It's been nearly six months since the federal government asked 300 million Americans to stay home and "slow the spread" of Wuhan coronavirus. Fair enough. When the guidelines were issued in March after the disease made its way to the U.S. at the end of January, if not earlier, we didn't know what it was, what it did to the human body, who was affected most, who was most likely to die, etc.
Because of this, Americans put their livelihoods, including generations of family-owned businesses, at risk for permanent closure. They were told their sacrifices would help save the lives of millions. They took on the patriotic duty to comply with government suggestions they were told would produce positive results.
But now, politicians making things up as they go after sending people to their deaths along the way are making a mockery of those who have already done their part.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ordered thousands of seniors infected with Wuhan coronavirus back into nursing homes — resulting in the deaths of thousands — has moved to regulating what does and does not count as a "substantive food." In California, the same rules apply.
"To be a bar, you had to have food available — soups, sandwiches, etc. More than just hors d' oeuvres, chicken wings. You had to have some substantive food — the lowest level of substantive food were sandwiches," Cuomo said this week during a taxpayer-funded press conference.
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Arbitrary. Capricious. Enraging. How does this stop the spread of Wuhan coronavirus? It doesn't.
Why is Cuomo talking about chicken wings at all? Because he's allowing bars to serve alcohol to seated patrons, as long as they order food. He's moved the goalposts from food to "meal" after some New York City bars offered things like "Cuomo Chips" for $1. He deserves the mocking. This isn't about bars, alcohol, or food. It's about people's lives. People are struggling to survive as the government continues to bear down on them without data or explanation about why their efforts this time will pay off. Studies now show lockdowns did little to slow the spread. In fact, keeping mass amounts of people indoors may have made things worse.
Meanwhile, down in Washington, D.C., Dr. Anthony Fauci is doing media interview after media interview and urging the public to wear a face mask or covering. This, of course, is different than the advice he gave five months ago when he advised the general public not to wear a mask. Yet, here we are.
But Fauci, who was allowed to go the Opening Day Major League Baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees, isn't practicing the very things he continues to preach for the "sake of public health."
During the game, of which fans weren't allowed to watch in person, but Fauci was, the doctor was seated directly between two people, not six feet apart. He didn't have his mask or wore it improperly and the person seated directly to his left did the same.
This came on the same day D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a mask mandate in the city and threatened residents with jail time, a criminal record and expensive fine for failing to comply.
When pressed on his behavior, Fauci said he was "dehydrated" and pulled the mask down. Fair enough, but we all are. If anything, Fauci's behavior shows the government's standards are impractical and can cause other health problems.
The deal on combating Wuhan coronavirus was never permanent shutdown or reverting back to shutdowns. The agreement was a temporary closure in order to allow hospitals to prepare for the worst with ventilators, personal protective equipment and proper staffing. The deal was also never to allow politicians or government bureaucrats, no matter their expertise, to play by one set of rules while the rest of America and the "normal" people endlessly suffer. Americans are simply trying to make an honest living and return to their lives and for many of them, chicken wings do count as "substantive food."
