Nashville radio host Phil Valentine dies at 61 after battling COVID-19

Nashville radio host Phil Valentine dies at 61 after battling COVID-19

So what exactly does Executive Order 83 say.

by Rod Williams- When Governor Bill Lee issued Executive Order 83, the right-wing nut-job faction got nuttier. All kinds of things were said about the executive order. So, what exactly does Executive Order 83 say?  Read it for yourself.

There are seven more pages. Please, if you are going to comment on it, read it. For the full text, follow this link. 

Gov. Lee's office debunks COVID misinformation spread by right-wing nut jobs as cases surge.

by Rod Williams, August 23, 2021 - I am pleased to see Governor Bill Lee is pushing back against COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories being spread by right-wing nut-jobs. 

When Lee issued Executive Order 83 which allowed out-of-state medical professionals licensed in another state to practice in Tennessee, allowed retired medical professionals to reenter the workforce, and did several other things to give the state the tools it needs to combat the Covid-19 virus, right-wingers went nuts.  All kinds of things were alleged about the order and about vaccine and mask mandates too.  I saw some of this on Facebook.

Citizens concerned about mask, vaccine, and EO 83 contacted their State representatives and these representatives relayed the concern to the Lee administration and Lee responded.  Here is what the Lee administration said, as reported in a Tennessean article:

• "The EO creates 'quarantine camps' - FALSE 
• Tennesseans serving in the National Guard will be used to round up citizens that are unvaccinated and take them to locations to be quarantined or vaccinated - FALSE 
• Tennesseans serving in the National Guard will be coming to forcibly vaccinate citizens in their homes – FALSE – This is specifically prohibited by state law as well. 
• This executive order is laying the groundwork for permanent lockdowns - FALSE
• That Covid-19 vaccines are being given to livestock so it will enter the food supply to vaccinate citizens through their meat consumption – FALSE." 

While the anti-mask and anti-vax arguments are much broader than just concern over EO 83, it was that executive order that set off the most recent round of right-wing hysteria.

While most of the anti-vaccine message is being spread by conservatives, there is some overlap by the traditional anti-vaxxers who tend to be hip leftist.  There are quite a few Hollywood celebrities who are anti-vaxxers. Charlie Sheen, Robert DeNiro, and Bill Maher are among prominent liberal Hollywood voices who are anti-vaxxers.  I don't know who is spreading the anti-vax message in the Black community but there is also a strong anti-vax sentiment among Black Americans.

While there are other sources of anti-vax rhetoric and misinformation, most of it is coming from "conservatives."   Right-wing nut-jobs like Alex Jones and Q-Anon supporter Representative Marjorie Taylor Green are making the widest claims about the vaccine.  Many are framing the fight against getting the vaccine or even wearing a mask as a fight for liberty.  Marjorie Taylor Greene suggests people encouraging others to get vaccinated should be shot.

While other conservative voices, such as conservative talk show personalities may not go as far as spreading misinformation about the vaccine, they spread a more subtle anti-vaccine message, taking the approach that to mask or not to mask and to get the jab or not get the jab is a personal choice and that people with a healthy immune system may not need the shot.  Also, while they do not say the nuttiest things about masks or the vaccine, they often allow their call-in listeners to do so.  Everyone who calls a talk show does not get on the air.  A talk show host can let his callers spread the message he wants to be spread and he does not have to say the nutty things himself. Many of them are taking this approach. 

One myth spread to discourage people from getting the vaccine is that it is derived from aborted fetuses and that if one is pro-life one can not in good conscience get the vaccine.  This is simply not true. Like many lies, there is a grain of truth to this but this is a very small grain.  The development of the vaccine used two human cell lines developed from fetal tissue, one originating in 1972 and one in 1985 (link). No babies are being killed to make the Covid-19 vaccines. 

