Everyone has their own priorities
Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Amy Jacobson’s question to the governor at today’s press conference about the vaccination program at the United Center…
It’s almost been a year since the flag has been at half staff and, you know, when we were kids we didn’t have cell phones the Internet [to know] when somebody significant passed away when the flag was lowered. When are you going to be raising it because now you know we have five COVID deaths yesterday so that was good news. Our last positivity rate is below 3%. What’s the metrics that you’re using in order to raise the flag?
* Part of the governor’s response…
I want to make sure, whether it’s a flag, or in some other ways, that we do remind people that this pandemic is not over yet. We’re going to be in this for months. For months. And we don’t know how long the vaccines last. We don’t know if you’re vaccinated, will you have to get vaccinated once a year, or will it be once every two years or perhaps a shorter length of time. We still don’t know that. We need to continue that testing all across the state. We need to continue to worry about the variants that are here now, although the most dangerous ones seem to be covered by the vaccinations that we have available, but there may be other variants that develop as you’ve seen. And so, we take all that into consideration. I, like you, revere particularly our members of our military have passed away and want to make sure that we honor them appropriately. So we take that all into consideration and we honor them in so many different ways the flag is on the wall.
More than half a million Americans are dead because of this pandemic.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 10:45 am:
When I heard her ask that question, I was dumbfounded. Even for Amy, that’s such a ridiculous question. What, now the right is crazed because the governor is honoring the dead? Umm, ok.
- KSDinCU - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 10:46 am:
Champaign has reported 3 deaths today, so I’m guessing today’s statewide total will be greater than 5.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 10:53 am:
=== When are you going to be raising it because now you know we have five COVID deaths yesterday so that was good news. Our last positivity rate is below 3%. What’s the metrics that you’re using in order to raise the flag?===
Jacobson is truly a pathetic human being to sympathy and empathy of others.
It’s moments like these where character shines.
It’s also moments like these where a lack of character is not only seen, but misunderstood by the oblivious… because if you lack character, of course you’d ask this, and not understand how pathetic the question is and hurtful to those who have lost.
- DownSouth - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 10:56 am:
Had an interesting convo about this over the weekend at a DNR site. Was there for dog hunt test. Out of state handler asked why all flags he had seen here were at half staff - explained to him. He thought it was wonderful way to honor all lives lost to COVID during the pandemic. (and judging by the stickers on his truck - he was a fairly right leaning fellow)
Have to say - when I heard that question asked, I just shook my head and rolled my eyes.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 10:59 am:
Maybe we should just keep it at half staff until they find Lisa Stebic, would that be ok with Amy?
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:04 am:
=== until they find Lisa Stebic ===
Plainfield police would not like any focus on their lack of investigation progress in the past 14 years.
Okay. Let’s do that.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:04 am:
I’m going to bet money that Darren Bailey is going to make “raising our flag high and proud” part of his campaign platform at some point.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:05 am:
How IRN hasn’t grabbed her up, I don’t know.
- Anon3 - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:05 am:
If you remove the political rhetoric and the misogyny, the question remains unanswered. What are the metrics that this Governor is using to make decisions about reopening the economy and restoring normal society? Last week in Peoria, he only used generic terms to discuss restoring normal life to Illinoisans. No metrics, no science, no data.
You can dislike the questioner. You can dislike the question. But, you can’t deny that he has avoided giving a straight answer.
- Practical Politics - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:10 am:
Some Illinois veterans groups have been displeased with the Governor about the display of the flag during the pandemic. The flag flying at half staff is supposed to be done in a manner consistent with the US Flag Code.
While I am not entirely unsympathetic, there are arguments that can be made that Pritzker is bending the rules.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:13 am:
“we have five COVID deaths yesterday so that was good news”
If you were my neighbor and you said this to me, we’d never talk again. Pritzker shouldn’t humor this person any further, she’s incapable of asking a question in good faith. Find her a card table so she can sit in the hallway with the other children.
- Simple Simon - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:23 am:
Anon3…politicians should feel empowered to ignore silly and useless questions. JB especially needs practice being insulted at the waste of his time.
- Metric Man - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:26 am:
Agreed that it was a bad question. She could have just asked the governor what it would take to return the flag to full.
He also avoided the question of “what does a vaccine ‘readily available’ “ mean - in relation to someday moving to Phase 5. I’m neither surprised by the question(er) or the answer.
- Scott - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:28 am:
Personally, if I wanted to give a specific answer, I’d go with when the pandemic is officially declared over. Or maybe flags at half-staff on any day that there are any in-state COVID deaths.
