"Positiviity" Testing, Canadian Asylum Law Challenged and a Kathleen Parker Column

Goodbye, Yoho

I was all set to start a fund raising drive to defeat Florida's legislative asshole of the month, Congressman Ted Yoho, who represents the State's Third Congressional District.  His sexist, bigoted views were made clear by his words on the Capitol steps and by Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez on the floor of the House.  

AOC, subject pf Yoho's insults

Hurrah! I have found that he is not running for re-election in November. Hurrah! One less piece of Republican dirt in Washington, serving to enable the President's misdeeds. Let him go back to treating animals in his veterinary practice.  And I pity the poor creatures.  

I wonder who will replace him.  There's a primary on August 18. The Third District includes Gainesville, a college town which should go Democratic.  Unfortunately, gerrymandering has included in the District many nearby areas which are filled with typical Florida nitwits.  Duh.

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Defining "Positivity" in Coronavirus Testing

I started emphasizing “positivity” in testing for Coronavirus several postings ago, and I see more and more mention of it in the papers.   Briefly, it means how many people tested positively for the virus, making them a “case,” out of the total number tested.  It is encouraging when that percentage goes down.

Some clarification is necessary, however.  The group tested should be large enough to encompass the general population.  If it consists of nursing home residents, older people, farm laborers, people already manifesting symptoms, etc., it is more likely to produce more positive results than a group more representative of the general population.  That is why much, much, more testing is needed to get valid numbers from large enough, demographically diverse representative groups.  When the President says we do not need more testing, he doesn’t know what he is talking about, par for the course for him.

Time is another factor.  The number of positive tests found over a given period should be relative to tests given over that same period.  Today’s new “cases,” the “positivity” percentage, cannot be developed by comparing it to an earlier or a cumulative number of total tests given.  The number of bad apples in a bushel basket can be compared only with the full contents of that same basket.  Not doing so will result in a flawed “positivity” percentage. 

I doubt if the numbers our individual States are using to come up with “positivity” percentages meet these criteria.

JL

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Parker Column - Read it, Please                         

Here's an interesting column by Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker, who is not so optimistic about the November election as are others sickened by the President:  PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ IT.  If the link doesn't work, just paste this on you browser line and get it from there.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-let-poll-numbers-fool-you-trump-could-still-win-reelection/2020/07/21/1c303c7c-cb70-11ea-bc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html

Parker's column is syndicated to more newspapers than any other columnist in the country.  She is a Republican, leaning toward the center.

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Canadian Court Invalidates Asylum Pact

By Wilson Ring

The Associated Press  (7/22/20)

A Canadian court Wednesday invalidated the country’s Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States, ruling elements of the law violate Canadian constitutional guarantees of life, liberty and security.

But Federal Court Justice Ann Marie McDonald delayed the implementation of her decision for six months, to give the Canadian Parliament time to respond.

“I conclude that the provisions enacting the (safe third country agreement) infringe the guarantees in section 7 of theCharter,”McDonaldwrote in her decision, referring to the Canadian Charter of Rights andFreedom,partofCanada’s Constitution. “I have also concluded that the infringement is not justified under section 1 of the Charter.”

Under the agreement, immigrants who want to seek asylum in Canada and present themselves at ground ports of entry from the United States are returned to the U.S. and told to seek asylum there.

But if they request asylum on Canadian soil at a location other than an official crossing, the process is allowed to go forward. In most cases, the refugees are released and allowed to live in Canada, taking advantage

In this Aug. 7, 2017, file photo, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers greet migrants as they enter into Canada at an unofficial border crossing at the end of Roxham Road in Champlain, N.Y. [CHARLES KRUPA/ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO]

of generous social welfare benefits while their asylum applications are reviewed, a process that can take years.

Last fall Amnesty International, the Canadian Council for Refugees and the Canadian Council of Churches sued, arguing that the Canadian government has no guarantee that those returned to the United States will be safe because of the treatment of immigrants by the administration of President Donald Trump.

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Gee, I wonder if there is any connection between the two preceding articles.  If you don't see one, go back and re-read Parker's column!
JL