Virus Blog

6/3/20

Quarantined Curfew. San Mateo County and many other places around the country installed an 8pm curfew. The thinking was that the protests over the police brutality that have lasted 8 days now might turn violent. While the overwhelming majority of protests have been peaceful there have been some very scary incidents. The burning of the police precinct in Minneapolis where this all started, but also in DC, in NYC in SF and even sleepy old Santa Monica. Seeing looting live on TV with no apparent law enforcement response is, I think, concerning to all of us. What's the appropriate line between violence and peaceful protest? The Boston Tea Party was a form of looting that is remembered as a turning point in our country's realization that we needed a democracy. I think in our house we believe that looting, fire and destruction are a step too far but ignoring a curfew order is a perfectly appropriate act of civil disobedience. Crossing a bridge or walking onto a freeway is another example that seems justified in helping people everywhere understand the magnitude of the problem.

In my neighborhood there was a jewelry store robbery over the weekend. Not clear if that was related in any way. The businesses in downtown Redwood City boarded up their storefronts prior to a peaceful rally at the central Court House. In my immediate neighborhood it meant that the dog walk happened a little early and our normally quiet neighborhood, which has been even quieter under quarantine was even quieter during the curfew.

Quick Takes

Protesting & Social Distancing. It's hard for us to watch protesters without masks. It's hard for us to watch someone wearing a mask but not seeing that it's properly covering both nose and mouth. It's hard for us to watch people clearly less than 6 feet apart. The fact that this is our first reaction says a lot about how far we've traveled in the past 82 days.

6/4/20

Republican National Convention. Politically Trump needs to show the world that everything is back to normal. His success is directly tied to his ability to show normalcy in his late August nominating convention. That means tens of thousands of people in one building, with no social distancing and no masks. North Carolina, the host state, has made no such assurances that any of this will be allowed. As Trump shops for a city that will allow for this risk I just wonder if this will simply seed the Republican Party so that all those delegates can take the virus into their local GOP communities. Wonder what that will mean for the future of the Republican Party...or at least its current membership.

Quick Takes

Dr. Anthony Fauci. Feels like over a week since I've heard or seen him. Hope he is ok. I miss him.

Next Blog Entry

Virus Blog