{"id":151321,"date":"2020-09-21T08:51:36","date_gmt":"2020-09-21T14:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=151321"},"modified":"2020-09-21T08:51:36","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T14:51:36","slug":"no-nobody-is-enjoying-the-covid-19-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2020\/09\/21\/no-nobody-is-enjoying-the-covid-19-crisis.html","title":{"rendered":"No, nobody is enjoying the COVID-19 crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

This started as a Twitter thread<\/a>, but I wanted to get it down in my blog for the longer term.<\/em><\/p>\n

There seems to be this weird myth going along amongst the anti-maskers, anti-distancing, anti-treating-<\/span>#COVID19<\/a><\/span>-as-a-serious-public-health-threat crowd, that their “opposition” are getting some special joy out of forcing<\/em> people to obey all these restrictions, regulations, and shutdown activities that they are doing themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Image\"
Because the Founders, who regularly evacuated big cities during the summer, would have found mask-wearing a terrible, existential affront.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The idea that we’re all chortling over people being forced to wear masks, shut down businesses, and juggle questions of safety for ourselves, our kids, our parents, our friends, our communities … that idea is not just wrong, not just insulting, but this is maddeningly offensive.<\/p>\n

I hate this. I hate all<\/em> of this. Wearing masks. Treating my mom and in-laws like precious china and restricting myself<\/em> to things that won’t, in passing, threaten them. Not traveling on vacation. Not having folk over for game day, or BBQs, or (99% likely) Thanksgiving. I HATE it.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"
Not knowing what is happening next, or when things will return to normal, or what normal will look like, is pretty awful, too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And I say that as an introvert who, normally, would just as soon cocoon from the world and recharge my batteries. That little green “recharge is complete, better unplug or else you’ll damage the circuits” light is blinking.<\/p>\n

This needful isolation is driving even me bats. So I sympathize with those who hate it even more than I do.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"
Too much of an often good thing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Y’know what I hate more? People taking the measures I feel are moral imperatives to protect my family, my friends, myself … and spitting on them as some kook conspiracy, as some libtard craziness, as a hoax, as a political ploy.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"
Yeah, NOW they want to “be like Sweden.” Which only pursued its strategy because it had a robust, publicly funded, universally available health care system that it thought couldn’t be overwhelmed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spitting on science AND my own sacrifices as some unbelievable plot to steal some kindergarten sense of FREEDUMM! from people. And, in so doing, making this problem worse, and last longer.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tantrums are unbecoming a nation that prides itself on strength and a history of resolve. Yet, here we are.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have screen savers and digital frames of photos of the cool things our family has done: fun travel, enjoyable parties, get-togethers and the like. And I love those pix for the memories they recall, but they also taunt me because I can’t<\/em> do things like that right now, because they are DANGEROUS to myself and my loved ones.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"
Probably not revisiting Greece any time soon. Assuming they’d let Americans back in the door in the first place.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And, again, introvert talking here. I am not the party-three-nights-a-weekend type. But even I need more direct social contact than I am getting.<\/p>\n

For various folk to take having to wear a mask to visit their local Costco as some intolerable personal offense, when I am watching the clock run out on being able to travel with my mom to some of the places she’s always wanted to go … is infuriating.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"
Tantrums are unbecoming for [see previous caption]<\/figcaption><\/figure>Nobody wants this. Everyone<\/em> hates this. And in some cases that translates into redirected hate, or at least anger, against people who are making the situation worse,<\/em> by being self-indulgent, rebelling against sensible measures, and helping further spread this disease. Throwing away the sacrifices already made. Killing and crippling more people, and forcing shut-downs to last longer.<\/p>\n
\"Image\"
Yes, please, record your stupidity for posterity. Assuming you have one.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Or worse, those who encourage such irresponsible behavior in their words and deeds, to politically benefit themselves<\/a> at the cost of goddamned freaking HUMAN LIVES.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This guy. THIS guy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I am an adult. As such, I acknowledge I cannot do everything I want, and, in fact, am at times morally<\/em> restrained from doing things that are attractive, things I want to do, things that would be fun, because the cost to myself and (most importantly) others would be too high.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"
A lesson we all learn. Sometimes repeatedly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And sometimes, when temptation is too high or the risk too great, we actually restrict people from doing things. Sometimes temporarily — closing a road because of a possible slide, taping off a crime scene, check-points to find drunk drivers on a holiday weekend — and sometimes permanently.<\/p>\n

That’s what being a mature adult is about. Not about stamping one’s foot and demanding “FREEDOM!” from restriction. That’s what six-year-olds do, because their worldview is strictly about them and their wants. Adults are supposed to be different.<\/p>\n

