sure can sit at a desk more than three feet away from your students.

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  18. The UFT should be all over this demanding a remote option for elementary schools. Even for many dangerous high schools the remote option could be life saver for the quiet kid who only wants to do his/her work, but is bullied and/or harassed by the thugs in charge (teenagers, not adults). Many of these parents would choose homeschooling if they were able to get through the paperwork to do so. I think it behooves the DOE to understand this and realize that parents no matter how poor, uneducated or undocumented want what’s best for their kids and sadly that is often not sending them into a public high school.

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  19. Had everyone who was eligible gotten the vaccine, we’d still be looking at possible vaccine resistant mutation because we didn’t/ don’t have a vaccine for children. As long as 99.something% of kids and vaccinated adults are not hospitalized or dead from COVID, why are we worrying about anyone who chooses not to get vaccinated or wear a mask? I’m a vaccinated Republican voter who thinks forcing a new vaccine on everyone is bullshit. We have no long term studies. My kids are grown but there’s no way I’d put this in my kid without a long term study. If only about half of nyc adults are vaccinated, do you think they’re going to vaccinate their children? NYC is a sanctuary city and 1/3 of those coming across our border aren’t vaccinated and their unvaccinated children will also be in school. Force will not work. The only establishments that will enforce any rules are in the wealthier neighborhoods with a wealthy vaccinated clientele. You think the 62% of unvaccinated people in Crown Heights are going to allow DeBlasio to stop them from eating in a restaurant? I’d love to see him try. Check out the zip codes with low vax rates. They’re not going to be forced to do anything they don’t want to do because they’re not hipster doofuses who live in the Financial District or Park Slope. These are New Yorkers who ain’t gonna take anyone’s shit. Prove the vaccine safe if you want to change people’s minds. Threats and banning are going to end in violence at some point. At the very least you’re going to have major altercations between Nypd and the black and brown community of nyc which is mostly unvaccinated if this is enforced. I have to laugh at the idea of BLM DeBlasio siccing the cops on black and brown people because it is absurdly comical and exactly the kind of dumb move DeBlasio would make. Am I a racist Karen if I call the cops on nonwhite people who fail to show their vax card? Or is that all over with now? Is it ok for me to call 911 and say they’re a danger to me now that they’re going against the democrat vaccine protocols? Come on liberals spin your way out of this conundrum? If the five boroughs were filled with white Republican voters, you’d be screaming to round them up or stop them from access to social gatherings. People who treat people differently because of race are racists. So now I ask what should we do with all the unvaccinated black and brown of nyc AND all the white unvaccinated republicans of upstate NY? What’s the plan?

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  20. The plan is to get vaccinated or stay away from my kid.

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  21. Asshole.do you take your kids to restaurants, movies, disney, playdates, camp, EVERYWHERE.you remind me of a corker who was mad bec she wasnt allowed full remote.her 1:1 never logged in.she said thetevwill be hell to pay if i get the virud.yet refud all alobg to mask, no vaccine. Takes family out to eat...gmafb!

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  22. You call me an asshole? At least I can write a coherent sentence, not this:

    "you remind me of a corker who was mad bec she wasnt allowed full remote.her 1:1 never logged in.she said thetevwill be hell to pay if i get the virud.yet refud all alobg to mask, no vaccine."

    If you are a teacher, whose butt are you kissing to keep your job? Illiterate teacher, have you no shame?

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  23. 11:44 could you use race or black/brown anymore in your post?? The ones throwing a fit and storming State Capitols because they couldn't hack a mask or a lockdown were WHITE Republicans, Karen. Big, bad self proclaimed survivalists crying about seeds and paint. WTF was that?? ROFLMAO. How about about you worry about yourself and stop HIDING behind black and brown people. Its very pathetic. You'd probably call the cops for any number of reasons you RACIST.

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  24. 1:06 wow, the shoe must fit. The poster didn't note a specific time they responded to. You must be 11:44.

    Need the post translated? "Asshole, you remind me of a teacher who was mad because she wasnt allowed full remote, whined that there would be hell to pay if she caught virus, YET wouldnt mask, no vaccine, and still went out to eat".

