Soon we will have data on states that did NOT keep people apart and did NOT issue stay at home orders. I will share that data with a plea for people to act appropriately. Here’s what I will do and not do when it comes:
I WILL NOT gloat that Fox News watchers died. The network they followed featured Trump’s “hunches” instead of pandemic experts.
I WILL NOT cheer when people in Red States get sick. Even those who voted for Trump and kept supporting him.
What will I do? Keep pleading for them to listen to healthcare experts.
I want them to change their actions in order to save their lives. If they don’t, they might get sick and die. Part of that change is for them to understand that what Trump is saying and doing has made the situation worse.
Will they stop supporting him and change? Yes. Some will. I will welcome them to a community who believes in science. But some won’t.
If I’m wrong and they are right how will they respond? By mocking me. “See? I told you it wasn’t that big of a deal. I didn’t social distance and I’m fine! You lot destroyed the economy for nothing!”
I’m not sorry I tried to save their lives. I’m glad that they were lucky because of their remoteness or other circumstances that prevented them from getting sick. Maybe the actions that I took in my city and state early prevented them in their location from getting sick. That’s the prevention paradox.
If they are wrong and I’m right they will expect me to act the same way towards them as they they would. But I won’t. Why? Because I don’t care about “winning” the argument they set up. I care about saving lives. I can logically prove I was right but it’s a hollow victory, especially if the people who I’m arguing with are no longer alive to concede. My human side knows the sadness of being right on this topic.
There’s no joy in saying, “I told you so” to a corpse.