I think there is room for reasonable people to disagree about things like masking policies and how long shutdowns should last and how strict restrictions should be. Also, I think there is room for different people to accept different levels of risk.  I have not been the most cautious of people during this crisis.  Just Monday of this week, I went to lower Broadway and set in a bar and drank and talked and sang.  I know the virus has mutated and this might be risky behavior.  I, however, have always been less risk-averse than my siblings and many people I know.  In third-world counties, I eat street food from vendors and I am pretty sure they don't have safety inspections for those food carts.  I ride a bicycle without a helmet.  I don't jump out of airplanes for fun, but I respect those who do. 

I may go back into lockdown if the threat increases, but not yet.  If some are more cautious than I and are observing strict lockdown now, then I am not going to ridicule them or shame them.  If they feel that because I am not as strict as they are, that it is a risk to their health to associate with me, then I respect that decision.  While this is a public health crisis, I do think that to a certain extent, the decision of how to respond to it is still a personal decision. 

There are things about the response to this crisis that concern me. I am concerned when the government can order a church not to hold services.  A pandemic should not serve to repeal the First Amendment. I also think that minors should not be given the vaccine without a parent's consent. I also point out hypocrisy when I see it.  When the BLM mass demonstrations and riots occurred last year, the city of Nashville did not try to enforce mask or social distancing policies on BLM activists but at the same time imposed bans on other outdoor gatherings and enforced social distancing on tourists on lower Broadway.  While the Federal government imposes restrictions and attempts to force states to adopt certain masking policies, it opens the southern border to hordes of unvaccinated illegal immigrants and disperses them throughout the country. These things should be criticized and pointed out. 

There is room for disagreement about policy and we should be vigilant that a crisis is not used to justify a power grab or a cover for imposing policies that can not be adopted through the regular democratic process. We need to be vigilant.  Government often expands and rights get trampled under cover of responding to a crisis.  That said, however, I am not going to second guess every decision made by the president, the governor or the mayor, or some legislative body in dealing with the crisis.  It is easier to criticize a decision than make a decision and in this crisis, lives are on the line.  I am going to assume most people in a decision-making position take their responsibility seriously and their motives are pure.  While I may on occasion disagree with the decision a person or a body makes in responding to this crisis, I recognize the heavy weight on the shoulders of those who must make the decision and I am going to cut them some slack. 

Myths, lies, and hysteria about the vaccine or masking or government policy should not go unchallenged.  I am glad to see Governor Lee respond to his right-wing nut-job critics.  I wish more Republican politicians and conservative leaders would respond instead of pandering to the deranged among us. 

Mask mandate fails in Metro Council

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - ...quickly shot down in council. ...Joy Styles had filed the resolution and ordinance proposal about masks that would require all individuals in public indoor spaces to wear masks. The resolution, which is non-binding, ...Styles had filed the resolution in enough time for Tuesday night's meeting, but two of the 40 people on council objected, effectively killing the resolution. (link)

Rod's Comment:  I am pleased to see this defeated.  This is not the correct way to make policy.  I am still not sure if it was a non-binding resolution or an ordinance. This report calls it both. This is poor reporting. 

Chattanooga AIER event: "Teach the Teachers: Understanding Global Economic Issues."

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For more information or tickets, follow this link. 

A Disgruntled Republican has formally established a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee.

A Disgruntled Republican has formally established a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee. The purpose of this Committee is to ensure that A Disgruntled Republican ingrains its justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion values into its mission, its communications, its atmosphere, and its work.

The chair of the JEDI committee is Rod Williams.  Any comments on A Disgruntled Republican's JEDI policies or practices may be directed to the chair.  

You can't make this stuff up: Fiscus apparently sent that muzzle to her own office herself.

by Rod Williams- Back on July 12 state medical director of immunizations Dr. Michelle "Shelley" Fiscus was fired after conservative lawmakers raised concerns about a memo she distributed notifying health departments and other interested parties of the state's "mature minor doctrine." 

This doctrine says those under 18 can receive medical care such as vaccines without parental consent in certain circumstances. Dr. Fiscus then fought back and made a big deal out of showing a muzzle that she said had been mailed to her office prior to her firing to intimidate her from speaking to the press. 

