GOP State Lawmaker Demands Americans ‘STOP GETTING TESTED’ For Coronavirus

I have very complex opinions on all of this, and I'm always open to changing my opinions if facts demand I do so. When this all started, I expected the worst, based on what little information was available at the time. As such, I took the preventative measures extremely seriously... I was VERY fortunate to work for a public entity who did the same. As time wore one, I began to see "holes" in the narrative, critical questions that were either not being addressed... or were being answered with less than conclusive answers. Of late, I've begun to sincerely believe that yes-it's "real", but also that it's being utilized to accomplish several political goals. That's why though I think "mask mandates" are often overreach... I now wear one in most public places. It's why though I haven't seen my mother in months (we usually visit at least once every two to three weeks)... I'll probably avoid doing so until sufficient evidence exists that the risk is dramatically diminished, or safeguards effective. That being said, I believe irreparable damage has been done to the public trust, and very soon... we're going to have to make some hard choices. When/if a vaccine is made readily available... the public (including me) is going to find it hard to trust. If the numbers of cases keep skyrocketing, but the hospitalizations and deaths do not... people are (quite logically) going to start asking if the precautions exceed the risks. Yes, we need to save lives... life is about more than merely drawing breath. We cannot live indefinitely in a world of fear... neither can we squash all individual determination without negative consequences. There needs to be balance, maturity, and rationality applied at both ends of the spectrum.