I’m going to cut right to the chase. A lot of folks on my Facebook seem to have become experts in all types of fields and have also begun to feel much more confident sharing their opinions. Since I already have a Blog I thought I might as well join them. Here are my thoughts on a few coronavirus related topics.

Vaccines

Firstly, the latest version of the coronavirus is not “the flu” or even “the flu on steroids” but since it is a virus most experts believe that eventually there will be a vaccine that offers some protection. Whether it will be incredibly effective like polio vaccinations or less so like those for influenza it is considered one of the most important steps in moving past the current crisis. As long as the route towards production and usage follows the same rigorous path that other vaccinations have historically taken, my family will get one just like we do for the flu. I’m afraid other folks don’t feel that way and will refuse it for themselves and their children. This will lower its effectiveness in combating the virus, leave populations unable to be vaccinated even more vulnerable, and may serve as an impediment to public schools’ return to normalcy. It is your body after all but it is our society. 

Churches

A few days before this writing a federal judge struck down part of Governor Cooper’s executive order which prevented practically all in-person worship services. This was great news for some folks who felt that churches should be exempt, as they have been in other states, from the stay-at-home order based on the First Amendment. I have enjoyed our streamed services but I would much rather feel God’s love in His house than my own. But my favorite parts of Sunday services are shaking hands and getting hugs, singing loudly, and genuinely being in proximity to like-minded (and like-hearted) people while I hear the word. And those were the very reasons churches weren’t exempt. I do appreciate that a lawsuit was filed and proper protocol followed within the courts as it should be but I admit that I was concerned by the actions of some sheriffs. If, as the judge indicated, enforcement of the order was confusing or onerous for sheriffs, that’s one thing but I’m bothered by an abdication of duty on Constitutional grounds. Choosing which laws to enforce is a slippery slope.

The Governor

It’s pretty obvious at this point that Cooper is fighting a war on two fronts:   health care and economic. According to polling (but certainly not my Facebook) a majority of North Carolinians support steps taken by the governor but his handling hasn’t been without its failings. As I stated earlier, the church portion of the stay-at-home order was confusing and difficult to enforce but that is minor in comparison with the unemployment fiasco. No state is doing a bang-up job with unemployment but North Carolina’s response has been woeful and potentially one of the worst. Not expecting a surge in unemployment when you are the one keeping people from working is almost criminally negligent. But before Republicans begin to cast aspersions their stingy approach to unemployment, one that the News & Observer described as cruel, made a bad situation worse. 

Some folks would gladly trade governors with Georgia who closed down later and reopened sooner but a word of caution before backing Brian Kemp. When he finally announced closing orders his impetus was contagion characteristics that were common knowledge four weeks before his realization. Add to that fuzzy math on statistics and the reopening, encouraging graph that literally had dates out of order to cause an appearance of decline and you get a sobering comparison. With a population almost identical to North Carolina and a viral case onset within days of each other, Georgia has over twice the hospitalizations, over twice the number of infections, and over twice the number of Covid-19 deaths.

Our President

I normally refrain from writing about the President because anything negative tends to make his supporters put fingers in their ears and scream “Hillary” while his detractors’ eyes fill with blood upon the very mention of his name.  But this is a world crisis.  As the leader of the free world and most powerful man on the planet, President Trump is most comfortable and communicates most effectively when he is on the attack.  He isn’t warm and fuzzy so compassion doesn’t come easily and he isn’t overly intellectual (“stable genius” claims notwithstanding) so authoritative, evidential confidence is also difficult.  His self belief stems mostly from the adoration of his supporters and his ability to stir them up by sticking it to his opponents.  Unfortunately, the Coronavirus doesn’t care about nicknames and it is unmoved by mean tweets.  This has presented the President with a conundrum.  

How does he battle a thing that many of his supporters don’t think is a thing, while proving that he has handled that thing better than anyone else could, especially being left so woefully unprepared by the previous administration even though nobody could have seen this thing coming.  He is also handcuffed by the fact that unless he is blaming someone else his relationship with his supporters prevents him from sharing bad news or asking them to make a sacrifice.  He is the parent that wants to be best friends with his kid.  Curfew.  What curfew? Curfews are for losers.

Newfound expertise

The simple answer as to why folks have suddenly begun sharing their wisdom in such abundance is that they now have the time.  Ironic, isn’t it?  But the more complicated answer is actually a combination of two psychological phenomena:  Dunning–Kruger effect and Intellectual Humility (or more accurately a lack thereof).  D-K effect is basically being unaware of your incompetence in a field or skill because you don’t know enough about that field to realize you aren’t good at it.  Intellectual humility is simply realizing that you don’t know everything and that you might actually be wrong about some of the things you do know.  I personally don’t consider myself expert in many fields so I typically follow the lead of proven experts when making decisions.  

So that’s my hot take.  Let me know why you think differently and I will attempt to practice intellectual humility when considering your point of view.  I may be wrong after all.