Social Responsibility

I feel conflicted these days, sympathizing with my family and friends in Ontario over a THIRD LOCKDOWN and feeling guilty for enjoying the opportunity of living in the sunny South. The frustrations of the North are real and they are mounting. I have seen outbursts on social media, turning family members against one another over adverse opinions and some pretty vulgar exchanges because people feel trapped (literally and figuratively). My personal opinion is neither for nor against a lockdown, I believe the arguments are equal - maybe not pound for pound but definitely point for point. There is a sense of pride with Canadians when it comes to community, unity and social responsibility. The nation stood behind their government when the news of this deadly virus was first released, that resolve has been depleted with each month of added restrictions. The value of one life is still just as important today as it was March 1st, 2020.

Does lockdown work? The only way to test that theory is to do the opposite - luckily for Canada, they can see the outcome of that experiment without living it, by watching their next door neighbors, the US. Personally and professionally, I have benefited from the way the US has handled the global pandemic and that's part of the reason I feel so divided on the subject. I see first hand how little people care about the virus right now; it's become part of everyday life, accepted as a cold, flu or allergies. 9 out of 10 people I meet have had the virus or have had a household member with the illness. I also personally know three people who have had COVID twice! For the people out and about, running their errands, going to work, heading to the beach, the park, a restaurant; COVID holds no fear anymore. Those whom I do not see or interact with are the one's taking additional precautions, shopping online, staying home, communicating by phone/text and avoiding all of mankind. My point is, why can't it be someone's personal preference on how to handle the health crisis? Why can't we be given all the available information and make our own judgement call? I'd like to believe if the choice was there, the majority would stand by the philosophy, "better safe than sorry". The health care system would do its best, whether the ICU runs out of beds during a lockdown or not; the suffering is the same.

I compare COVID-19 to smoking... the warning label is on the cigarette package, many people who smoke go through health issues, some so severe that they lose their life and yet there are millions of smokers. If our concern is the spread of the virus, haven't we already proven that the public measures are only marginally effective? Those who want to stay home, should be supported in their decision to put their health first, and weather this storm as they so choose. For the risk-takers, hospital resources are low, we all know that, all you can do is hope there is a bed/ventilator available when/if you need it. This virus is going to run its course, whether we like it or not, and one day it will be a lesson in World History class - they may even dedicate a whole chapter to COVID-19 🤷🏽‍♀️