\"\"
We all do, honey. Now shut up and go to your room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Liberty is not libertinism. Freedom is not about ignoring the freedom of others. We live in a society, not some Libertarian \/ Hobbesian war of all-against-all. Unless we want our lives to be nasty, brutish, and short<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ah, the social contract. What we agree to do for each other, for mutual safety and prosperity. I remember those days. Good times, man, good times.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Argue, if you care to, about the facts<\/em>. About what is actually needed. About how we get to the point where the survival-needful restrictions on our liberty (and economy and convenience and pleasure) can be eased. Have an honest, serious, greater-good discussion about that<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But don’t act like this is a cosmic battle between the Defenders of Liberty and the Right to Party Hearty vs.<\/em> the Cackling Evil Hordes of Burka-Mandating Authoritarianism. Because you are not only profoundly wrong, but you are being profoundly insulting.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I don’t enjoy wearing masks. But I do so anyway, because I’m a damned grown-up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[350,381,2047,100,716,358,1071],"tags":[1287,2025,2084],"class_list":["post-151321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-civil-liberties","category-conspiracy-nuts","category-covid-19","category-dolts","category-my-travel","category-poor-citizenship","category-trump","tag-conspiracytheories","tag-covid19","tag-freedumb"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/covid19-freedom-protesters.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":149292,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2020\/04\/08\/to-the-grocery-store-in-the-time-of-the-great-covid-19-pandemic.html","url_meta":{"origin":151321,"position":0},"title":"To the Grocery Store in the Time of the Great COVID-19 Pandemic","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 8-Apr-20 6:17pm","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Risk is our business.\"","rel":"","context":"In "COVID-19"","block_context":{"text":"COVID-19","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/health\/covid-19"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/to-the-grocery-store-in-the-time-of-the-great-covid-19-pandemic-1r2C1zGUHbU.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/to-the-grocery-store-in-the-time-of-the-great-covid-19-pandemic-1r2C1zGUHbU.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/to-the-grocery-store-in-the-time-of-the-great-covid-19-pandemic-1r2C1zGUHbU.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/to-the-grocery-store-in-the-time-of-the-great-covid-19-pandemic-1r2C1zGUHbU.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/to-the-grocery-store-in-the-time-of-the-great-covid-19-pandemic-1r2C1zGUHbU.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":148684,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2020\/03\/05\/before-the-dark-times-arrive.html","url_meta":{"origin":151321,"position":1},"title":"Before the Dark Times arrive …","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 5-Mar-20 11:24pm","format":"aside","excerpt":"\"Buy Oreos! They'll be worth their weight in ammo!\"","rel":"","context":"In "~Tweets"","block_context":{"text":"~Tweets","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/tweets"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":155518,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2021\/10\/11\/death-by-willful-ignorance.html","url_meta":{"origin":151321,"position":2},"title":"Death by Willful Ignorance","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 11-Oct-21 12:02am","format":false,"excerpt":"Defiance of science leading to unnecessary death is not unique to COVID-era America.","rel":"","context":"In "COVID-19"","block_context":{"text":"COVID-19","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/health\/covid-19"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/James-Garfield-deathbed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":152224,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2020\/11\/16\/jim-jordan-is-a-dolt-covid-19-edition.html","url_meta":{"origin":151321,"position":3},"title":"Jim Jordan Is A Dolt (COVID-19 Edition)","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 16-Nov-20 5:52pm","format":false,"excerpt":"The only freedom-taking is by idjits pretending the disease doesn't exist.","rel":"","context":"In "COVID-19"","block_context":{"text":"COVID-19","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/health\/covid-19"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/jim-jordan.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/jim-jordan.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/jim-jordan.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/jim-jordan.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/jim-jordan.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/jim-jordan.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":131615,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/09\/23\/the-anti-anti-social-nature-of-mobile-devices.html","url_meta":{"origin":151321,"position":4},"title":"The Anti-Anti-Social Nature of Mobile Devices","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 23-Sep-16 1:30pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Well ... yes and no. I chat with my mom a lot more via IM\/SMS than I ever did in period phone calls. I stay in touch with my wife all day. I ping friends, coordinate get-togethers, play on-line game with various friends and acquaintances, etc.Am I less sociable toward\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13632,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/11\/03\/what_an_obama_presidency.html","url_meta":{"origin":151321,"position":5},"title":"What an Obama presidency would mean","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 3-Nov-08 8:25am","format":false,"excerpt":"Anti-flag, anti-anthem, anti-national-reputation, anti-life, anti-economy, anti-work, pro-lazy,\u00a0pro-socialist\u00a0\u00a0... don't believe me? Just ask these McCain supporters: \u00a0 (via J-Walk)...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151321"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151324,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151321\/revisions\/151324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}