The week proved to be more eventful than even I envisioned. One big takeaway for me, education is becoming a major battlefield. In Virginia, parents had a chance to see what and how teaching occurred in their schools during the pandemic. Many were shocked. Without in-person learning, parents had to jump in. They found teachers and administrators didn’t put their students first. The U.S. spends the most on education but lags behind our competitors. Parents want the best for their children, but the teacher’s unions and school administrators have very different interests. 

We could have endless trench warfare with the vested interests or put the power in the hands of the children’s best advocates -their parents. Now is the time to move to a voucher system. Educators competing with their best for the vouchers can foster innovation and better outcomes for our kids.

With so many of our children falling behind due to school closings, we can’t waste more time. Give parents the power to find the best solutions for their kids. Deregulate now with vouchers before we fall further behind. This problem is both a societal and national security crisis. Awareness is coming none too soon.

I sense the delicate hand of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel at work in the House passing the long-delayed Infrastructure Bill. Surprisingly, Republicans provided the winning margin. Senator Joe Manchin holds a deciding vote in a 50-50 Senate. Without his approval, the filibuster stays. Any further legislation such as the wildly expensive “Build Back Better” is dead or greatly diminished without him. He wanted the Infrastructure Bill, and Mitch wanted to keep the filibuster and no more social engineering bills. If “Build Back Better” is either scuttled or cut down to a shell, it’s probably a sign of a deal between the two wily old two Senators. Both get what they want, and some Republicans in toss-up areas get to show their bipartisanship. 

The first week of November promises to be a political bellwether. The gubernatorial election in Virginia and maybe the one in New Jersey will give us some idea of the public’s reaction to the continued failures of the Biden Administration. Either Congress will vote this week on the President’s program or postpone forever. Vaccine mandates in significant areas will go into effect. Will it make our labor shortage even worse? How about safety?

While waiting for results, a couple of interesting things came up worth mentioning. The current narrow partisan focus of our media lets some critical news or ideas go largely unnoticed.

 The Wall Street Journal featured an article by an associate professor of chemical bioprocess engineering, Jacob R. Borden. The article reminded me of a piece I read probably in National Geographic many years ago. It revealed picturesque and strange Yellowstone is a massive volcanic area. One, if it erupted, could pretty much do in the U.S. and Canada. It was in my thoughts when we visited the Park. 

Prof. Borden points to a 1917 NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab(JPL) evaluation. It isn’t if, but when Yellowstone erupts, and it may be due. JPL has a potential solution, siphoning off excess energy. With the development of horizontal drilling, we can do it without disturbing the Park.

I always thought the United States was a child of the “Age of Reason.” This intellectual and cultural movement emphasized reason over superstition and science over blind faith in the eighteenth century.  Rational decisions and thoughts are based on logic rather than on emotion. Using our minds in a disciplined and coherent fashion is the way to superior results. Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution with its Bill of rights are examples of this truth. 

Maybe you, too, have found yourself looking at or hearing something and thinking, this argument or action makes no sense. A queasy stomach or a headache may accompany your confusion. Several tummy turners have occurred recently.

Because of vaccine mandates, many people must take shots they don’t want and may not need or lose their jobs. This situation comes at a time when we are experiencing a severe labor shortage. With supply curtailed, inflation is a real problem. The first responders and health workers pushed out of their jobs make us less safe. The theory behind the mandate is to protect the vulnerable.

The mandate people point to the death of the elderly and severely immune-compromised Colin Powell to prove everyone needs to be vaccinated. An unvaccinated carrier infected and killed Powell. The only way we can protect the compromised is to vaccinate everyone.

This theory is nonsense. We know even the vaccinated can carry Covid. The compromised are in the most danger, even though they’re vaccinated. They may be unable to maintain a strong antibody response. This problem was why Gov. DeSantis of Florida blanketed the state with Monoclonal Antibody centers to provide immunity-boosting infusions.

Tackle the situation where it is. Discussing the vaccinated Powell’s death on CBS’s Face the Nation, former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden proposed we infuse those on immune suppressants and with other immune problems prophylactically. I know if I couldn’t preserve enough antibodies, I’d take this option.