    The spelling and grammar is bad, but at least she makes sense. If you really are 11:44 your well-written post is hysterical and not in a funny way, racist, and not as coherent as you think it is.

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  25. Let’s keep things simple..All politicians can’t be trusted especially Resident Biden..if you want to get the jab get the jab..I’m vaccinated But don’t force it on people..you don’t know what is the reasoning for the mistrust in a vaccine..let’s not forget the mistrust has been created by all the fools you see on every network news outlet changing the narrative daily

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  26. Re 1:06.i am great in English.took AP.tested out in college.my errors are all typing so fast, so stfu! When typing fast on a phone, errors are made.but my point of the post is valid.what are you?the typing police?a great uft rep was made fun of because of her grammar.the idiots lost an amazing rep to one who is a vulgar trashy sellout who dleeps with admin.my point was about covidiots milking it.apology cheerfully accepted!

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  27. I am 12:55 and sent rebuttal to 1:06.lots of typos, excellent ela.

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  28. Sorry, just reread.my poorly typed post was to the persom who typed the quik post about stat away from his kid.i was not responding to the long post.i also responded to the typing police.

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  29. People can send their kids to charters or privaye schools or homeschool.shoot, you can even stay home and teach your own kid.it is what it is in ny.nobody likes it.we gotta deal.

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  30. Get back to work teachers!

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  31. How would the city about offering a remote teaching option for unvaccinated teachers to teach unvaccinated students? Seems fair and then people will be less fearful at work.

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  32. 115. You’re denying proven facts. The antivaxers in nyc are mostly black and brown. You want to deny the black and brown of nyc the ability to frequent whatever establishments they want. You want their kids to wear masks they don’t want to wear. How about I say and worry about whatever I want. You’re the one who wants to send cops into neighborhoods to make sure antivaxers are punished. Again, that makes you the racist. You lefties in nyc are all freaking out. It finally dawned on you that the unvaccinated where you live and/or work aren’t Trump voters or republicans. Instead they’re the same people you’ve been virtue signaling to. You want to banish them from society over a goddamn emergency use vaccine. If it walks and talks like a racist Karen…it’s you. I’m going to keep “using race” because it is the clearest evidence that you hypocrites change your tune when the evil virus spewing white Republican turns out to be a Democrat black guy. I’m rubbing your nose in it, racist Karen. Racists have different standards for different races. You’re all going to be at the whitest parties nyc ever had because 60+% of black and brown nyc residents aren’t taking the vaccine.

    1:06 I’m 1144. The shoe fits someone else. But if you care to know, I am vaccinated…by fucking choice. I don’t wear a mask unless asked to by the establishment. No one has asked me yet.

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    1. 338. White adults (a majority of which are registered Repugnantcans) are the largest percentage of the unvaccinated. Also, we must consider that race and ethnicity is unknown for around half of the people that received a vaccine. On top of this, keep in mind Black Americans make up around 12% of the population overall.

      https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/latest-data-on-covid-19-vaccinations-race-ethnicity/

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  33. Teachers get back vaccinated. No remote option for unvaccinated teachers.

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  34. 2:52. The others think we are milking it.that is why they do not want that.i am teaching from home to remote kids. I haye to start yet another war, but o wondwr what would have happened with no vaccine?it might have worn otself out perhaps, like other outbreaks.its tough with our society moving around, flting all over.Fauci and his cronies created this plandemic monster for money.now look what we have.i hope he will be held accountable.he is a murderer far worse than cuomo's poor elderly who perished thanks to the brat not using the javits center or boat to blame Trump who handed ir to him.this virus is so political.are there any leaders left?btw, what's the feeling about his replacement?pro teacher?anti?

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  35. Students need a remote option !!!!
    Not STAFF !!
    Bozo has to offer one.
    Mulgrew should demand one !!

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  36. Vaccinated people can transmit virus according to Fauci and friends. But if that turns out to be incorrect or if there’s legitimate doubt Fauci is wrong, Teach NY has a good idea.

    Don’t be a jelly belly, 3:40. Remote option based on seniority or medical exemption from vaccine seems fair.

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  37. @3:38 Black and brown person here. Dear self-appointed White Savior. Thank you sooooooo much for advocating for us because without you we might just starve by not being allowed into any establishment. We don't want to banish black and brown people from society, said no Conservative ever, so thank you for being the first.

