Joe Henderson
The issue of whether Gov. Ron DeSantis will require everyone in Florida to wear masks seems moot for now. He’s on the side of those who oppose mandatory face coverings, and he seems to be dug in.
Somehow, this morphed from a public health issue into a constitutional standoff about the government’s right to impose measures to secure the common good. I’m still trying to find that part of the U.S. Constitution that says the government shall not require citizens to mask up during a pandemic. No luck so far.
Meanwhile, the number of Floridians testing positive for COVID-19 continues to grow alarmingly. But, you know, what’s 200,000 infected Floridians when balanced against the Nanny State’s mask obsession, right Governor?
DeSantis is smart and grounded in his beliefs, but here’s what I don’t get about why he only recommends masks instead of requiring them.
On one hand, the Governor said he trusts people to make good choices about when to use face-coverings.
“We advised from the beginning of May, we advised if you can’t social distance wear the mask and if you are in face to face business,” he said recently. “So that message has been very clear and consistent. But ultimately we’ve got to trust people to make good decisions.”
But with virus cases surging in the 18-44 age group, DeSantis also noted, “You can’t control … they’re younger people. They’re going to do what they’re going to do.”
So, we trust them.
But we don’t trust them.
What’s it going to be?
DeSantis is a conservative’s conservative. He believes in smaller government, fewer regulations, and freedom, baby!
At face value, that’s not a bad approach. Millions of people agree with DeSantis on those points – on the surface.
But now we’re in the fifth month of a pandemic and the virus is rampaging through Florida citizens like it’s the last lap at Daytona. The issue is whether one selfish person has the right to increase the chance of infecting another with a potentially deadly virus because they ain’t gonna wear no mask!
Meanwhile, Chicago’s Mayor ordered anyone arriving from Florida to self-quarantine for 14 days. DeSantis told reporters that it wasn’t necessary because Florida cases have stabilized. What he really should do is bring the thunder.
Last week Texas – TEXAS! – made masks mandatory throughout the Lone Star state. The experts, who know more about this issue than any of us (including DeSantis), overwhelmingly say that masks work.
Call me crazy, but I think some inconvenience to bring the numbers down is an easy trade. Or, would opponents prefer steadily increasing numbers to push into August? That could force another major business shutdown, which would be calamitous.
On Monday, the state announced 6,366 new virus cases. That’s after the jaw-dropping total of more than 10,000 in a day over the weekend.
Back to the Governor’s point about how hard it is to control young people. There will always be some yahoos who believe the rules don’t apply to them.
You won’t get them all to cover up, but if it’s mandatory you might get enough to make a difference.
Or, you could continue to cross your fingers and hope people make good decisions. How’s that working out?
4 comments
Mr Fish
July 6, 2020 at 9:54 pm
The lower count was strictly a weekend/holiday anomaly. This is why it is best to only look at 7 day moving averages.
DeSantis won’t issue a mask mandate or scale back anything prior to the Republican National Convention in late August.
BlueHeron
July 7, 2020 at 1:31 am
I don’t know why I continue to be surprised by DeSantis and his callous indifference towards COVID and what it is doing to the citizens of Florida as well as those who visit.
We do have a problem in Florida and it’s a big one. WEAR A MASK!
Quoting The Miami Herald today “It took three months, from early March to June 22, for Florida to cross 100,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. It took less than TWO WEEKS for the state to go from 100,000 to 200,000 cases…”. WEAR A MASK!
Yet DeSantis says today that “there’s no need to be fearful about COVID-19” and he agrees with his mentor that 99% of this is harmless. Not sure if he said that we have to just “live with it” as has been suggested by POTUS. WEAR A MASK!
He keeps going on and on about the “young people and they’re only asymptomatic”. Doesn’t he understand that 1) they are highly contagious and will infect a great many people and 2) if he looks around the country at only the reddest of states, these young people that he blows off are now presenting to ED’s with symptoms perhaps slightly different but in many cases are bad enough to warrant hospitalization. They, too, are among the death count. When children and young people who are “not sick” are scanned, they are seeing things such as lung damage. Something that can’t be fixed. WEAR A MASK!
It’s not just about how many dead bodies we are seeing now. It’s also about available beds and the staff required to manage each bed. Every night, we see medical professionals from all over the state telling people what they are up against. What they are seeing, what they need, steps that must be taken. WEAR A MASK!
News outlets such as The Miami Herald thankfully have the cahones to really dig deep and to put the data and reporting front page and above the fold.I do see some coverage in print media here but with our local stations it is a 2 min mention and then they move on.
I believe that people would really be taking this more seriously if they knew what was going on around them. So close. Too close. WEAR A MASK!
It’s a horror to see that good leadership is missing at the Federal, State and, in some areas, at the local level. It is also a horror that there is no mandate for masks.
MASK-IT everyone!
Be smart and stay safe.
SANDRA OLIVA
July 7, 2020 at 8:51 am
Could NOT agree more. But you DO know why he’s adamant against masks, don’t you?
He’s been kissing up to trump forever, and ol trump gets mad if he doesn’t synchronize with his master, trump. Secretly, DeSantis is looking to get trump to get support for DeSantis’ run for president in future.
only thing is, he is blocking out the FACT! that there WILL be no America to preside over..I’m not kidding. We don’t get those young ‘uns under control, we will have an ongoing Pandemic.
Want a continuous pandemic, DeSantis? Because that’s what’s ahead if YOU DON’T REQUIRE MASKING, the hell with trump!
MASK IT OR CASKET !
We have never seen such blind obedience to someone so obviously a non-leader though a killer. Trump and DeSantis, both are, as psychiatrists say, “A DANGER TO OTHERS”, yet neither are “put away” yet as the saying goes.
Some have already started a campaign to “get trump ‘committed'”, and what’s good for trump is good for his power-crazed sycophant. Well, heck, DeSantis wouldn’t mind IF WE ALL DIED.. aha, but we are The Voters.
And both of them are headed to oblivion jobwise.
Please, how fast can Nov 3 get here?? I have a LIST. We have seen what republicans think of our honored US Constitution, so now let Them see what We think of Them! Can’t wait.
BlueHeron
July 7, 2020 at 1:33 am
We do have a problem in Florida and it’s a big one. WEAR A MASK!
Quoting The Miami Herald today “It took three months, from early March to June 22, for Florida to cross 100,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. It took less than TWO WEEKS for the state to go from 100,000 to 200,000 cases…”. WEAR A MASK!
Yet DeSantis says today that “there’s no need to be fearful about COVID-19” and he agrees with his mentor that 99% of this is harmless. Not sure if he said that we have to just “live with it” as has been suggested by POTUS. WEAR A MASK!
He keeps going on and on about the “young people and they’re only asymptomatic”. Doesn’t he understand that 1) they are highly contagious and will infect a great many people and 2) if he looks around the country at only the reddest of states, these young people that he blows off are now presenting to ED’s with symptoms perhaps slightly different but in many cases are bad enough to warrant hospitalization. They, too, are among the death count. When children and young people who are “not sick” are scanned, they are seeing things such as lung damage. Something that can’t be fixed. WEAR A MASK!
I believe that people would really be taking this more seriously if they knew what was going on around them. So close. Too close. WEAR A MASK!
It’s a horror to see that good leadership is missing at the Federal, State and, in some areas, at the local level. It is also a horror that there is no mandate for masks.
MASK-IT everyone!
Be smart and stay safe.
Comments are closed.