Socially responsible

Listening to that ol’ lamestream media tonight, but in the process of undergoing a CNN brainwashing, I thought I heard a strong argument to the effect that “everyone in the U.S. must get into the stay-at-home, group-avoiding, and 6-foot-distance mode as soon as possible.”

Unless a vaccine comes along tomorrow (literally, tomorrow) this horrible future scenario may ensue: Folks from a minimally affected area, maybe a western state, have put off seriously enforcing the social isolation thing because among other things it’s inconvenient and hurts business. Then someone visits the western state from New Orleans, where (let’s speculate) after almost three months of social isolation and economic recession the covid problem seems to be coming under control. The visitor happens to shed prodigious covid particles in the western state that leads to, you know, big problems, and consequently the people of the western state implement meaningful public health mandates, etc., and batten down for their own 2½ months of social isolation, etc. Now, under that circumstance, can N’Orlans folks really afford to come out of quarantine, etc., or would it be prudent not to, since the city could be re-infected by a visitor from the western state and experience “the steep curve” again, and then re-undergo quarantine? For how long this time?

Socially responsible behavior is urgently necessary everywhere, and unless individuals in our states, cities, and towns unite in this fight, the pandemic will be prolonged. CHARLES MALLORY

Little Rock