    Thank you for advocating that our kids not wear masks because you know what's best for them, better than their own parents and community. It doesn't bother us that you are inciting fear and hiding behind the black and brown people because you are really only interested in yourself.

    You know us better than we know ourselves, and it's a good thing that you are letting everyone know that we will just punch you all in your faces if you ask us for a vaccine passport. We don't want the Fauci Ouchie and thank you for standing up for us because without you to spread fear about us, Biden will come and kick our door down and force us to take the vaccine that we don't want because we heard on the internet that it causes infertility and we know that Republican racists like yourself want nothing more than to increase the black population. Please keep it up racist Karen, we do appreciate your vomiting your hate and lies across this blog about the police going after the anti-vaxxers, even if it makes you sound psychotic. Even though some of us haven't taken the vaccine I haven't seen many black and brown people crying, freaking out about it, and protesting the vaccine, lying the way you are so we appreciate your efforts on our behalf.

    Sincerely, Black and Brown person

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  38. Somebody get 3:38 a doctor, preferably of the psychiatric kind. He thinks the police are going to start dragging people out of their homes to force them to take a vaccine. That's what happens when you brain is fried from watching too much right-wing TV. Maybe he got punched in his face by a parent one too many times. Can't say I blame the parent. LOL.

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  39. @3:38, my, my, Karen has her droopy panties in a bunch. Hey dummy do tell where anyone has denied that black and brown people are amongst the unvaccinated. Woohooo racist on the loose.

    I'll bet his/her nerves were popping out of his face as he typed that, banging down on the keys like a lunatic. Stop hiding behind a black woman's skirt to make your case that you don't want a vaccine mandate you fucking coward.

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  40. 2:52 - oh hell no. I would totally disagree. With remote teacher you save on sleep, wear and tear on the car, gas, it's less exhausting. No way in hell should unvaccinated teachers get rewarded. That's some bullshit I would never support. Let them go into the building and take their chances, and the vaccinated teach from home, since they're so unbothered about not having the vaccine.

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  41. @3:38 Hey racist dummy - the point about storming the Capitol was not made to deny that black and brown are not vaccinated, it was to respond to your GARBAGE about black people resorting to violence if anyone dares ask them to wear a mask, or show their vaccine status. Idiots like you need everything spelled out for them.

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  42. 1:31 there has to be a mandate for the willingly unvaccinated to be around students. They're in total denial so even though they may wear a mask in school there is no way in hell they're taking precautions on their own time. They refuse to even voluntarily say whether they're vaccinated so no, there should a mandate for anyone dealing with the public. The racist disingenuous Karen at 3:38 wants to pretend that all of a sudden s/he cares so much about black people when it has nothing to do with race when it comes to repercussions.

    It IS however primarily a REPUBLICAN thing to spread disinformation and PROPAGANDA LIES which is causing so many to not want to vaccinate. That's a fact regarding of what that lying, hysterical sack tries to shove down everyone's throats.

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  43. ATR 25/55: You mentioned a 5% death rate like that is a longshot. If there were a one in 20 chance of getting hit by a car, would you really leave the house?

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  44. Interesting article about previous exposure to corona viruses and severity of COVID that if proven is good news for teachers. (Source: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News)
    https://www.genengnews.com/news/milder-covid-19-symptoms-linked-to-t-cells-from-previous-coronavirus-infections/

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  45. No dummy. The police will be called to remove you from the restaurants you refuse to show your vax card to…. Keep up. How do you see these policies enforced if not by cops when some belligerent unvaccinated person is denied service and won’t leave? People are going to get violent. That’s what always happens when they get mad enough. Some of them snap. What’s your plan, fascist? If you’re not going to enforce anything, what’s the point in it? You’re not going to control Americans except for the white liberal hipster doofus crowd who get off on being told how to live. But I’m curious as to how you all are going to try. What’s the plan to enforce DeBlasio vax card rule in the nonwhite non hipster doofus neighborhoods? You didn’t think it through, did ya?

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  46. LOL @ 6:38 You're so calm and cool and I read it again and saw Repugnantcans. Great rebuttal for the peanut gallery. He's stuck on stupid. If he had an avatar it would be the tazmanian devil wearing panties.

