I'll take Covid in Floriduh for $100...or "Is DeSantis toast?"

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

Depends where you live bcredliner. Here in San Antonio, at least 40-50% of the population wears a mask indoors, excepting in restaurants... because what's the point. A buddy from Houston was surprised when he came for a visit at all the masks. Said very few people wear them in Htown.

That said, we don't eat indoors at all with the kids. And only off hours with the wife and myself (<5 times in 18 months) with very little crowding. We'll turn around if the parking lot is too crowded. We homeschool also, which is a burden.

But I don't expect everyone to do what we do either, I'm sure we are overly cautious. Especially with positivity rates here so low (~2%), but we are cautious for ourselves as it helps us function at a semi-normal sanity level. Others can take as much risk as they deem fit. I hate Abbott (I dislike, and certainly distrust, most people in politics), but I'm not for a statewide (or nationwide) mandate on masks either. Businesses and employers can require them if they want. Abbott's EO to punish companies for vaccine mandates was in response to the Executive branch mandating companies over 100 require them.

Why am I against mandates? Well, government rarely surrenders powers granted to it. See the Patriot Act and FISA courts.

There have been many mandates addressing infectious diseases in the past. There are several vaccinations children must have before starting school. Measles and mumps are two examples. Those vaccinations are required so why not a COVID mandate for all?

I assume all of us would like to get closer to what was normal prior to COVID. But about 40% of the country has chosen not to be vaccinated for some reason or another, many are adamant, some even after the have had a severe case. Many have made their choice based on their political party association. Can't change that. The virus is not going to go away on its own. It's not something that will go quietly into the night.

If there isn't a federal mandate business all will be left to their own decision. What small or large businesses decide to do won't be consistent, the same for corporations. Sounds like a fantastic recipe for nationwide chaos. To those that don't believe the guidelines are correct or don't think vaccinations for all is the way to go, what do you think we should do?

The mandates for measles and mumps vaccines they were put in place when too many folks decided not to vaccinate their children on their own. It was to protect them from themselves and to protect the freedom of others. Freedom ends when it infringes on the freedom of others. I would prefer that there isn't a mandate but I would much rather have a mandate than having COVID continue to infringe on the freedom of all of us.