Social distancing is suddenly unnecessary

OPINION

For the past three months, we have heard about the lifesaving necessity of social distancing. Gatherings of only a few people were permitted by the government and public health officials. Walking on an empty beach or surfing alone along the shores of the Pacific Ocean were grounds for arrest.

The Michigan Governor fined and took away the license of a 77-year-old barber trying to survive economically by giving haircuts but fortunately the governor’s edict was shot down by the Michigan Supreme Court.

States opening early, like Florida and Georgia were to become killing fields and their governors were accused of attempted murder. All because these vaunted BY BRIAN C. JOONDEPH social distancing rules were being relaxed. At one point we lived under “15 days to flatten the curve” which was successful in preventing a surge of COVID cases overwhelming the medical system. Yet many states and cities remain under lockdown, destroying their economies.

Governor Polis recently gave Colorado businesses the authority to “refuse service to customers not wearing masks.” Yet what has been happening in downtown Denver, and many other large cities, going on now for two weeks?

Protests, some peaceful, but many not and more resembling a riot, with gatherings of hundreds or thousands of protesters, not socially distancing, many not wearing masks, as they destroyed property and businesses just starting to recover from the 3-month economic shutdown. Less than a week into the protests, the Denver Post reported 238 incidents of property damage in the city’s core neighborhoods. None of these property owners had anything to do with George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

Yet these protests are applauded and encouraged by the media and political left, despite blowing up everything we have been told about social distancing. Over 1000 health professionals signed a letter saying the protests over social justice outweigh health concerns over social distancing. Yet these same professionals only weeks ago condemned those who wanted to go to church or take their kids to a playground. So why the change?

European schools have reopened without a surge in cases despite dire warnings to the contrary. There were no new COVID cases after Lake of the Ozarks Memorial Day pool party.

In the next few weeks, we will either see a surge of Coronavirus cases, with every illness or death the fault of social justice warriors promoting the protests. Or we will see no surge, meaning much of what we have been told and what has been forced upon us for the past few months was nonsense. But either way, social distancing is finished as the proverbial cat is out of the bag. No city or state will suffer through another lockdown.

It also illustrates the blatant hypocrisy of so many government and health officials demanding a particular behavior then turning on a dime saying, “never mind”. This begs the question of whether the economic shutdown and social distancing were ever necessary or just a means to hurt President Trump’s booming economy and his bid for reelection.