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  47. Dummy, they’re not getting violent BECAUSE they’re black. That would be racist thinking. Remember, YOU introduced that idea. They’re going to get violent because they’ve had enough of the bullshit and are going to snap. Some white people on Staten Island are going to snap too. What’s the plan… for both the black and the white snapper? Think it through.

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  48. 6:38 nyc where we live and or work…. It’s not mostly white republicans that are unvaccinated. My arguments are not intended to make any race look bad. My intention is to highlight how the criers of “make them quit, shun them from society, you don’t have the right to endanger me” stop dead in their tracks and start stuttering when they realize they’re trying to do this to black and brown people in their city. I acknowledge the low vax rates among white republicans. But except for a handful, they don’t live in nyc.

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    1. 719. In NYC White adults make up the largest percent of both vaccinated, and unvaccinated. White men, most of which are Repubs, when polled, make up the largest group that will outright reject the vaccine. This is because there are more White people overall in the population, and more registered Repubs, than there are Black Americans. Stop playing games.


      https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/04/what-about-black-people-defense-republican-vaccine-hesitancy/

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  49. @5:31 so interesting that you support the democratic party, which is the party of racism, segregation, and the kkk. Republicans are far from perfect as well. In 40 years what has crazy maxine watters, schumer, pelosi, nadler. Biden etc done to help??!!! Your president voted against segregation!! Biden did not want his kids to grow up in a racial jungle, think we all know what that really means.

    If Trump is such a racist why as president did he give the most money ever to Historically Black College/Universities. Why were black and Spanish people having the lowest unemployment?

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-has-done-more-for-african-americans-than-we-think/ar-BB17Q4GM

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    1. Anon2323 Q, the ideological split of the parties has a lot to do with the more Conservative wing of the Democratic party not being on board with the party moving (extremely slowly, but moving none the less) forward on Civil Rights issues. The more outward, hardline racist Southern Dems left the party and populated the Republican party. And yes, Biden is a Conservative, that is not doing much different than Trump, who didn't do much different than his predecessor either. More proof the parties are mostly identical. When the bar is on the floor, it's easy for a pile of crumbs to seem like a lot.

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  50. It’s not Democrat vs republican !!
    Unvaccinated kids are at risk.
    That has to be what drives this discussion.
    Some comments are ridiculous

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  51. @7:07 - GTFOOH with your pathetic try at a spin, but I can see why you'd try and backtrack on your despicable talking points. You said: "all the unvaccinated black and brown of nyc AND all the white unvaccinated republicans of upstate NY?"

    Notice that you didn't say a SINGLE word about "unvaccinated Republicans of upstate NY" having conflicts with police or turning violent. You even compared and contrasted them with "hipster doofuses who live in the Financial District or Park Slope". Isn't the Financial District or Park Slope part of New York? You SPECIFICALLY talked about black and brown turning into these violent people if faced with vaccine mandates. Racist moron, you think because you wrote an entire diatribe without any paragraphs people can't decipher what the hell you wrote, and then in another cowardly move you try and claim that I brought it up. Lame and pathetic.

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  52. @7:19 "my arguments are not intended to make any race look bad"?? No Karen, you want to vacillate between making everyone terrified of the black and brown race turning violent, while at the same time you pretend to care they're being outcast from society because they're being subjected to vaccination mandates. The black and brown community does not need a RACIST MORON disingenuously trying to pretend to fight their cause.

    You don't want a vaccine mandate, stand on your own, and stop hiding behind the black and brown community. Coward

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  53. Anon2323, Do you even read the articles you link to? I think the one you sent was not pro Trump. I looked up the author who I believe is a Democratic strategist.

    Here is a paragraph from the piece:

    "If the election of Barack Obama represented waves of racial changes, the election of Trump represented reactions by the ghosts of Eugene Connor and George Wallace. His administration looks like the worst possible case for many who are unfamiliar with the treatment of black Americans at the hands of the government. But for black Americans, that is their reality."

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  54. "so interesting that you support the democratic party, which is the party of racism, segregation, and the kkk". Unlike you I ascribe to CURRENT REALITIES, and don't live in an alternate universe. The KKK was started by Confederate Veterans and it just plain ridiculous to equate them with current Democrats. Go try your silly arguments on of your fellow cultists.

