The Chaos Diaries - 4/21/20

Yeah, I know I already had a post today, but I thought this warranted posting, too.

Yesterday morning, I read a news story about a man in Florida who was so wrapped up in the fear and the chaos, he threatened to take a gun to Publix* and shoot anyone not wearing a mask and gloves. Of course, he did this publicly and is now in jail.  But what if he hadn't posted his urge to FB and had followed through?  

In comments to that news story, folks were saying how they understood him, which to me is almost as scary as the idea of him shooting up a Publix.  The fear is making people crazy and making people willing to accept the crazy. 

Also, I saw what I thought were perfectly rational people posting screeds against the re-opening of America.  As if that's going to kill us all. 

Early on,. I heard it said this was going to be no worse than the flu.  Then they ramped it up and it was going to be way worse than the flu.  Now they're saying it won't be worse than the flu.  The only way this is worse than the flu is that we aren't all terrified of the flu.  I don't think I've ever seen or heard of anyone threatening to kill people who might be spreading the flu. 

Also early on, I said I was more afraid of the economic impact of this thing than of the virus itself.  Yep, still am.  Unemployment is HIGH, small businesses are closed and may not be able to recover from this, we're looking at a huge down turn in the economy the likes of which make take us years to recover from. 

In other news, Half Whitmer announced she may extend Michigan's lockdown because of the protests.  Why?  :shrug:  I'm thinking spite.  Sort of an "I'll show you not to mess with me."  She's on a huge power trip and I hope the voters in Michigan do something about that. 

I heard the other day that journalism is taking a hit.  Well, what passes for journalism these days.  I think the article was in The Washington Post.  Personally, I don't think it's the virus that's hurting them as bad as the lies they've been printing for years.  They're responsible for part of this fear that's making people nuts. 

I do feel bad for the people who are so terrified of this they'd happily kill people and watch the economy fail.  They're trading liberty for the illusion of security.  Like the gal who went off on a tear calling anyone who wants to see the lockdowns lifted 'dumb asses', because her husband is a police officer and could, I don't know, catch this from people who aren't staying home.  I suspect she's spends every day afraid she'll get that call telling her that her husband will never come home.  Forcing everyone to stay home won't make her husband any safer, except from the chance he might catch this.  The criminals he deals with every day won't be paying attention to the stay-at-home order any more than they pay attention to any law.  Perhaps that's part of why this virus is so rampant in the areas where crime is high.

Now they're saying like 80% of the people who catch this get over it without medical intervention, many without even knowing they had it because their cases are so light. 

I also feel bad for the people who are dying from this.  And I feel bad for people who've died of any other contagious disease.  And I feel bad for people killed by drunk drivers.  You do what you can to avoid it, but sometimes death wins.  And it sucks.  Every time.  But we don't shut the world down for any other disease.  We didn't shut it down for Swine Flu, Ebola, Bird Flu, AIDS, etc.  Why this?  Why now?

Election year, perhaps?

Anyway, we're still all fine here.  I still don't know anyone who has it and I haven't heard any more stories of anyone I know who knows someone who has it.  An old dude in my pay job's office building was quarantined because he had a fever and a cough, but no word as to whether he actually had it, and he showed up at his office on Friday, so he must have gotten over whatever he had.  He's around 80 and in poor health anyway, so if he can get over it, I'm even less worried about it if I do catch it.

How are you and yours? 

*If you don't know Publix, it's a large grocery chain I used to shop at in FL.  I think it's elsewhere, too, but we didn't have any in MI and there aren't any around here either.