It saddens me that capable, intelligent, knowledgeable leaders feel it is necessary to resign because their expertise is ignored or denied in favor of nonsense decisions based on unproven ideas about disease and its prevention. I can understand and respect those resignation decisions, but American consumers are left at the mercy of the charlatans who have the final word. We are directly affected by the newest guidelines for Covid inoculations for people over 65. It is once again time for us to get Covid shots, and they may not be available to us. 

We believe in science and the expertise of those whose work on disease prevention has been proven to protect people from the newest variant of the disease that has killed so many in the past. This is just the latest outrage imposed on people who seem to have no choice in the matter.

The Minneapolis shooting yesterday at a Catholic school during the first week of the school year was unnecessary and evilly motivated. If guns were not so available in this country of more guns than people, this might have been prevented. So much about the tragic event is unconscionable. The families involved have been forever altered by the experience.

I know people who are avoiding crowds at the State Fair and at the Renaissance Festival this fall because of Covid and guns. Times have changed in my lifetime. The fair and RenFest have been fall staples for families. We have once again elected to stay at home.

Wonderful memories of the Fair with my family are on my mind this Labor Day weekend. We covered the fairgrounds seeing free concerts, the 4H show and exhibits, and eating too much. It was a rite of passage before school began after Labor Day. It was true when I was growing up, and it remained a pattern for us after we began teaching. I long for the days when I felt safe. Following the news wasn’t something to be avoided or feared because of its nastiness and the helplessness it caused. Once more I grieve.