    As for black colleges - sure he gave them taxpayer dollars because he was trying to buy the black vote. And?? That makes him not a racist? Interesting that you spend your days and nights wailing about freedoms from vaccines while supporting an authoritarian FASCIST. You're really too ridiculous for words.

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  55. Anon2323 is a complete idiot. He already proved he doesn't read his articles. Linked to an article on VAERS and then starting hee hawing and claiming you were the one who brought it up when you responded to it.

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    1. 839. The real scary thing is that he may be a teacher. Let us hope he is just a troll.

      Delete
  56. 7:19 who was stopped dead in their tracks and "started stuttering when they realize they’re trying to do this to black and brown people in their city"? Nobody that's who. Not one person has backtracked on their stance for masks or vaccine mandates, in-person, or remote, because of race. It is you who is desperately trying to turn this into a race issue for your own benefit, and making a complete fool of yourself while doing it.

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  57. Where requiring proof of vacc, it needs to be 2 doses, not 1. Remote options must be given for schools. Tchrs & staff must also be mandated to have vacc & kids 12 & up.

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  58. @7:07 They’re not getting violent BECAUSE they’re black? Then why did you mention violent possibilities and conflicts with police ONLY when speaking of black and brown people. What a clown to suggest you weren't the one to bring up the idea.

    Your post: "Check out the zip codes with low vax rates. They’re not going to be forced to do anything they don’t want to do because they’re not hipster doofuses who live in the Financial District or Park Slope"

    Another comment "So now I ask what should we do with all the unvaccinated black and brown of nyc AND all the white unvaccinated republicans of upstate NY?' You didn't mention any violent possibility for the white unvaccinated republicans of upstate NY.

    And this: "At the very least you’re going to have major altercations between Nypd and the black and brown community of nyc"

    But someone else introduced the idea? You're not even man or woman enough to stand behind your comments. Loser.

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  59. Thanks Anon2323! Except, as James point out, your article doesn't say what you think it says. Everyone should click on it. ROFLMAO.


    "Lee Atwater once told us the most effective racism does not sound like it is racism at all. Many Republicans still follow his playbook and manage to not say the bad part out loud. Trump wrote his own playbook. His rhetoric and indefensible behavior have done more to shine a light on the need for social and economic justice than any other president in recent memory."

    "The election of Trump and spread of his bigotry sparked unintended effects."

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  60. Woowoo alert @338 "You’re the one who wants to send cops into neighborhoods to make sure antivaxers are punished".

    This should be another incentive for communities of color to get vaccinated. Don't let these lying propagandists use you and your community as their shield, to avoid the vaccine mandate. They don't care about you or your children. Get vaccinated and take away their power.

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  61. Please look up which zip codes are statistically not vaccinated , then look at the demographic info of said zip codes, then look at the efforts in those zips to get people vaccinated. They are heavily minority and if I can go out on limb heavily democratic. Although most people don't give a f"-k about politics. They don't want to be vaccinated by choice and it is there right. I have been vaccinated, but I don't have a right to even have a fuvki%g opinion on what anyone else wants to do. Mind your bizness

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    1. 943. Read the WaPo article. Look at the helpful graphs. Stop playing games.

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  62. I have told many friends that it is absolutely insane to force under 13 kids back in to NYC schools with Covid multiplying. After skimming this thread, I wouldn't send any student back to a NYC school (or even a Zoom connection) to be any where near the sick, stupid and damaged idiots on here who must have bought their licenses from the dark web! I do not recognize anyone in here who deserves to be near a child!!!

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  63. 707 wow a complete a lie. People can read you know. It IS racist thinking and it's your post, your argument.

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  64. Someone posted a Washington Post article on vaccine hesitancy and the "what about black people defense".

    "one reason that more emphasis is put on Republican hesitancy than low vaccination rates among Black Americans is that there are a lot more Republicans. There are about twice as many Republicans as there are Black people in the United States. In New York City, there are more unvaccinated White people than Black people, despite the difference in vaccination rates."

