Instant Gratifications – Recovery Postponed

• OPINION By KURT STAUDTER –

My brothers and I had tickets to the opening week of our beloved NY Mets, now I may never brave another stadium. We had tickets to see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt at the Paramount in Rutland, now it makes me a little itchy just thinking of being packed tightly into that magnificent hall. Baseball, live music, church, shopping, school,  along with meeting friends and family, a lot has changed in a few short months since the COVID came to town. I desperately want to see my children, grandkids, and even my in-laws again. I’d be satisfied for just an afternoon barbeque and a few beers with the crowd: I really need to get down to Virginia to see my parents, but I can’t do any of these things anymore until the dark cloud of this pandemic has been lifted.

Most of us have done what we were told and stayed home, social distanced, practiced good hygiene, wore masks when we went out, and patiently waited for the all-clear to be sounded so we could return to our lives like it never happened. We might have licked this after a few months if we hadn’t gotten stupid. Maybe the COVID would still be with us, but by now we would’ve had it under control like the rest of the world. No, here in the good old USA we decided that we’d make wearing a mask some sort of insane political statement. Even Vermont Governor Phil Scott, who has done a fantastic job through the pandemic still stubbornly refuses to make the simple lifesaving act of wearing a mask in public mandatory.

Then look at the interstate travel that’s spreading this disease all over the place. While we were one of the first to tell new arrivals to the state to self-quarantine for 14 days, and posted our intrepid fleet of orange plow trucks to stand guard at our boarders, we did nothing to enforce this common sense measure for public health. Not like New York where it’s a ten grand fine if you get caught breaking the quarantine.

Americans have become too accustomed to instant gratification. Whatever happened to working for something – Earning it? Our wealth, the availability of credit, cheap crap made overseas, nobody waits for anything anymore. These new workers that come into the electric company think they should have my job as foreman after they’ve been in the substations for a year. Then, after they’ve finally learned the basics of the trade, all they want to do is move on to the next challenge. But I digress. All we needed to do was to remain vigilant a little longer, but no, and now many more will die because we just couldn’t do without another night out: We couldn’t stay home, safe.

“REPORTER: Did you really ask to slow down coronavirus testing? TRUMP: “If it did slow down, frankly, I think we’re way ahead of ourselves, if you wanna know the truth. We’ve done too good of a job.” Aaron Rupar, Vox

Now I understand the pressure our leaders are under to get the economy back on track; too many of us have been left desperate under the circumstances. Workers and owners alike are under unprecedented demands to return to normal. Yet, isn’t it part of our political DNA to only look far enough into the future beyond the next election cycle – And here in Vermont we’re at the end of one of those two year periods now. While Governor Scott says he isn’t working on reelection until the crisis is over, you damned well better believe that everything that’s happening under the golden dome is with an eye to the election.

Meanwhile, all over the country we’re “Opening up again.” Here in Vermont it’s “another turn of the spigot.” Our leaders say, “It’s to be expected that as we slowly open up there’ll be a surge of cases,” but what they don’t add is that there’ll be a corresponding uptick in deaths. Many of us were just itching to go to the beach and return to normal around Memorial Day, and now a month later the cases are surging. What’s next now that we’re on the cusp of the Independence Day holiday? Do we wait a little longer, or is mission accomplished?

According to a new study from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, deaths from the virus will increase to between 159,497 and 213,715. However, they go on to add that if we all wear masks that number will shrink by 33,000. To put that in some perspective, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that last year 38,659 died in traffic accidents, and 39,773 died from gunshots.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, told congress, “Deaths always lag considerably behind cases,” and considering the crazy surge in cases we’re having now all over the country, perhaps we were a little premature in our ambitious return to normal. Please folks, if we’re ever going to get to the other side of this nightmare we need to remain vigilant: Doing the right thing over the holiday, and sacrificing for a little longer will make a difference. This is one of those times where it’s really up to you. Go out, wear a mask – Get home, wash your hands. It’s that simple!