This thread reflects my feelings regarding protests and coronavirus. Society went from being absolutely terrified of being anywhere near another human being for 3 months to many thousands of people flooding the streets. In an instant. Almost nobody is talking about the COVID threat anymore. Remember how furious everyone was a month ago when Trump supporters yelled in the faces of cops when there was a pandemic happening? I fully support the meaning of these protests and it is long overdue, but either the threat of this virus was severely overhyped or we are about to pay the price of hundreds of thousands of lives for this movement. It frustrates me that the media hardly even approaches the subject barely a week removed from the “we are all going to die from coronavirus” news cycle.
Menzo
3519
Perhaps people feel like the ongoing problem of police murdering innocent black people is worth risking their lives?
I see nearly everyone wearing masks in the protests, as opposed to the “I want my baby back ribs” protests weeks ago.
And there’s a TON of talk about COVID by the people I’m watching. Everyone realizes that we’re likely going to see lots of new cases, but we don’t really know how bad it’s going to be.
KevinC
3520
One of these things is not like the other.
In any case, nothing about the virus has changed. I am really worried for places like New York who had wrestled the numbers down and now might (will?) see a second wave.
Pretty much this I think. “Protect our lives and the status quo and our great society from disease” is a great rallying cry when everything thinks those things are worth protecting. But the COVID-19 fallout led to a huge spike in unemployment and a lot of problems for the poorest 50% of our society. So now we have a substantial group of upset disaffected people and there’s no more stimulus money coming and why exactly should they care who dies if life sucks?
Menzo
3522
Here’s a scene from Paris.
I don’t know, if people are willing to risk the much more proximate danger of being shot or beaten to death by the police, I imagine the risk of getting sick is a lot less on their minds.
Yes people are wearing masks, but how much is that going to matter when people are getting pepper sprayed and coughing all over each other? And we’re maybe 2 months removed from popular opinion being “nobody should wear masks because emergency workers need them and they don’t do anything”. Now masks are going to prevent thousands of people closely packed together, screaming at the top of their lungs. Sorry but that is not at all socially responsible if we’re going by the standard we set a month ago. What has changed since then regarding coronavirus?
I get that people have hit their limit of what they are willing to tolerate regarding social injustice. But you can’t even acknowledge how crazy it is that we went from “the economy doesn’t matter when people are dying” to “some things are worth risking lives for”. It’s for a just cause but you can’t just handwave all that away. You are saying it is OK if hundreds of thousands of people die, the economy is destroyed, medical system collapses if we can put a dent in police brutality. If we deliberately weigh the risks to society and decide that it is worth that cost then so be it, but we’re not even interested in entertaining that discussion.
Everyone who had “One of the most thoughtful statements about race coming from an NHL goaltender” on your bingo card, go collect your winnings.
Preach, Braden.
I mean, we can weigh the COVID deaths vs. police abuse deaths in the last 3 months if you’d like.
Menzo
3528
This is not sarcasm:
It sounds like you are arguing from a position of white priviledge.
Do you know what it’s like to live your life in fear of being murdered just for being black? I don’t, but I imagine after a while it’d really weigh on me.
The measurement of generations of justified fear, and rightful anxiety over police and government harassment of blacks in this way is the whitest fucking thing I’ve read on this forum in a while.
I’m sure the state can just send the police to force all those people home.
God knows all the rage is justified, but I do wonder how all this is going to look a month from now if the black community is decimated by COVID deaths, the hospital systems in major cities are overwhelmed, and nursing homes and prisons in major urban areas become charnel houses as a result. I dearly hope outdoor transmission, masks, and summer heat severely mitigate transmission in these crowds.
Personally, I’m not particularly interested in what the managing editor of The Blaze thinks is the proper response here, especially given his ability to ignore everyone who has already brought it up as an issue.
KevinC
3533
I’m afraid its going to be bad. Real bad. Guess we’ll find out how much masks, being outdoors, and summer weather are mitigating factors.
I was just appending exactly that sentiment to my post. Fingers hugely crossed that it’s not as bad as I think it’s going to be.
Is this the part where I get branded a racist because I state the fact that COVID-19 has killed over 100,000 Americans in the last 3 months and if we’re going by the social distancing fears we had last month could very well have a million people dead if we’re all hanging out in crowds now?
Menzo
3536
What exactly would you suggest then? Should we outlaw protest?
People know the risks.
The thing is…that community is already being decimated by this disease, disproportionately. And one of the things they’re out on the streets protesting about is the inequity of how healthcare (including those sick with COVID 19) is doled out in this country based on race.