    "Black Americans make up about 13 percent of the unvaccinated population and 13 percent of the group that says it will never receive a dose of the vaccine. Republicans, by contrast, make up more than half of each group, including nearly 6 in 10 of those who say they won’t get vaccinated."

    "It’s also disingenuous to compare Black and White vaccination rates overall, since White rates are actually higher in part because so many White people are Democrats! Those making this comparison are essentially using high vaccination support among White Democrats as a way to disparage lower rates among Black people."

    "the question of access is important. In February, NPR mapped vaccine distribution sites, finding that more-White neighborhoods often had better access."

    "Black people are much less likely than Republicans to say that they refuse to be vaccinated."

    "There are about four times as many Republicans as Black people in the ranks of the unvaccinated and a slightly higher proportion of Republicans among those who say they won’t get vaccinated.
    Vaccination rates among Black Americans also reflect structural problems that often overlap with income."

    And the final kicker: "Trying to rebut a largely partisan opposition to vaccination by blaming a historically disadvantaged group as the real problem without actually exhibiting any curiosity about the distinctions is not a real testament to intellectual rigor". Mic drop. Thought so.



    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/04/what-about-black-people-defense-republican-vaccine-hesitancy/

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  65. 1023 LMAO @ "bought their licenses from the dark web".

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  66. 531. No one person speaks for any race, but thanks for your opinion. Not trying to save anyone. Again, race is used to highlight that the people on here who want to remove the unvaccinated from society by limiting their access to everyday societal things, restaurants, theaters, school would be removing the black and brown residents of nyc because in nyc the low vax rates are mostly in black and brown zip codes. No matter how many tangents and left turns taken we keep coming back to the point. What is the plan to enforce DeBlasio rules and get these people to comply? And that’s where the libs freak out…. They can’t answer. Paralyzed.

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    1. 616. The majority of people complied to the last set of rules.. except, well, those people that desperately wanted to get drunk at Mac's bar hahaha.

      Delete
  67. I don’t understand why the person above is against letting the unvaccinated become remote teachers. It keeps people safe.I don’t think remote is less stressful or exhausting as someone mentioned above. If anything, it’s much more stressful and work never leaves your home. Big deal-you get to sleep 45 minutes later. Vaccinated go to the building, unvaccinated can be the remote option for those students who wish to remain remote. To me, that would be fair for all sides this school year. Also, many of the unvaccinated are people who cannot get the vaccination. This will keep them safe. I’m sorry, but seniority should mean nothing when it comes to remote. Should be about the safety of all.

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  68. Now, imagine if it were the other way around.

    https://nypost.com/2021/08/11/bidens-infrastructure-bill-is-chock-full-of-anti-white-racism/

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    1. 849 now imagine if the Post wasn't disingenuous, deceitful tabloid trash.

      Delete
  69. Trumpian logic: "Biden is a Conservative just like Trump. Parties are almost identical".

    "But we despise Biden and liberals and everything about them and we love Trump". Makes a lot of sense. NOT.

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    1. 854 That wasn't written by a "Trumpian" hahaha. Far far from it my friend. Reality though, Biden is a conservative. He always has been. Look at his history. The parties vary on some social issues, mostly in rhetoric, but pass similar policies, budgets, and are both corporate controlled and capitalist. Two sides of the same coin, two wings of a ruling class. Both right wing.

      And you also describe the US electorates lack of logic very well when you say we despise one guy but love another, when they are politically similar. The variations are in rhetoric and tone. Kids still in cages, wars still ongoing, half a million still homeless, virus still not under control, masks still debated, wages still stagnant. Republicans, Democrats, will never bring us any real change. Ever. They never did unless pressured by the country at large through protest and other civil actions.
      Which brings us to the newest post, and the walkout threat...

      Delete
    2. @10:05 I didnt say the "electorate lack of logic", I said "TRUMPIAN LOGIC". But yes, there is a difference in tone and rhetoric. One is nauseating, inflammatory, despicable, and the other er, ah just isn't. I find a lot of Conservatives trying to claim Democrats are like them. Be hard pressed to find a Democrat proudly claiming to be a Conservative.

      And sure, virus still not under control because of a rabid concerted effort where they rather people die than to see Biden succeed in the distribution of the vaccine. Not to mention the pile of manure that Biden has had to navigate, like Obama when he came into office. Protests are one thing, and that pressure, for the good of the citizenry, comes largely from Democrats' protest.

