THE TOP STORIES LAST WEEK
DARK MONEY IN ELECTIONS,
Dark money political contributions brought on by the Supreme Court case of Citizens United are hijacking elections nationwide and locally. Groups doing massive direct-mail campaigns have already gotten into the campaigns for Orange County for property appraiser, state Senate, as well as state attorney. Who are these masked thieves of the free and open debates? Why won’t they disclose their sources? What is their hidden agenda? They don’t want you to know, thus the miniaturizing of your vote and the bastardization of our free and open elections.
RACIST TIRADE,
The Orlando Sentinel reported on a woman that racially slurred a group of Black and Brown landscapers repeatedly. This happened in my neighborhood, Delaney Park. The entire affair was captured on video and posted on Facebook and Twitter. It was ugly. I have great neighbors. But I read and challenged ignorant and biased comments on the neighborhood app Nextdoor that sought to write off the woman’s tirade as a type of “mental illness.” What they fail to realize is that racism itself is a public-health crisis and mental illness that inhibits self-diagnosis. In my community, it is clearly more asymptomatic than reported.
OPEN THE BARS,
Bars in Orlando can’t reopen until there is a vaccine for COVID-19? Let the revolution begin. Seriously, though, it’s past time for government to pick winners and losers in private businesses. Isn’t this America? Have we forgotten Patrick Henry’s famous quote, “Give me liberty or give me death”? I refuse to live in fear. Yes, the virus is real. Now let’s all learn to live with it until it is no more, but live we must. Let’s set some clear and consistent guidelines that promote the opening of our society — safely.
BEIRUT BLAST,
The Lebanese diaspora in Florida was shocked on Tuesday by watching the massive explosion in Beirut that left hundreds dead, thousands injured and over 300,000 homeless. The blast that resembled a mini-nuclear bomb resulted from the explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that was stored at the port of Beirut. Lebanon has been suffering due to COVID-19 and an economic collapse that caused the Lebanese currency to lose 80% of its value in the last four months. Lebanese Floridians are mobilizing to help their homeland with whatever they can and ask for your prayers for the people of Lebanon.
SPLASHDOWN,
I watched the two astronauts return to Earth last week after the successful, historic mission of SpaceX. The splashdown in the Gulf was picture-perfect; not an easy feat amidst tracking Hurricane Isaias. I’m sure when they left on their journey, the astronauts thought coronavirus woes might be a thing of the past when they returned. Unfortunately, there was no time warp, fast-forward or vaccine created for the virus while they were gone. I am super-excited to see more missions — to the moon, Mars and beyond!
COVIDCANE?
“Headless Body in Topless Bar” is considered one of the greatest newspaper headlines of all time. It ran on the front page of the New York Post in 1983. It was certainly better than “Decapitated Cerebellum in Tavern of Ill Repute.” But the Weather Channel should be credited for its attempt at (we hope!) dark humor. As Tropical Storm Isaias churned off southeast Florida, Weather Channel producers could have promoted coverage with “Mass of Extreme Moisture Dampens Forecast”… boring! Instead, “Covidcane 2020 … Bracing for Disaster” was used. “Covidcane”? Nothing like hyperbole to get your attention.
HEART-TRANSPLANT BREAKTHROUGH,
While the world’s attention is on COVID-19, promising innovations are still happening elsewhere in health care. Recently, physicians at the AdventHealth Transplant Institute became the first in Florida to deploy new technology that will allow many more people a second chance at life through organ transplantation. The team successfully transplanted a donor heart that was no longer beating. This breakthrough means a heart that stopped prior to donation can be kept viable for hours, giving hope to patients and physicians faced with a growing organ shortage. The potential of this new technology, combined with the generosity of organ donors, is inspiring.
ISAAC’S COURAGE,
The image of Magic player Jonathan Isaac being the lone person to stand for the national anthem was awe-inspiring. In today’s hyperpartisan and ridiculously hysterical climate, that took courage. It’s like that Seinfeld episode called “The Bizarro Jerry,” where everything was backward. What a sad commentary where simply showing respect for the flag and anthem is perceived by some as a controversial act. Unfortunately, Isaac subsequently tore his ACL and will be sidelined. But I still expect to see him on the bench proudly hoisting himself up on his crutches when the national anthem commences.