[BostonCard]

It's poignant, but it is also potentially dangerous.



"We just want to see our grandparents"

"We just want to make payroll"

"We just want to have a Christmas celebration"

"We just want to celebrate mass"

"We just want to protest police brutality"

I could go on.



There are a lot of "We just want to ..." out there that are very poignant and very important.  Many of them might be able to be performed safely or "probably" won't result in COVID transmissions.  But cumulatively they have put us in the situation we are in right now.  The only way we will get the pandemic under control without going into lock-down is if "We just want to..." is followed by "but it's important for us not to."



BC

But not all your scenarios are with people getting tested regularly (I know I've yet to get tested at all - same with family - no need to).

As for getting an opponent - a Gonzaga, or anyone really - I wouldn't be surprised if Stanford has to kick in some $$ to make that happen.  I imagine lots of ADs out there are incredibly cash strapped.

All of the scenarios I quoted involved some compelling reason why they should be allowed to happen.    Religious ceremonies are protected by the first amendment; protests are likewise constitutionally protected (and can be taken place outside).  Seeing one's grandparents can probably be done outdoors > 6 feet apart while wearing masks.  Businesses have spent a lot of time and effort at developing COVID-19 protocols, reconfiguring their stores or restaurants or places of work to minimize contact, enable social distancing, etc.  It all can be done safer or is important for one reason or another.  But as a result of all the special pleading for why activity x should be allowed, we have a pandemic that has left us with 1 in 9 hospital beds in the country filled with a patient with COVID-19, a number that will have to stabilize and start coming down in order not to overwhelm hospitals.  So we just have to start saying "no" to ourselves and stop trying to convince ourselves that whatever activity we want or think we need to do and think we can do "safely" maybe shouldn't be done.  Of course, it is hard to think we are going to have an effect if we see others not doing their part, and one can hardly blame Stanford women's basketball from just wanting to play, when no other team is voluntarily not playing.

BC

[BostonCard]

It's poignant, but it is also potentially dangerous.



"We just want to see our grandparents"

"We just want to make payroll"

"We just want to have a Christmas celebration"

"We just want to celebrate mass"

"We just want to protest police brutality"

I could go on.



There are a lot of "We just want to ..." out there that are very poignant and very important.  Many of them might be able to be performed safely or "probably" won't result in COVID transmissions.  But cumulatively they have put us in the situation we are in right now.  The only way we will get the pandemic under control without going into lock-down is if "We just want to..." is followed by "but it's important for us not to."



BC

But not all your scenarios are with people getting tested regularly (I know I've yet to get tested at all - same with family - no need to).

As for getting an opponent - a Gonzaga, or anyone really - I wouldn't be surprised if Stanford has to kick in some $$ to make that happen.  I imagine lots of ADs out there are incredibly cash strapped.

All of the scenarios I quoted involved some compelling reason why they should be allowed to happen.    Religious ceremonies are protected by the first amendment; protests are likewise constitutionally protected (and can be taken place outside).  Seeing one's grandparents can probably be done outdoors > 6 feet apart while wearing masks.  Businesses have spent a lot of time and effort at developing COVID-19 protocols, reconfiguring their stores or restaurants or places of work to minimize contact, enable social distancing, etc.  It all can be done safer or is important for one reason or another.  But as a result of all the special pleading for why activity x should be allowed, we have a pandemic that has left us with 1 in 9 hospital beds in the country filled with a patient with COVID-19, a number that will have to stabilize and start coming down in order not to overwhelm hospitals.  So we just have to start saying "no" to ourselves and stop trying to convince ourselves that whatever activity we want or think we need to do and think we can do "safely" maybe shouldn't be done.  Of course, it is hard to think we are going to have an effect if we see others not doing their part, and one can hardly blame Stanford women's basketball from just wanting to play, when no other team is voluntarily not playing.

BC