Comment #4351

2020-04-03T15:03:32Z

The thing is, Don, the Governor didn't need to act. It is good, not bad, to act at the lowest feasible level of government, and that's what the county ordinances did. What the new orders do (as far as I've been able to understand) is to set a standard below which counties cannot go, but recognizes their authority to enact stricter measures, which many have. The needs of Miami are not the same as the needs of sparsely-populated rural areas.

I don't know what you have observed, but from what I can see Floridians have been social distancing since well before the rules went into effect. (The insane spring-breakers from out of state are another story.) Stores set up their own rules to keep things under control. People shopped less, and faster, and were generally more considerate of others and in good spirits. All but a handful of people attended the online version of church. Mind you, I didn't see everything, since I've been mostly isolated myself—but that's what I observed when I did go out. And when the rules went into effect, most people seemed happy to comply.

Sure, there will always be those who don't. Making something illegal doesn't make bad behavior go away. But the social pressure to keep one's distance is probably even stronger than the laws.

The really scary part is that people don't seem to understand that "flatting the curve," while extremely important, doesn't solve the problem. They act as if we can just hunker down for a few weeks and then come out of hiding and COVID-19 will be a thing of the past. Guess what? The virus is still going to be there, and barring some miraculous mutation that severely weakens it, we're still going to have to deal with it. It's not like a hurricane that will blow through and then be gone. The value of staying home lies in holding off the days of reckoning until we have vaccines, treatments, or at least medical facilities that are better prepared. Here's a good article about the problem.

Comment #4350

2020-04-03T13:01:54Z

I'm reminded of conversations I used to have with my step-daughter who lives in North Carolina and routinely drove around while holding her cellphone in one hand. "It's not illegal here," she would say. I always responded by telling her it was a stupid thing to do nonetheless. It occurs to me now that the risk was not just to herself but also to others she might have hit who were driving, biking or walking around.

That idea applies more so today with stay at home orders. Those who insist on congregating pose a risk not only to themselves and each other but to those they may infect and to those THEY may infect, etc. This virus is so contagious that voluntary stay at home orders are of little use if everyone does not volunteer. Parts of Europe learned this the hard way and are now fining people who do not comply. We had the benefit of seeing this coming and seeing what helped mitigate it yet many elected officials, like the governor you so highly praise, dragged their feet for political reasons. The sad part is it probably works for them. When election day arrives the thing foremost in your mind may well be the fact that Governor DeSantis declared church services essential rather than the Floridians and other Americans who needlessly died because of his inaction.

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Comment #4351

Comment #4350