      Republicans storming the Capitol to try and illegally install an authoritarian against the will of the people is an insurrection. Big DIFFERENCE.

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  70. 616 You're the only one freaking out, rantind raging. And paralyzed by your dumb question? More ridiculous nonsense and a red herring. How the hell are we to know what DeBlasio's plans are? We dont work in his office and are not privy to what the plan is. What kind of stupid question is that. We're waiting to hear, and I see James is trying to mobilize. YOU however are engaging in hysterics and fear mongering by pretending you're only looking out for black/brown people at the same time disparaging them as if they can look out for themselves without resorting to violence over a mandate. What a joke.

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  71. Omg. None of this is about Trump. Like most Trump voters I want the border in check. I want to resume the drilling and the pipelines and get gas and heating oil prices lower again. I want audits of elections no matter who wins and loses. I want voter ID. I want inflation to stop increasing like crazy. If Biden did that, we wouldn’t be bashing him. If Trump didn’t do any of it we wouldn’t have voted for him again in 2020. Mainstream media has you all brainwashed. If there’s an America First democrat candidate out there, step up and tell us who you are so we can consider voting for you. Policies, not personalities. Trump voters want America First policies. Almost everyone in my social circle used to vote for democrats. The democrats walked away from us, not the other way around. I don’t really give a shit who thinks all Trump voters are some Maga hat wearing lunatic who idolizes Trump and want to rape AOC while we swear he’s getting reinstated any day now. If that helps you live with the mess Biden created, so be it. But this country is in deep shit and if you think the Biden Administration is going to improve the quality of life of Americans, you’re mistaken.

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  72. The parents are not demanding a remote option, they're demanding that schools open up. Vaccinated teachers should be safe, and the unvaccinated have made their choice. Why is there so much drama surrounding a remote option? I think parents are over. If they want a remote option let them bombard the mayor's office with calls. Why should the teachers fight that battle?

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  73. @1013 you want, you want, you want. Well Biden won, and it's not about what Trump supporters want or what you're crying about. Also, you chime in to say it isn't about Trump when the post is responding to someone who brought it up. Whatever you want, you'll have to wait til the next election and see if he manages to steal that one. Until then, dont like Biden? TOO BAD.

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  74. 1017 no they didn’t. Mainstream media wants you to believe it so that’s what they show you. By summer 2020 most people took their freedom back except for the white over educated liberal crowd in west and east coast cities who like being subservient to democrat Big Brother.

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  75. How is this disingenuous? Federal judges are calling it illegal.

    "hands out jobs and contracts and locates projects based on race, not merit. Minority businesses and neighborhoods hold the inside track. If you’re white, you’re low-priority."

    "The bill includes grants to install solar or wind technologies and generate jobs in areas decimated by closing coal mines or coal-fired electric plants. Here’s the catch: When contractors bid, the bill says minority-owned businesses will get selected first. Bad news for small-time white contractors in depressed areas."

    "The same is true for the bill’s proposals to improve traffic patterns in cities. Contractors and subcontractors get priority only if they’re owned by minorities or women. White male business owners can take a hike."

    "Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, passed in March, also put into place an ugly system of discrimination against whites. It offered debt relief to black farmers, but not white farmers. Another provision offered billions in aid to minority-owned and women-owned restaurants, but told struggling restaurants owners who happened to be white men that they had to go to the back of the line."

    So far, these challengers are winning. In every case, federal judges have halted the race-based programs in the American Rescue Plan Act until the challengers have their day in court. Politico reported last week that Biden’s Justice Department may fold without a fight on the black-farmer debt relief cases, because the law isn’t on the administration’s side.

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    1. Who said it was disingenuous? White males, always a victim "waaah". After all the aid white farmers received you have the gall to cry about aid to black farmers?? Very embarrassing. You lost, get over it.

      Delete
    2. I lost so much I make $150k and have 1.9M in tda and your friends live in squalor and crime packed neighborhoods. Define "lost." I think losing is no education, low net worth and no father. Maybe losing is living in Cori Bush's district, poverty and crime. Maybe losing is being unable to read as a hs graduate. Maybe losing is spending an entire life waiting for a welfare check. But I lost.

