Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Needs more research

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I need to quit reading Bradley R. Gitz on Monday mornings, for the same reason I don’t watch Hannity or anything else on Fox News. Conservati­ve media seem to think it’s fine to cherry-pick facts to suit their viewpoint, while blaming everything on the Democratic party and the crazed left-wing mob that doesn’t bow to the Mad King Donald. Fortunatel­y for the future of our nation, that mob now includes the majority of the country.

First he resorts to name-calling with the “lockdown left.” Cute. A couple months ago he was blaming that group for being politicall­y biased because they thought the rush to reopen was unwise. The “wrong-way right” opened the country, the bars, the beaches and amusement parks and declared victory over the coronaviru­s, despite the evidence it was not yet contained. Maybe the lockdown left was right, and we did reopen too soon. Or does Mr. Gitz think the current level of growth in the pandemic shows the Republican­s were right?

Mr. Gitz goes on to say that his is the only correct viewpoint on reopening school and claims that science backs him. He needs to spend more time researchin­g. You can find experts showing data supporting both sides. Nobody knows what will happen if we reopen schools too early. He cites European countries that successful­ly reopened schools. What he fails to mention is those European countries stayed locked down until the infection rate was at a lower level than the U.S. ever achieved, then reopened schools.

To top it off, Mr. Gitz summarizes that the election will be between those evil Democrats/the dastardly teachers’ unions and the righteous Republican­s/parents. Then he says science supports the latter. No, it doesn’t. Science says not to open schools unless the outbreak is nearing containmen­t. And I know a lot of parents who are leery of the rush to open schools.

The pandemic is not a political issue, It is a health issue. Mr. Gitz needs to realize that not everyone who believes the scientists and epidemiolo­gists can automatica­lly be given one of his labels.

BRUCE PLANTZ Little Rock

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