I'm sorry, I overlooked the word "Opening" when I saw this post in my feed.

I read, "Just posted 'America now is ludicrous'".

Thank you for recognizing that public health isn't all about you. ❤ from an RN.

This is truly scary, and we are all guinea pigs. I feel for the people desperate to stay financially afloat, both businesses and individuals. I get that as a whole we can't stay closed indefinitely. Some are already financially in freefall. Some points that seem lost in all the hubub about re-opening is tha pathetic federal response from at least back to January and the lack of emphasis now on aappropriate high caution with how we re-open. Biggest reason that re-opening at this point is still a very dangerous option is the national failure to roll out and ramp us widespread testing in a timely manner. Donald Trump has been deliberately dismantling crucial agencies and installing incompetent political cronies to head what is left of these agencies. He single handedly guaranteed any pandemic response would be inadequate, a disaster. Now he is frantically putting lipstick on a pig, hoping that returning economic activities will distract most people from inconveniences such as mounting numbers of dead people and new confirmed infections.

The testing debacle is perhaps the biggest failure. From early on, the administration's own task force has been spelling out the crucial role of virus tracking through testing and human contact tracing. They have also emphasized the necessity to tracking consecutive weeks of decreasing infection rates. Trump is literally ignoring all that and cheering on Republican governors who are rushing to re-open despite NONE of the necessary safeguards being in place and functional.

As we re-open, we certainly need every possible emphasis on alerting the public to risks and sensible necessary safeguards to personally practice. What we are seeing instead of caution is a massive pep rally for re-opening, with Trump leading the cheers. This is guaranteed to encourage countless people to conclude the worst is behind us (it is not) and to throw caution to the wind.

I will start by saying I agree with everything you say. I am retired and do not need to work, but if I put myself in the shoes of a younger person who has no income coming in, the rent is past do as is the car payment I sympathize about getting back to work. Our government does not do things for its citizens.
I choose to not go to the gym or restaurants at this moment, but I have the privilege of making that choice.
I really feel bad for those who need to work at this moment. Not for the AK-47 toting airheads. They can still make their meth in their barns or garages.

Brilliant.

Our local YMCA also sent me a letter announcing:

". . . We can't wait to welcome you back to our buildings. . . " (shorter hours, no showers, no swimming, no sauna, but if you want to walk indoors, or hit the weights or cardio machines, yea, that's possible for a short time during the day.) (face-palm)

mmm let's see if that makes sense:
The Y was closed when the entire state had 8 known cases. (Bravo!)
Two weeks before that time a custodian who had friends who lived in Italy always wore a mask while at work. (A week before their friends became unreachable, they told her stories of dead people in the street. The custodian figured her friends had also died.)

Today this local area had another 18 (known) cases (highest daily increase recorded for this area) so, as of yesterday, the YMCA is now open. . .

Sarcasm Alert But the even better news is, if you want to hang out at the bar, and drink with your MAGA hat wearing tRump sniffing Republicatards, yep, bars are open and from what I hear, crowded with idiots without masks.

Anybody want to wager the outcome for this area in 11 to 14 days?

Our local gym puts out exercise videos and tips and have now started a Zoom group for the Silver Sneakers program (I'm not 'silver yet (really) and it's boring). All this zeal t open will be followed by a sudden need to close when the illnesses and deaths escalate. Poor tRumpy (not). His valued economy will just have to stay crashed.

What was it ever not open?

I suspect there are many with a similar mindset. The silent majority does not want businesses to re-open yet. There are few protesters gathering more media coverage than their numbers deserve.
I will follow a plan similar to yours - waiting a month to see what happens. Curbside pick-up and delivery are working just fine. I miss the gym, but it is not worth my life

This will not end well. I say that as a social scientist. It's my task during my studies to understand this. (It may mean I have to repeat all of part of this year's studies, we don't know yet).
I see the need for Trump to get campaigning as trumping your nations safety. So....
DON'T BE A CHUMP VOTIN' FOR TRUMP, GIVE HIM A HIDIN' VOTE FOR BIDEN!
America can have that for free from me.

If this started from one person only about 6 months ago then logically the only way this hideous virus will no longer be a threat is if not one single person on the planet has it and this is never going to happen In the near future .

Good response!

Safety. Freedom. Opposite ends of a spectrum. Make of that what you will.

I'll be honest, I am conflicted.
I understand the need to distance and have been doing a bad Jesse James impression, when outdoors for the last month and a half. I think that we should keep doing these things, as there's no vaccine.
But, can we continue in this manner? This is no the first pandemic, nor will it be the last, this will be the template that is used in the future. I don't advocate whole sale opening, but I do think that we need to have a conversation about what is reasonable and acceptable.
Now open for incoming mail

Wise answer

Good for you

To date, there has been no credible empirical evidence the the lockdowns have been or will be successful in combating this particular virus.

"A fool and his money are soon parted" applies to everybody who risks the lives of other people for their own financial gain.

Idiots will kill people

I am being lazy - I wanted to put of a video and say we are going at "ludicrous speed" from Spaceballs ad well.

Not everyone has the economic option of maintaining a quarantine and if you have that option then use it as long as you feel is necessary. If others want to throw themselves into harms way then that's their right, just make sure you avoid them like the plague because they will probably have it.
It's a judgment call and we all have to make our own choices and allow others the same right and privilege.