OB Rag

By Frank Gormlie

Introduction to Series

A half century ago exactly, our country was being literally torn apart over the war in Vietnam and its subsequent escalations. Today, the only reference to the Vietnam War is how the number of American deaths from the COVID-19 virus have now exceeded the deaths of US servicemen during the entire Vietnam period.

Yet, history has caught up with us.

Fifty years ago exactly to the day, on April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon announced to the nation that he had ordered the invasion of Cambodia by US troops. Nixon didn’t call it an “invasion” but it was clear he was expanding the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, not de-escalating it as he had pledged.

With his announcement, Nixon set off a month-long torrent of protest mainly by college and university students, an intensity never seen before on American campuses.

UPDATE: Around 12:30 pm Thursday Mayor Faulconer tweeted that San Diego beaches will stay open – with restrictions still. Here is what Faucloner said:

Great news: the Governor heard us. San Diego beaches WILL STAY OPEN under our plan approved by lifeguards and health officials. In a time of great crisis we don’t need knee-jerk policies. We need to keep a steady hand. It’s the only way to keep the public’s trust. Keep it up, SD!

It appears that California Governor Newsom will be ordering all state beaches and parks to close again on Friday, May 1. A memo sent to California police chiefs on Wednesday says Newsom will order all beaches and state parks closed starting Friday to curb spread of the coronavirus.

Here are some sobering graphs and numbers on county COVID-19 cases from the San Diego County health department and one from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Does that curve look likes it flattening out?

By Colleen O’Connor / Times of San Diego / April 26, 2020 – Updated April 29

Elizabeth Warren may not be running for President anymore, but “a plan” is still very much in vogue and demand. Especially given the still virulent nature of the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the world.

Fact. We cannot stay in lockdown forever—especially with the predictions of second and third waves of the virus.

Fact. We cannot “defeat the invisible enemy” by listening to the President, who has called it a “hoax,” promised a miracle, and recommended dangerous treatments.

Fact. There are better, faster, and more intelligent ways to defeat COVID-19.

Simply put, we are not doing enough of anything; hence, slowly failing at everything.

Have you checked out lately what Joe Biden has been saying? He said that he fears Trump may try to delay the November presidential election, using the coronavirus as a pretense.

Now, this isn’t something from some extreme, left-wing blog editor, or some marginal conspiracy theorist, or the rantings of some bearded guy holed up in a mountain cabin.

No, this is from the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, the majoritarian party in the country, the unofficial leader of the main electoral opposition to an autocratic maniac in the White House.

Here’s what Biden said at an online fundraising event last week:

“Mark my words. I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” as he warned his supporters Trump could use the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretense for trying to push the election away or otherwise undermining it.

Just to be clear, the president cannot unilaterally delay a presidential election, as it would take an act of Congress

by Ernie McCray

I’ve been thinking of my son, Guy, my second child to depart this earth before me.

We had so many memories, running the gamut of father and son relationships but my thoughts have mostly been about some of our really special moments: going at each other on the basketball court, one of our favorite things to do; hiking along the Junipero Serra Trail on some incredibly beautiful days when the sky was clear and blue; a road trip to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Vegas on a Spring Break; lounging along the shore in Rosarito Beach for a week; him singing and playing guitar at my 50th birthday celebration…

And when I think of his fine musicianship I’ll always remember his graduation in 1977 from John Muir Alternative School, a K-12 school I helped create with some incredibly innovative educators who were absolutely great.

So much happened on the campus that year, students feeling their oats, enjoying freedoms not many students ever achieve,

Ken Stone and Chris Stone, over at the Times of San Diego, called it. They described what happened on the first day of the limited “re-opening” of the beach in Ocean Beach:

“a sand version of whack-a-mole ensued in Ocean Beach as lifeguards scurried to keep people moving.” In contrast to some other city beaches, where city officials congratulated beachgoers, “… Ocean Beach saw some lifeguards look weary.”

Here’s more of the Times’ take:

Lifeguards near the OB Pier dealt both with water safety problems — having to race into surf to check on people or warn them of danger — and repeatedly educating people about no-sitting or lying rules.

The day after a protest in Pacific Beach against the COVID-19 restrictions, dozens – perhaps hundreds – of people show up and go surfing today, Monday, the first day of a limited opening of the beaches in San Diego.

By Judi Curry

Maybe because I am a blond – with a lot more gray – but I am very puzzled by the new mandate that our Mayor is putting into place.

Effective sunrise Monday, April 27th, ocean access will begin.

That means you can go into the ocean and kayak, swim and surf. But it also means that you cannot sit on the sand; you can’t lie down on the sand; you can’t play volleyball and you cannot engage in group activities. You cannot go boating; you can’t walk on the piers, but you can run or walk on the sand. Does running or walking mean that if you have the virus you won’t deposit the germs on the sand, but if you are sitting you will?

by Joaquin Antique

I tried to get up in time for the 6:05 AM sunrise and beach reopening but overslept. By the time I walked down to Dog Beach, the sun had been up for an hour though you couldn’t see any sunlight as Coastal Eddy was in town.

Ran into some guys schlepping their boards down Voltaire and spoke to them briefly. They were jonesing to get out in the water after a month of no surfing and smiling ear to ear.

“How was it?” they asked a dude who had just come out of the water. “Wet”, he replied in a jaded tone of voice. I guess some people are just glass-half-empty at seven in the morning. Still, he was the only person on the beach that I saw today that didn’t have a smile on his face.

Between the jetty and the pier I counted about 70-80 people in the water and more were arriving by the minute. The parking lots remain closed and most of the people seemed to be locals walking down. I did see a few people parking on the street as close as they could get to the beach.

By Jim Miller

The battle is on in earnest. Last week, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said it out loud: drop dead blue states. More specifically, McConnell took a strong stand against providing any more financial relief to devastated states and local governments in the midst of a pandemic that has caused the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Instead, the Senate leader suggested, states should just consider bankruptcy.

In a moment of remarkable candor, McConnell outlined his view on a rightwing radio show. As the New York Times reported :

“I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated,” Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, said in an interview with the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “There’s not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations.”

It was the officers’ last day of the complete and full beach closure in Ocean Beach. Hopefully.