Now, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a report saying the muzzle was purchased with an Amazon account and a credit card in Dr. Fiscus's own name. She says she did not purchase the muzzle and send it to herself. She says she must have been hacked and set up. Weird! 

To read more about this weird development, see these links: link, link, link, and link.

Metro Council member joy Styles files a bill to institute a mask mandate in Davidson County.

Joy Styles

by Rod Williams- Metro Council member Joy Styles has filed a bill to institute a mask mandate in Davidson County. This is a late-filed bill so it will have to go before the rules committee and be passed by that committee before it can be considered by the full Council.  

Note that this is a bill, not a resolution.  A resolution expresses the will of the Council.  When a resolution is directed toward the state or the federal government they are pretty much worthless and meaningless.  When a resolution is directed toward an agency of Metro government, however, it carries weight, since the Council funds that agency and must vote on any legislation that agency may want enacted.  If the Council passed a resolution asking for a mask mandate, however, and in the wisdom of the health department and the mayor, a mask mandate is not warranted, the city would not have to have a mask mandate. 

A bill is different than a resolution.  A bill is a law.  So a bill of this nature says there will be a mask mandate.  It does not request a mask mandate or recommend a mask mandate; it mandates a mandate.

Our economy is just now picking back up.  We do not need another blow to the economy.  Also, there is little evidence that vaccinated people need to wear masks and most adults are now vaccinated.  Not that I would be opposed to a mask mandate if the situation deteriorates and city officials reach a decision that a mask mandate is essential for public health.  That would not require Council action.  We had a mask mandate before and a lockdown and that did not require Council action.  

I hope we do not need another mask mandate but if we do, it should be at the recommendation of health officials.  It should be a public health decision; not a political decision. It should not originate in the Council.  Since this is a late-filed bill we don't know what is in it.  News reports say it would apply only to indoor public spaces. We don't know how long a mask mandate would last, the process for lifting the mandate, if babies and toddlers would have to be masked, or anything else.   The rules committee should not permit this bill to be considered.  The sponsor should have to file the bill in a timely manner so it can be adequately evaluated.  

If the rules committee does allow it to be considered, the Council should vote it down. 

For more on this follow this link from News Channel 5.  Note that the reporters call the bill a "resolution."  In the body of the news report, however, they call it a bill and they also say it must pass three readings.  A resolution passes by just one single vote of the Council while a bill requires three "reading,"  so I am assuming this is a bill, not a resolution.  At one time we had reporters who knew the difference. This illustrates the poor quality of local news reporting today. 

Parents get loud and rowdy at the Williamson County School Board meeting.

Clip of the rowdy meeting

by Rod Williams -  In case you missed it, the August 10th Williamson County School Board meeting got kind of noisy and rowdy.  Twitter clips of this school board meeting have "gone viral," as they say, getting millions of views.  The video clips seem to confirm that parents were "vocal" in expressing their opinion at the meeting.

This meeting has drawn national attention and even President Biden has commented on it. 

The School Board was deciding if children in Williamson County Schools would have to wear masks.  Health officials attended the meeting advocating in favor of the mask and hundreds of parents were on hand opposing a mask mandate.  By a vote of 7-3, the Board went with a policy to require a mask mandate for elementary children.  

After the meeting as health officials were trying to leave the parking lot, it looks as if parents tried to "engage," with them. Police had to protect the health officials from the crowd, or maybe "mob" is an appropriate term. Health officials were threatened.  One clip shows a man telling a health official, “We know who you are. You can leave freely, but we will find you.”

By all accounts, the new Delta variant of the Covid virus is more contagious than the previous version and the number of infections is growing.  I respect the school board members who are tasked with the job of making the decision to require masks or not.  If after carefully considering the testimony of experts and if those experts recommended children wear masks, I am not going to second guess members of the school board who reached the decision that a mask mandate was the right policy. 

