I am really curious as to why people want to continue living under this pandemic. It certainly hasn’t been any fun. Businesses have been shuttered. Millions of Americans are unemployed. Over 11,000,000 million Americans have been infected by this virus. Hospitals are at capacity in several states. Cases are continuing to surge and about a quarter of a million Americans have died so far with predictions indicating another 200,000 deaths are well within the realm of possibility within the next two or three months. And yet with all of this, it seems as if a lot of people just don’t care and are unwilling to make small sacrifices to help stem the spread of this deadly enemy.
The simple act of wearing a mask has become a political statement. Some argue that it is a matter of ‘freedom’. Some governors who have resisted public health recommendations, such as Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota, have taken the position that they leave it up to individuals to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, Governor Noem’s lack of taking aggressive action has resulted in South Dakota having one of the highest positivity rates in the country and hospitals in South Dakota are in crisis.
Given Governor Noem’s thinking, I think she should repeal all of the DUI laws in South Dakota in the hopes that people will make informed rational decisions to not drink and drive because they might endanger others lives. After all, they should be ‘free’ to live their lives how they choose without any interference from the government. That obviously won’t happen because we all know that argument is both ridiculous and dangerous. Personally, I fail to see the difference between a mask mandate and DUI laws. I cherish my freedom as much as the next person but freedom is not a license to act recklessly and endanger other individuals.
I fully expect Montana to follow in the steps of South Dakota and other mid-western states that have resisted mask mandates and public health measures when Governor-elect Gianforte takes office in January. The current governor, Steve Bullock, has implemented a state wide mask mandate because cases in Montana are surging. However, Gianforte has said he will repeal such a mandate because his thinking is similar to Governor Noem’s. It’s going to be a tough few month up here in ‘the last best place.’
Yes, it appears there is a vaccine on the horizon but it will be well into next year before a significant number of Americans are vaccinated. It is a huge challenge to go from ‘there is a vaccine’ to ‘anyone who wants it can go to their local CVS and get a COVID vaccination’. The Pfizer vaccine requires special cold storage requirements which will add an extra layer of complexity to the already monumental logistical challenges of rolling this out. The Moderna vaccine also requires cold storage but the requirements are not as onerous as those for the Pfizer vaccine. In any case, it will be months before either of these vaccines are widely available to the general population.
Thanksgiving is next week and, in spite of evidence that much of the current community spread is being done through gatherings of family and friends, it is highly likely that in the weeks following Thanksgiving the current surge will accelerate because people could not resist the temptation to get together in large gatherings of people who don’t all live under the same roof. People will die. Hospitals will be overwhelmed. Medical staff will continue to be put at risk during long shifts day after day while watching people die needlessly – and a lot of people will just continue to skate along with an ‘Oh, well’ attitude.
Of course, we’re all tired of life under COVID. This has been challenging for everyone. But the fact is that if everyone would just practice some basic, simple things like wearing masks, practicing social distancing and frequent hand washing, we could all get back to some sense of normalcy much sooner and save tens of thousands of lives in the process. It is just beyond me why these simple things are just too much to ask. It makes me question what kind of a country we have become. America had a reputation for years for its ‘can do’ attitude and steel resolve to tackle big problems. It seems like we have backed away from that and become a nation of people more interested in short term gratification and many unwilling to make any kind of sacrifice to put community and country before self.
When Thanksgiving rolls around next week I will have much to be thankful for. I will be thankful that I am alive and have the choice to wear a mask. I will be thankful that I have the choice as to who I invite into my house and spend my time with – and right now that is simply my daughter and her mom who are living with me. I will be thankful that I have the choice to make decisions that protect myself and those I love. There are almost 250,000 Americans who have died and will no longer have that choice. Unfortunately, many of those 250,000 people are dead because they or people around them made bad choices. Let’s all make sure that we have something to be thankful for NEXT Thanksgiving.