It's not up for debate. You're either wearing a mask in public, or you're a bastard. This pandemic has lasted too long for us to keep having this conversation. Some of you are still stuck in April, making the same stupid arguments you had then, your fingers in your ears going "la la la la". We already know how to end the pandemic, but Republicans just aren't willing to do it.
Trump has made us the laughing stock of the world. We're one of the few countries left that hasn't gotten the disease under control. If we want to know how to do the same, all we have to do is look at some of these other countries and see how they did it. It's pretty simple - Enforce everyone to stay in their homes, except for a few essential jobs, like doctors and delivery drivers. Anyone who does have to leave the house, has to wear a mask, no exceptions. And of course, pay people to stay in their homes. It would only take a couple of months for the virus to die out, if they strictly enforced this.
Instead, we're trying half-assed method after half-assed method, and cases keep rising. You might think it's too expensive to pay people to stay home, but in the long run it would be cheaper. Two expensive months versus what will probably be more than a year of various half-assed methods.
If we had done this in April, we'd have it under control by now. I know it would be hard to enforce, and here's where I get really mean. But I would recommend total enforcement. I'm talking totalitarian, "snipers on the roof" enforcement. Wear a mask or go to jail. Resist arrest and die. Yeah, I know it's harsh, but it's only for two months. And frankly, at this point, I think refusing to wear a mask is attempted murder.
Treat the maskless like the potential murderers they are. They know they run the risk of infecting others. If a guy started walking around Kroger firing a handgun in random directions, he'd get arrested (if he's lucky). This really is no different.
My aunt says, "I don't believe masks help, and I'm entitled to my opinion." But ignorance can't be an excuse when lives are on the line. The fact that anti-maskers are incredibly fucking stupid isn't a valid legal defense. If my hypothetical Kroger shooter said, "I don't believe bullets are dangerous," we wouldn't just say, "Bless your heart, I guess you can go."
No more half-assed solutions. If Trump really wants to get re-elected, he should bite the bullet and get this over with. Lockdown. Enforce it. Pay the citizens. Then he can take credit for ending the virus (despite the rest of us recommending these actions since April). He'd finally be the hero, and the quarantine would be over just in time for the election.
But of course he won't do any of that. He won't do the right thing even when it benefits himself. It's just not in his nature.
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