As a Liberal, I've unfollowed many liberal friends on FB because what they post is so extremely to the left that common sense has been chucked out the window. I'm sure your parents are very smart people (as mine are, and they are probably in line with yours), and I know my friends are. But the utter lack of logic by some folks on both sides is mind boggling.
I know this post has nothing to do with the thread, just echoing your thoughts from the other side, and I appreciate you sharing your take.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
Most protesters I saw wore face coverings, so they are not "covidiots".
"Covidiots" are people who for no good reason do all the wrong things..like the kids that went partying at The Lake of the Ozarks over Memorial Day.
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Cam...570877201.html
Interesting article on Sweden's approach to the pandemic. "Sweden did not impose as strict a lockdown as most developed countries, but it still avoided the sort of death rates that many (including the authors of this piece) had feared. But while Sweden may suggest that the benefits of lockdown have been overstated, it also shows that the costs have too. And there are good reasons to think that Sweden has had many of the costs of mandatory lockdowns, with few of the benefits."
https://thecritic.co.uk/live-free-an...us-experience/
Isolation for 14 days 'unnecessary', claims Germany's top government scientist
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/29/isolation-14-days-unnecessary-claims-germanys-top-government/
The hubby was born in Springfield. MiL grew up in Ozark, FiL grew up in Halfway then Springfield. Hubby grew up in MA and CT. After FiL retired, the in-laws lived for many years near Beaufort, SC but it was always my FiL's dream to have a hunting cabin "back home". They eventually built one near Theodosia. When they sold the SC place (3 or 4 years ago), they lived full time in the cabin (it's not small but it is made of wood) for awhile. If you know Theodosia, you know that it is very rural and not close enough to any medical facilities for a couple in their '80s. They finally bought a house in Springfield last summer and are now living in Springfield.
As of Saturday evening May 30, the seven-day average for new COVID-19 deaths is 983, down from 1,233 the previous week and down 55 percent from the peak average of 2,208 on April 21.
New COVID-19 cases have also declined, but at a slower rate. The seven-day average is 21,400, down from the previous week's 22,600 and 32 percent below the high on April 8 of 31,600.
Possible reasons for the divergence of new deaths and new cases -- We are testing more people, and at the margin, they are healthier than those discovered earlier. Second, surely we are doing a much better job of protecting seniors in assisted-living facilities and nursing homes, with consequent lower mortality.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
Sure seems to me that the virus is still just an abstraction for many people. It's going to take a death in the family, or a close friend, to alter that viewpoint for many.
I try, but that is tough to do when you already know you are right.
Speaking of confirmation bias and information silos, I think we were.
Seriously though, I have a good friend who is several clicks away from me on the political spectrum. When we talk "issues" I am continually surprised at how we are working from different sets of facts or at the very least from different sets of important facts.
Rioters are generally inclined towards masks regardless of the pandemic. Most clips I have seen from Minneapolis, Seattle, Louisville has shown the vast majority of folks wearing masks.
Not to mention, those falling victim to the virus are skewed towards minorities as well.
Generally agree with you, bunda. My question is: What would be the goal of a second shut down? The goal of the first one was to keep the health care system from being too overwhelmed while experts figure out treatment protocols, how to best limit the spread and work on a vaccine. Mission accomplished, but if we shut down again, the goalposts have to move to "stop the virus," otherwise there will be a third wave and third shutdown, repeat as needed until vaccine is widely administered. At this point, "stop the virus" doesn't seem possible given that many Americans have clearly indicated they won't isolate, wear masks or stop socializing in large groups. If the goal of the 2nd shutdown is "keep treading water," that doesn't make sense to me.
We really are between a rock and a hard place.