NPR: New Science Proves That Coronavirus Demands that Conservatives Not Do Things They Want to Do, Like Work At Their Businesses, But Does Not Limit What the Leftwing Wants to Do, Like Pillage and Loot Conservatives' Businesses

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Mass protests that have erupted over police brutality toward black people in America are raising concerns about the risk of spreading the coronavirus. But some health experts, even as they urge caution, said they support the demonstrations -- because racism also poses a dire health threat.

I was previously told that it was "Killing Grandma" to cite health experts who said that depression due to joblessenss and stress due to seeing your business destroyed were also health threats.

But now I see that if leftwing radicals feel they'd be Psychologically Empowered if they loot a Best Buy, they should say "Fuck Grandma, I'm getting a 4K UHD!!!"

Tens of thousands of people, masked and unmasked, have thronged the streets of Minneapolis, Atlanta, Louisville, Ky., and other cities in the week since George Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck. They are the largest public gatherings in the U.S. since the pandemic forced widespread shutdowns, and many local officials warned of a possible spike in new cases in one or two weeks.

"Risk of transmission is lower in open spaces, but wherever there is a gathering there is still the risk of transmitting the virus," said Dr. Elaine Nsoesie, an assistant professor of global health at Boston University.

Wait wait wait wait wait -- transmission risks are lower in open spaces?

Then what the fuck has been going on with attacking citizens for going to the beach or taking walks?!

Health experts urged protesters not to sing and shout to reduce the threat of person-to-person transmission.

Looting and arson are still okay, though, right?

And they cautioned that police tactics such as tear gas and pepper spray could exacerbate the situation by prompting people to cough and gasp for air.

Oh I see -- it's not a substantial health risk for looters to cram into a store and touch everything with their paws, but it is an unconscionable health risk for the police to use tear gas to disperse them.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a list of tips for demonstrators to lower their risk of contracting COVID-19, such as covering their faces and staying in small groups.

"Don't yell; use signs & noise makers instead," the department advised.

Non-rioting citizens, however, are demanded to remain inside.

And of course going to church remains an outlawed activity.

....

But the risks of congregating during a global pandemic shouldn't keep people from protesting racism, according to dozens of public health and disease experts who signed an open letter in support of the protests.

"White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19," the letter said.

David Marcus wrote about this situation -- leftist priorities being claimed to be more important than "stopping the spread," whereas conservative priorities were considered trivial -- last week.

[T]here is something specific about this protest that makes it different from protests to reopen the economy that were roundly condemned.

The difference of course is the racial dynamic, which is a progressive trump card when legitimate competing interests arise. There is no way under the rules of intersectionality that the black protestors can come under attack for spreading the virus. And this is a very, very important thing to note because it is the first time that it has happened.

Stopping the spread has been more important than every other “nonessential” gathering thus far, even in the face of joblessness, hunger, suicide, and depression. People who wanted to go to church were selfish, those who want to attend sporting events and weddings were selfish, even those who were engaged in the wrong kind of political protest were selfish, but not these protestors.

This is something to be thankful for. Finally there is an admission that some things really are more important than stopping the spread. It should open the door to a more nuanced conversation about the cost benefit analysis of social distancing and lock downs. The answer is now no longer, "just don’t have large gatherings," it's don’t have large gatherings unless it’s important.

But funerals are important, graduations are important, kids being in school and going to museums is important. What we are not hearing is why these protests, as opposed to anything else, draws little criticism from the media. This would be a really good discussion to have, but it is being ignored. Instead of arguing why the protests should occur despite the virus, which is true, the virus is basically just being ignored in the story.

I have a question. Why do you Deplorables not believe what "experts" are ordering you to do this week?

Is it just because they change their stories every few days? And are now changing their stories to accomodate leftwing political agendas?

I just don't get it. I mean, these "experts" are plainly offering you a dispassionate reading of "The Science" and are not making shit up to advance their personal political preferences.

So stop denying science, Science Deniers.

posted by Ace at 05:03 PM

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