djFan71 wrote:Marley2Hendrix wrote:On an individual level, I agree. Broad view, I never enjoy the aspect of inadvertently reinforcing an agency, group, or organizations decision to force something... I feel like it was a complete failure to consider more person-centered approaches regarding outreach.
I don't think anyone does. Even the people making the mandate. If you could get to everyone with outreach, etc, great, but the scale is so huge to give everyone individual attention. Mandates are a pretty blunt instrument, but they've been used before to get things accomplished in the face of resistance - previous vaccines, seat belts, the draft, etc.
Oh, definitely. I hate the idea of slippery slope, and our resident aussie disagrees, but I think the mandates are a step in the direction Australia has taken, which I find untenable (granted, I play Killing in the Name of on guitar a few times a week), and it's difficult to perceive/appreciate the transition in real time. My fear (granted, it's not particularly significant or anything I lose sleep over) is we get variant X in four months, which is less lethal but more transmissible despite the greatly increased percentage of vaccinated americans. What's next? I admit the 600k death toll elicits an emotional toll, but, when looking at the age demographics and percentages, from my coldly statistical perspective, I'm unphased. I don't know what particular number it would have to reach where I'm calling for sweeping restrictions to be in place today, October 1, 2021.
There's been a fair amount of focus on healthcare workers, but I'd say correctional officers in prisons/jails have an exceptionally tough job, and, for the most part, as best I can tell, in Minnesota they're about a 50/50 split on pro/anti covid vax as well. It's been disheartening to see the men and women who grinded day in, day out in the facilities during the more mysterious periods of the pandemic, several of whom contracted COVID, who now either can get vaccinated or submit to weekly tests (no discussion of antibody testing, which I personally think would be a nice option to include). I guess, in short, it's a complicated time. There are no perfect answers, and, again, I think it just underscores the need for patience.
What blew my mind - my side gig is the Saturday thing, where it's an in-person treatment group for men who have committed sexual offenses. Since march of last year, all but two (me and a 63 y/o semi-retired female psychologist who double masks) are the only ones doing the treatment group in-person. I've been doing it in-person since June of last year, and, at the time, I was given a directive not to let anyone into the group if they didn't mask. I didn't enforce that, discussed it with all the guys, and they make their own choice (again, about 50/50 wearing masks or not). In July of this year, there was a push to not allow anyone into treatment who was not vaccinated. I was the vocal minority against that policy, and they acquiesced (my main argument being the 1.8-2.2% recidivism rate over a four year time frame is significantly higher than the risk of COVID death, combined with the presumably massive social/political snafu in the event someone sexually reoffends after being refused treatment). Interestingly, it's been 16 months, there's probably been 26 different group members across that time frame, ~50% vaccination rate, and no one has contracted COVID. Of the 50% unvaccinated, I feel confident in saying 75% of them would choose having their correctional supervision revoked and serving a year in exchange for not getting vaccinated (granted, I would strongly encourage otherwise, as, by my mental math, one year of one's existence in the community quite likely vastly outweighs one's qualms with the vaccine)
I mean, it blows my mind whenever I catch a sitcom/movie from the late 80s/early 90s featuring airport scenes relative to what it looks like now. After 9/11, it seems the vast majority on board were up for abandoning various rights for the perceived benefit of preventing terrorism. I'm hard-pressed to believe the TSA has prevented much terrorism, but, I'm not particularly well read on that topic. I don't want 2031 me to reflect back on how foreign 2018 life looks relative to any potential sweeping covid changes/rules. The social media application idea in australia of sending a picture of oneself within a 15 minute request to verify compliance with lockdown protocol..., even the fact that is something people think might be a good idea horrifies me.
You gotta make it sexy! Hips and nips, otherwise I'm not eating.
Closest is GWV with “You effing liberal bastards, going to grumble the whole time I get it done”
