Street Smart

This week I’m going to try a different approach to this column. So many things have happened in the last two weeks that it’s impossible to pick just one and write about it. Please forgive this “shotgun” approach, but there are so many topics worthy of discussion that I’m going to try to dedicate one paragraph to those that particularly struck me.

The impact of the Coronavirus seems to be winding down. Granted, the process is slow, but we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Individual states governors are now formulating plans to restore his/her state to a more normal routine. Something I see that is troubling to me is the protests of the stay at home orders and other restrictions. I see these protests and the demand to too quickly remove restrictions as a mistake. We’re seeing improvement in the situation because of the limitations. Rushing the process is, in my opinion, reckless. It’s tough to be patient and I get that. However, rushing back might well be a decision that could have disastrous results.

I find the fact that China misrepresented the impact of the Coronavirus as nothing short of criminal on the part of their government! Where would the world have been if the Chinese had simply stepped to the plate, admitted what had happened, and then helped combat the virus? Instead, they covered up what happened and downplayed the impact. Negligence on the part of the communist Chinese government killed people worldwide. It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out diplomatically.

Former President Obama finally endorsed Joe Biden and the Democrats are seeing that as a great thing. Seriously!? Think about that. If Obama had truly believed in Biden, he would have been banging that drum from the day Biden announced his candidacy. That did not happen! Obama only endorsed Biden when he was in effect the “last man standing.” Obama had three choices last week; Number one, remain silent. He couldn’t do that. As the standard bearer for the Democrats, he had to speak out. Number two, support President Trump. We all know that wasn’t going to happen! And number three, endorse Biden. No brainer right!? In terms of leadership, I was taught that one of the many things a good leader was responsible for was selecting and grooming his/her successor. Now, I’m not saying that Obama was a good leader because I certainly don’t believe he was. However, he did hold a leadership position and was therefore obligated to adhere to the leadership tenet just mentioned. If he truly believed in his former vice president, he would have spoken up months before he did.

President Trump has taken quite a bit of heat for cancelling funds for the World Health Organization (WHO). I applaud his move! It’s clear that WHO was complicit in all that occurred, and they should be held accountable. I expect our president will do just that.

My daughter asked me the other day how I thought the upcoming presidential election debates (assuming we have them) were going to play out after the Coronavirus. Interesting question and I thought about that quite a bit. I envision the debate stage with President Trump facing Joe Biden. Picture that. For the first time in history, we’ll have a presidential candidate facing an incumbent president who, although correctly exonerated by the Senate, was impeached by Congress. What makes that so interesting is the fact Biden can’t use the impeachment effort to attack President Trump! Biden’s track record in Ukraine is questionable at best and he certainly doesn’t want to make that a debate topic. I think Biden will still have a lot of explaining to do because I don’t think President Trump will shrink away from the topic. Should be fun to watch. Hopefully after the mud slinging ends, the two candidates will talk about how to restore the nation after the Coronavirus crisis. I would expect the two candidates to talk about health care, supply chain issues and restoring the economy, etc. President Trump will definitely have the edge.

Another topic Biden is going to have to deal with is the recent sexual assault allegation against him. I find it quite interesting that Biden’s sexual assault allegation is receiving so little attention compared to what Justice Brett Kavanaugh went through just two years ago. Where is Diane Feinstein? Shouldn’t’ she be reaching out to the victim and, at the very least, providing emotional support? Why haven’t any Congressional hearings been scheduled? Where is the outrage? It appears that we have a much more credible victim this time, as well as probable corroboration. Are we to assume that sexual assault allegations against a Democrat presidential candidate are less serious than allegations against a Republican president’s Supreme Court nominee? It certainly appears that way. This is a glaring example of typical Washington Democrat’s hypocrisy! They should be ashamed and embarrassed. I believe the media is complicit as well.

As of this writing, Nancy Pelosi and her crew are still holding up the Paycheck Protection Program designed to help small businesses. I guess we’ll have to wait to see what Pelosi and her cronies can sneak into the bill before it gets passed. It’s a shame they let politics get in the way of helping small businesses but I, for one, am certainly not shocked.

Stay tuned. As my buddy used to say when watching bizarre behavior, “The hits just keep on comin’!”

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].