In Other News: COVID-19, shootings: Is mass death now tolerated in America?; Incumbents in Georgia face primary opponents down the ballot

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, May 24, 2022

COVID-19, shootings: Is mass death now tolerated in America?

After mass shootings killed and wounded people grocery shopping, going to church and simply living their lives last weekend, the nation marked a milestone of 1 million deaths from COVID-19. The number, once unthinkable, is now an irreversible reality in the United States — like the persistent reality of gun violence that kills tens of thousands of people a year. Americans have always tolerated high rates of death among certain segments of society. But the sheer numbers of deaths from preventable causes, and the apparent acceptance that no policy change is on the horizon, raises the question: Has mass death become accepted in America? “I think the evidence is unmistakable and quite clear. We will tolerate an enormous amount of carnage, suffering and death in the U.S., because we have over the past two years. We have over our history,” says Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist and professor at Yale who was a leading member of the AIDS advocacy group ACT UP. “If I thought the AIDS epidemic was bad, the American response to COVID-19 has sort of … it’s a form of the American grotesque, right?” Gonsalves says.

Incumbents in Georgia face primary opponents down the ballotSeveral of Georgia’s statewide officials are battling to keep their offices in down-ballot primary elections being decided Tuesday. State Attorney General Chris Carr and Insurance Commissioner John King both face fellow Republicans endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Trump is also backing one of four Republicans in the open race for lieutenant governor. Meanwhile, Republican state school Superintendent Richard Woods is being opposed by his predecessor, John Barge.

Police department’s new ‘Chief’ more than just a found dogBRUNSWICK — The newest member of the Glynn County Police Department might not seem like that big of a deal. After all, he ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog. But Chief, the purebred bloodhound and his ultrasensitive nose, will soon be a valuable asset on many fronts for the county police department. And, from a public relations standpoint, this droopy-faced, lop-eared, short-legged pup’s adorability factor is off the charts. “I fell in love with him 30 seconds after I met him,” Glynn County Police Chief Jacques Battiste said of Chief. “He’s a precious one. The people of Glynn County are going to love him.” The 10-week-old police dog also is a legacy of sorts, named as he is with a nod to one the most respected law enforcement officers in the history of Glynn County.