- EssentialWorkingMom - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:29 am:
==remove the political rhetoric and the misogyny==
I’m somewhat attuned to recognizing misogyny, but I’m not seeing it here. As for political rhetoric, if you are coming to a political blog and expecting not to see political rhetoric, I fear that may be a bigger problem than an unanswered question about a flag being raised. No one, scientist, politician, man, or woman, has given us the all clear on when we are out of the danger zone with this pandemic. So to expect an exact calendar date of when flags will be raised (because really isn’t that what will help us all feel better in our lives?) and not get an precise timeline of said action, is a little silly and irrelevant I think. But like Rich titled this post, everyone does indeed have their own priorities. *sigh*
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:34 am:
=== and the misogyny===
Making Amy Jacobson a victim here as she “questions” the honoring of those we lost to Covid-19 is peak ridiculousness.
My goodness, Jacobson is her own caricature of a phony reporter, no matter her gender.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:35 am:
=== No metrics, no science, no data.===
Narrator: Over 500,000 deaths. That’s a metric, it’s the data, the science is their passing.
- Don't Bloc Me In - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:38 am:
Amy appears again for another dose of irreverence, irrelevance, and ridiculousness.
- Lefty Lefty - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:47 am:
Some more metrics for you (courtesy of the COVID Tracking Project, which just shut down):
–Still hovering around 1,000 deaths PER DAY in the US.
–New cases remain at/above the level of the summer peak before the super surge in October and November
–10 states have experience 1 out of every 500 residents killed by the virus
Hope this helps.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:48 am:
Come on, it isn’t even a way to score points Amy…
If you are looking to ’score point’ on the governor with your editorial/questions at a press conference there are so many better directions to go.
You could ask about the changes to the UC vaccination site rules, you could ask about the metrics in general, heck you could ask about how the Democratic Party Chairmanship race played out.
The flag thing is one of those, ‘well I might not agree with it, but I can understand it. things.
Heck you could have asked if he thought the Sox and Cubs having fans in the stands was a good idea.
- Essential State Employee - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:50 am:
=And we don’t know how long the vaccines last. We don’t know if you’re vaccinated, will you have to get vaccinated once a year, or will it be once every two years or perhaps a shorter length of time. =
I’m not a scientist nor medical professional obviously, but I wonder if it’s possible to incorporate COVID vaccine chemicals into the annual Flu Shots. Which many of us usually get in the fall. Isn’t that what they did in 2009 after the return of swine flu (and we might have had separate swine flu vaccines that year, but afterwards they were included in flu shots)? And possibly in the early 2000s after SARS.
- May soon be required - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 11:51 am:
==the question remains unanswered ==
There are far more important things for the Governor to worry about right. Personally I would like to see the flags back up, but it is really low on the list of things I am concerned about right now and I have no issue with the Governor not having a specific plan on such an inconsequential issue.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 12:01 pm:
Not surprised at all by Jacobsen’s question. Her response from the onset of the pandemic is to argue that we’ve overreacted - to 500K deaths.
- dan l - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 12:03 pm:
—–
No metrics, no science, no data.
—–
The Amy Jacobson crowd talking about metrics, science, and data is possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen on the internet today. I think they’re still hard platforming that emma woodhouse cretin on twitter.
- dan l - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 12:04 pm:
do you guys think Amy is trying to style herself as some sort of anglo Chanel Rion?
- Jocko - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 12:16 pm:
Is this the same Amy Jacobsen who ‘forgot’ to mention she hosts a radio show when appearing on Fox & Friends a month ago?
- Illiniwack - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 12:52 pm:
Try to keep your eye on the ball, Ms. Jacobson.
- King Louis XVI - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 1:12 pm:
–we have five COVID deaths yesterday so that was good news. –
Not good news for the five dead or their families.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 1:14 pm:
=Try to keep your eye on the ball, Ms. Jacobson.=
I am not even sure who her repeated questioning of the flag being lowered is read meat for.
It is simply supercilious.As she is.
On another related note, Amy “big Jake” Jacobson is scheduled to appear with Darren Bailey at a back to school protest in Naperville…as a speaker. Good grief.
- Anotherretiree - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 1:15 pm:
I listen to CONS on the radio and TV(My penance for not going to church). They discount and hardly ever mention the 500,00+ deaths. Wouldn’t occur to them that this disease is taking the WW2 and Korean War vets from us. Death toll isn’t their priority. I don’t know how to reconcile after. We are divided and I’m ok with that now.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 1:45 pm:
Speaking of flags, TP was in Naperville with Gomer Bailey for an open the schools rally, she does still get around TeeeeHeeee
- dan l - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 2:05 pm:
——
Gomer Bailey
——
I’m stealing this. I will now only talk about the Gomer Bailey Goober-natorial campaign.
- The Way I See It - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 2:12 pm:
5 deaths is good news. She should share that with the families of the dead people. Ghoul.