Hits & Misses
MISS: There’s nothing wrong with hunting for black bears, but it should be done in season. In Pennsylvania, that’s still three months away, but that didn’t stop someone in Lackawanna County from shooting and then abandoning a 400-pound black bear somewhere around Aug. 11. Investigators are looking for the culprit, according to the PennLive website. According to Aaron Marrow, a game warden who is investigating the killing, “The bear was completely wasted, meaning that the meat was wasted …” He added, “This could have been a true trophy for a hunter in Pennsylvania come the fall. Unfortunately, this was robbed from any hunter that could have taken this bear.”
MISS: The Democratic National Convention unfolded this past week virtually, given the continued dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic, and the Republicans will have their moment in the spotlight starting Monday. It’s long been a complaint of political junkies that conventions have lost the purpose and excitement that once made them essential parts of the American political landscape. The conventions are now, essentially, infomercials. But even in that form, there’s still something ineffably special about speeches ringing out across packed arenas, hearing crowds cheer or jeer, seeing delegates decked in vaguely silly gear and watching balloons drop. It was necessary that the conventions not happen in person given the lingering public health threat, but the fact that they are not is another reminder of all we have lost this year because of COVID-19.
MISS: The academic year for colleges and universities looks increasingly precarious following decisions this week by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University to back away from or stop in-person classes as a result of COVID-19. It seems inevitable that more will follow. Officials at some campuses are hoping they can avoid major outbreaks on campus this fall by frequently testing students, and some are passing the costs along to students. The New York Times reported this week that some colleges and universities are charging students with fees as low as $50 and as high as $475 for coronavirus testing and safety precautions. Some institutions are obviously under financial pressure right now, but so are students. Colleges and universities should absorb those costs.
HIT: Following COVID-19 protocols can occasionally be confusing, but this week the Pennsylvania Department of Health made one point crystal clear: Students returning to classrooms this fall should wear masks for most of the school day. There had been some confusion on whether they could be removed if students were more than 6 feet apart, but the health department is following a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that masks stay on. Students over the age of 2 can only opt out if they have a medical or mental health condition. It’s been said before and it bears repeating: The more people wear masks, practice social distancing and wash their hands, the sooner we’ll all be able to get back to some semblance of normality.