So, what’s been happening on the coronavirus/Covid-19 front?
Well, our county judge, who seems to have a lot of unilateral power or at least think she does, has mandated that all people who leave the house in Harris County (Houston) must wear masks. There are some exceptions, and the police say they don’t have the time or the manpower to enforce such an order, but some people are all upset about it anyway. In fact, Judge Hidalgo is being sued by Republican activist Stephen Hotze, who says the mandate is unconstitutional.
“In Judge Hidalgo’s Harris County, the heavy hand of local government will fine individuals who refuse to wear a mask, fail to wash their hands, get within six feet of another, or inadvertently touch their face.”
I am ambivalent about it. I tried on a mask today that a friend made for me, and I don’t think I could wear it for longer than five minutes without ripping it off and running screaming down the street. Maybe not that long. And I’m not sure one government official should or does have the power to unilaterally decide that all four million people in Harris County have to wear mask to leave the house.
On the other hand, maybe the masks will help everybody to calm down and feel better about getting outside? And maybe they will help protect people from the ‘Rona? I don’t know. (And you don’t either.) And the prior two sentences have become the mantra that goes through my head every time anyone makes any assertion about this virus and our response to it. Too much uncertainty. Too many unknowns. And too many people pretending to know things that they can’t possibly know.
It’s a bit frustrating, and I go back to the idea of giving one another grace. We’re all trying to make what could be life or death decisions without the proper information to inform those decisions. We’re all trying not to rip it all off and go screaming down the street. Wear your mask or don’t wear your mask. Stay home or go to work. Keep your distance. Wash your hands. Make the decisions that make the most sense to you. And allow others the freedom to do the same. Oh, and try not to scream too loudly.