For Some People, It's Not A Choice

I'm writing this after several days of mulling over a response to the reports of people in the United States protesting stay-at-home measures. I'm not an American, but I do like going there and have many friends in the US and, someday soon hopefully, I would love to go back, do some shopping, and see people, without worrying about any risk to my health or personal well-being. Also, COVID-19 is an issue that effects everyone globally, not just individual people and countries.

I have chronic lung failure and, at the best of times, breathe on about 73 per cent of my lung capacity. I've heard people who've come down with COVID-19 saying it was like breathing on 20 per cent of their lung capacity. This probably means that, should the worst happen, I'll be going straight to hospital.

So, when I see people, regardless of nationality, walking around recklessly, brandishing rifles (because, of course they would...), and ranting about "liberation", "my body, my choice," or something else just as foolish in the context of our current situation, I get a little upset.

Some of us, we're called "vulnerable" now, don't have much of a choice. We get sick, and it can get bad. Worse than the average person! What about my body, and my choice to avoid exposure to a potentially deadly virus?

Reports have protesters citing the loss of work and payment, and I can see why, in those circumstances, those people would be angry. But, is risking your own health, as well as the health of others, willfully defying experts and officials who are just trying to keep people safe, and looking like petulant little children, really worth it after only a month, less in some places??

I would encourage these people to stop what they're doing and think about the wider impact and consequences of their actions. I would also hope that anyone who is encouraging these protesters (because I know they're out there) stops immediately. They're only adding fuel to a fire and making things worse.

In these times, everyone needs to relax, be kind, be patient, help each other, and trust in the experts. We do this, and hopefully we can all get out and about before the summer ends, if not earlier.

Cheers