Clip of the parking lot as protestors harass health officials
To watch this and the above clip follow this link. 

I know that what we see in the video may not be representative of what happened at the meeting.  Just as the BLM riots of last summer were "mostly peaceful,"  and the January 6th Capitol "insurrection" was "mostly peaceful,' this may have been a, "mostly respectful," case of parental involvement, but it sure looks like thuggish behavior on the part of parents.  Sometimes it only takes a few trouble makers to make a whole crowd look bad.

The public business should be conducted with sober deliberation in a peaceful setting and observers should remain civil.  I do not want elected representatives making decisions out of fear or simply responding to the loudest voice.  I actually don't want elected officials bowing to public pressure.  They should listen to their constituents but that does not mean they substitute their judgment for that of an angry loud group of constituents.  

For more on this meeting, see these links: link, link, link, and link.

Know the rights of students and parents of students in public schools,

This is part of page one of eleven pages. To view the complete document, follow this link. 

If you as a parent must send your child to a public school, you need to know what your rights are and what are the rights of your child.  

Bloomberg Law says Republicans could split Davidson County into four districts, endangering Cooper’s hold. I say, "Do it!"

by Rod Williams- Bloomberg Law examines the upcoming redistricting that will take place across America and observes that Republicans have the upper hand.

With Democrats protecting a five-seat House majority and Republicans in charge of redrawing more congressional maps, both parties are likely to be aggressive where they can against the opposition’s incumbents. In most states, partisan legislators and governors control the line-drawing process, and their goal is to secure as many seats as possible for their party. Republicans have the final authority to redraw 187 districts compared with 75 for Democrats. Commissions and states with partisan splits draw the rest.

“Republicans just have more power to gerrymander right now, and I think they’re going to use that power to the best of their abilities,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

This is good news indeed and if Republicans do not aggressively push their advantage, I will be greatly disappointed.

Bloomberg goes on to examine House incumbents currently seeking re-election who probably will be among those targeted in redistricting by state legislatures led by the opposite party.  Jim Cooper is one they name. This is what they say:

Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.): Blue Dog Democrats are a vanishing breed, and Republicans in Tennessee

are looking to expedite this extinction by unseating Rep. Jim Cooper. Cooper, a lawyer and former Vanderbilt University professor, has represented the Nashville area for two decades and won by healthy margins. But Tennessee has retained nine congressional seats through the 2020 census at a time when Nashville’s population has boomed. That means Republicans could split the metropolis into four districts, endangering Cooper’s hold on the live music mecca by adding conservative suburban and rural voters to his new district.

I hate it when anyone refers to Jim Cooper as a "blue dog Democrat" or a "conservative Democrat," or "moderate Democrat."  He stopped being any of those things a long time ago.  At one time he did express concern about the growing national debt of America, but that was a long time ago.  If Jim Cooper is "conservative" or "moderate" in any sense of the word it is in demeanor and disposition. He is boring.  He does not engage in inflammatory rhetoric but he votes in lock-step with his party.  Jim Cooper needs to go!

I hope the party will not lack the backbone to do what needs to be done.  I hope they will do it!  I will be severely disappointed if they don't.  I am on the verge of being outraged if they don't.  The district could be split in such a way as to withstand a legal challenge and to not terribly dilute existing Republican voting strength to make other Republican seats vulnerable. 

With Blumberg Law and other outlets like Rasmussen already speculating that State Republicans will redistrict Jim Cooper out of office, it should surprise no one if they do.  The Tennesseean can be counted upon to piss and moan for days. Crybullies will throw a hissy fit.  They may even fall to their knees in anguish and say those mean Republicans are taking away their last safe space in Tennessee.  Our Metro Council will likely pass a resolution condemning the action, but who cares?  Let the mentally ill crybullies move to Memphis or out of state and everyone else can just suck it up.

It can be done.  Do it!

For more on this topic see, It would not be hard to dilute Democratic votes in Nashville by splitting them up among several districts.