Pandemic Bullies

If you're not wearing a mask yet... you'd better, first and foremost to protect yourself and others you interact with for the virus. But there's something else you may have to protect yourself from as well. I'm noticing an increase in hostility towards people who aren't wearing masks. I saw my first case of violence against some guy who got on a line without a mask and them mouthed off to someone with a mask-- someone much bigger than him with a mask-- when he was asked to get out of the line and move away. He wound up with a bloody nose or mouth because he mouthed off, not because he wasn't wearing a mask per se but, it's early yet. Better to wear a mask and observe all the social distancing etiquette the risk some jerk shooting you for decideing you're endangering him.

I was not surprised to see the video above with day one reactions from Indian police, always happy-- like police anywhere-- to have an excuse to physically abuse someone and play the dominance and submission game.

In the U.S., a majority of people tell pollsters they are fine with following social distancing rules, but... not everyone. And the more Trump makes up crap on TV that indicates the pandemic isn't that bad or almost over, the harder it is going to be to get his followers to change their behavior. Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't mind if every Trump supporter died tomorrow. The problem is they'll increase the infection rate and the death rate for normal people. But it's heartening to see even Republican governors now ignoring him and moving forward with the behavior-changing orders that can stop this thing. Take Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), who's been one of the most proactive of any governor, regardless of party. "When people are dying and people don't feel safe, the economy is not going to come back. We have to #FlattenTheCurve so that when the wave comes, it's not as big as it would have been and we are prepared for it. We are going to get our economy back, but we have to get through it, protect as many lives as we can, and then move forward. I'm looking forward to that day, but it's not here yet."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan: "We don't think that we're going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so, or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock"

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R): "Whatever messages that are coming out of Washington, we are going to make sure we take care of the needs of New Hampshire first. What we aren’t going to do is overly accelerate or loosen regulations just for the sake of the economy and at the risk of public health."

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R): "I hope the president's right, let me just say that. But the reality of it is, we’re planning this much longer than two weeks here in the state of Missouri. And I think that’s how you do-- to make a good plan-- how you’re going deal with the crisis."

And this week the Republican governors of Massachusetts, Georgia, Indiana, Vermont, Idaho and West Virginia all issued stay-at-home orders, while Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) "ordered," whatever that means, anyone entering the state to self-quarantine. Worst governor of a big state so far: Florida's Ron DeSantis, who's basically recommending measures. What a clown!