There is plenty of frustration to go around these days. Frustration at the wannabe President for clearly not having a firm grasp on the pandemic. Frustration at various Governors for depending on one’s perspective doing too much too soon or too little too late. Frustration at China for not being as forthcoming as they could or should have been regarding this outbreak. We are anxious, either about the virus itself or the fallout it has created. We have lost loved ones or know somebody who has (and as the very definition of adding insult to injury cannot properly say goodbye), or we have yet to be personally acquainted with anyone known to have contracted the virus. We are wrestling over the choices between saving as many lives as humanly possible and allowing other factors to be taken into consideration. We are backing into our political corners over something we should be coming together to fight.
I would like to call for a bit of a truce at least here. We cannot control what anyone else says, but we can control what we say. Last week I was flagged into a timeout as a result of an argument over masks. I did make a couple of comments that were ill-advised and I apologize for that. This whole situation, which for me means spending all my time in a tiny sparsely furnished studio with half a kitchen, really has made me angry. I live alone and rely on my various meetings and activities for organizations I am active in for human connection. This IS an important part of human existence and that has been taken from me. I inappropriately took that anger out on a couple of commenters who for all I know may well be on the other end of this experience, wondering anxiously about whether a loved one who has the virus will pull through.
OTOH, I have felt a bit bullied on this site for holding opinions on this matter that go against the grain. Some people’s instant response has been that I must want people to die, or at least don’t care, and nothing could be further from the truth. It’s just that I assess the risks differently. I’ve always been a bit surprised I don’t have a little more company in this regard since I see my opinions as being approached from a liberal perspective. I thought liberals would at least ask questions about economic impact, education, racial issues, accommodating people for whom home is not safe, preferably before shutting everything down. I would also have been more comfortable if these restrictions were specifically enacted into law rather than promulgated by executive fiat. I do believe the Governors and Mayors who have made these difficult decisions are acting in good faith. Some have called for national consistency from the White House, but do we really want Donald Trump of all people having an excuse to shut down gatherings? In MA we were provoked to Revolution in part by decrees banning public meetings and while we may trust our current Governors the point of hard and fast limits on government is that we may not always be able to. Besides, for something like this different parts of the country have been hit differently and rules should acknowledge those differences.
Yet, instead it seems the ones I often find myself agreeing with are those to whom I would usually stand in strong opposition. One of my fellow commenters thought that maybe I was being more libertarian than liberal, which was honestly thought-provoking. It does seem that I may have discovered my inner civil libertarian, but that only goes so far. My understanding of libertarianism is that it opposes government intervention to help people and I for one very much favor that role for government particularly in times like these. This would be even worse if we threw all these people out of work and then said, sorry, you’re on your own. If anything, our government should have been more pro-active on the front end, which may have resulted in us not being in the mess we find ourselves in now.
I want to close by saying however much you may disagree with me, as you are certainly free to do, I am not a troll and I am certainly not a monster. Those who know me in real life I believe would attest to that. It has hurt to have a mirror held up to me to show me someone I do not recognize and maybe it’s hard to express my thoughts on this medium in the way they are intended. I do have parents who are of a certain age and have other risk factors, but even for them my proverbial money is on them getting through this just fine. What I argue I argue in good faith and I very much wish there had not been quite so much drama about this. If this had been handled correctly the vast majority of us would not know or even have to know that this virus is going around. I also call on the media to report good news too. Every time I have looked, in every jurisdiction I have looked, the recovery rate has greatly outpaced the death rate. Yet the media trumpet hitting the next round number of deaths while I have to go looking for the recoveries. Lastly, I want to leave you all with something that was posted on Facebook by my former State Representative for whom I once interned (She’s still a State Rep., but “former” to me since I moved out of her district.), which appears to be a copy/paste:
As governors are trying to figure out how to ease back in to a new normal, please remember:
🛑 Some people don’t agree with the state opening.... that’s okay. Be kind.
🏡 Some people are still planning to stay home.... that’s okay. Be kind.
🦠 Some are still scared of getting the virus and a second wave happening....that’s okay. Be kind.
💰 Some are sighing with relief to go back to work knowing they may not lose their business or their homes....that’s okay. Be kind.
👩🏾⚕️Some are thankful they can finally have a surgery they have put off....that’s okay. Be kind.
📝 Some will be able to attend interviews after weeks without a job....that’s okay. Be kind.
😷 Some will wear masks for weeks....that’s okay. Be kind.
💅🏻 Some people will rush out to get the hair or nails done.... that’s okay. Be kind.
❤️ The point is, everyone has different viewpoints/feelings and that’s okay. Be kind.
We each have a different story. If you need to stay home, stay home. But be kind.
If you need to go out, just respect others when in public and be kind!
Don’t judge fellow humans because you’re not in their story. We all are in different mental states than we were months ago. So remember, be kind.
Copy, paste, and share as a reminder to BE KIND! ♥️
My condolences to those who have lost loved ones; my prayers for recovery to those who have the virus; and my blessings of continued good health to everyone else.