      Delete
    3. 12:08. Soooo, you think all blacks live in squalor and are unable to read and you think you're not a racist. What a disgraceful post. You make $150k (last week it was $140k, lol) and you think that makes you King of the Hill. So isolated in your little lice infested cave you never seen, nor heard of black and brown doctors, accountants, dentists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, recording moguls, TEACHERS. LOL. Small pea sized brain and limited thinking with a loser mentality. May you lose it all, all the way down to your beat-up pick up truck and your dirty overalls. Thats the image you give off. LOL. Thanks for confirming you're just a racist. Unpolished, uncouth, low-brow, uneducated and small-minded.

      Delete
    4. Two-bit racist who believes all blacks are on welfare @ 12:08 even after he's admitted committing fraud and conning the system for his paycheck and TDA. You're no different than a welfare Queen you fraud.

      Delete
  76. Prehistoric pedagogue wants to know if I'd go out on the street if there was a 5% chance of being hit by a car. How is that comparable to catching a an airborne disease? Work on your reasoning skills. (Although a bigger risk is being hit by a bike in NYC.) Back in the 90s TB was found among students in NYC. Why no lockdowns then. Stop being scared to die. Spoiler alert - it happens to everyone. You put your life at risk not matter what you do when you leave your house, the only difference is the activities you choose to do.
    Remote learning is a scam. Admins made it so much harder for teachers to hold students accountable that passing grades were given out like candy at Halloween. Learning went down, and the fantasy that online learning was better for some students is a crock of shit. Studies from England, Israel and now Ireland show that mask-wearing, especially for younger children, "inhibit communication learning and cause anxiety" as well as difficulty keeping the masks on.

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  77. Lost? James is the only person on this blog who lost an election. Anyway, if you want people to stop crying, then why the constant complaints about lack of fairness in society? How many times do they people bring up unequal treatment against blacks? No enough hs grads. Not enough business owners. Too many suspensions. Too many arrests. College Education. Prison. Salary. Home ownership. How would you like it?

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    1. @12:19 Don't speak, you're embarrassing yourself.

      Delete
  78. If we agreed to give family farms a helping hand, why do we need to select by race? Good policies would help all family farms and as a result black farmers would get the same help as white farmers. If I see a mother struggling to feed her children, I’m not going to deny her food because she’s not the right color. We keep going down this road of identity politics, we’re going off the cliff. Opportunity zones by need, willingness and ability would naturally result in many POC getting opportunities and it would not exclude poor whites in places like West Virginia. Exclusion by race is racist no matter the rationalization.

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  79. MAYBE because they were EXCLUDED the last time. Dontcha think?? Black did NOT get the same help as white farmers. Rationalizing exclusion is ALSO racist.

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  80. "Of the $10.4 billion in the American Rescue Plan that will support agriculture, approximately half would go to disadvantaged farmers, according to estimates from the Farm Bureau, an industry organization. About a quarter of disadvantaged farmers are Black. The money would provide debt relief as well as grants, training, education and other forms of assistance aimed at acquiring land.

    "Black farmers in America have lost more than 12 million acres of farmland over the past century, mostly since
    the 1950s, a result of what agricultural experts and advocates for Black farmers say is a combination of systemic racism, biased government policy, and social and business practices that have denied African Americans equitable access to markets."


    While it’s a fraction of the $1.9 trillion bill that passed in the Senate on Saturday, advocates say it still represents a step toward righting a wrong after a century of mistreatment of Black farmers by the government and others."

    "Discrimination started a century ago with a series of federal Homestead Acts that offered mainly White settlers deeply subsidized land. Since then, local U.S. Department of Agriculture offices charged with distributing loans have frequently been found to deny Black farmers access to credit and to ignore or delay loan applications."

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/03/08/reparations-black-farmers-stimulus/

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  81. James likes reputable sources, so he allows people to use the moderate Washington post. LOL.

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  82. He said he also allows Fox News and National Review. You think Fox News and National Review are "moderate". LOL yourself fool. At least Washington Post is coherent and intelligent unlike the clown show at Fox News.

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  83. @11:41 - but more importantly, can you REFUTE anything in the article?

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