I saw a bunch of military guys standing around at a Taco lunch truck....ALL wearing masks....responsibly....outdoors, yet standing in a line around people. What a concept! ☺ No one else was wearing a mask.

Someone needs to tell them to wear one or stay home!

Sephia, I suspect those never maskers are the same ones claiming the virus is all a dem conspiracy/fake news, not so serious, numbers inflated, blah blah blah all to make trump look bad. As if.

Olychick, oh I'm sure that's probably a huge part of it. A hoax, fake news, etc., anything to make Trump look bad. He can look bad all on his own. It's terrible that a public health crisis has turned political. And its terrible that there is no leadership coming from the White House. Trump could turn this around if he'd wear a mask and ask his cult to do the same.

Trump has tried on a mask. He said it made him look like the Lone Ranger. Um, he had it over his eyes?

Not enough, TG. Wait for him to say in a few weeks - "See, we did that, it didn't help".

Ordering people to stay home, close businesses and restaurants, ban gatherings, and the usual things are what's needed.

I've only been home a few minutes (this was a window visit with my mother at her assisted facility day in Vancouver), but it appears while I was gone another state mandate has been issued. Adding to the requirement to wear masks, there is now a state mandate that businesses are to forbid service to anyone not wearing one. Washington state. "This is not an optional plan for businesses," Inslee said. "This is a legal requirement."

morz8, I missed Inslee's announcement, but I'm so glad. His mandate last Friday that they were mandatory was going unenforced by law enforcement. I read on Facebook a post by the King County Sheriff that the officers were going to "educate" people, rather than arrest them, as Inslee had originally said. I'd gone into a grocery store last weekend, expecting everyone to be wearing masks. I'd say half weren't. Hopefully businesses will have a big sign on the front door saying that you can't enter without a mask.

Has the governor been doing his job to protect the population?

Why aren't the citizens of Texas speaking up about all the wrong-headed and politically motivated mistakes being made? And calling for more sensible policies and rules?

^^ What exactly do you expect people to do? Organize protest marches? Plenty of TX residents have voiced their displeasure and it has not done any good.

Those of us who disagree with his policies have done our best to protect ourselves, regardless of his directives, and we will continue to do so.

Hopefully the 2022 election will take care of all of the current politics-before-science “leadership”.

Welp, as I suspected...I've already seen a bit. Here are 2 examples

Bleh.

No words for this kind of arrogant, selfish, willful ignorance.

Arrogant & selfish are accurate words for such behavior. As are infantile and stupid. Also deceptive -- it's highly doubtful that the maker of the last post was the pretty, nubile young female in the picture. Possibly subversive too ... think about who in the world wants America divided and weak.

A lot can be deduced from the tank top that girl is wearing. If you don't think much - maybe most - of this protesting and denial of masking is not coming from current administration supporters, then just look at that photo a bit closer. The source is so clearly obvious.

And not all of the current administration's supporters are Americans. Not saying more here due to Hot Topics.

My new mantra for the covidiots:

Freedumb!

^^ Oly, I am going to have to steal that. :)

That is so clever!

I don't think being stupid is limited to one's political view. I have family members who are Conservatives who think we shouldn't have to wear a mask and those who wear masks are stupid . I also have family members who are extremely Liberal that refuse to wear masks and think people who do are stupid. Two of the Liberal ones just came home from a vacation in Florida ! How these people can ignore the amount of cases and deaths all over the world is beyond me. Thankfully it's only a few people in my family,

I'm about as Conservative as anyone could be, but I don't understand how anyone cannot take this situation seriously.

Turns out Gov Abbott is exempting churches and voting sites from the mask requirement. Yet another bad move.

Yes, Abbott would like nothing more than many to be too frightened to vote, but his day will come, and by then covid-19 will either be herded or vaccinated out of existence - and so will his job.

I recall hearing some years ago that the Texas legislature made the Governor's job less powerful than the Lt. Gov., (which is Dan "Let the old people die for the Dow" Patrick) but Abbott has been all powerful his whole term, is that legislature ruling only in effect when there's a Dem Governor and Repub Lt. Gov?

The problem is all these people who have bought into the politicization of mask wearing when covid could care less about your politics...only if you are available as a host.

"I don't think being stupid is limited to one's political view."

1000x likes

Of course this is true.

It's just that at the most inopportune time in our country's history, there's one faction that has been in power and very active in applying their stupidity and ignorance to political policy, to the determent of the entire country. They could not possibly have been more incompetent.

Masks are only required if you can NOT maintain 6 ft of distancing. If you can distance, great - no mask required. Hospitals are NOT at full capacity here in the Houston area. As of yesterday, hospitals were 1% over last years usage at this time. a 1% difference. That is NOT a stratospheric difference. I'll mask up because it's the admittance ticket to stores now. I'm in the Houston area. My neighbor is a liberal as they come and there is no way she will wear a mask. Her kids and hubby won't wear them either. They are mid 30's, 3 kids 16 and under. Hippie all the way.

^^ They are required in public in all counties with 20 or more active cases, regardless of distancing. The only exemptions are voting places, churches, outdoor exercise and people who have health problems that preclude wearing a mask.

A lot can be deduced from the tank top that girl is wearing. If you don't think much - maybe most - of this protesting and denial of masking is not coming from current administration supporters, then just look at that photo a bit closer. The source is so clearly obvious.

you've heard of photoshop?

It's just that at the most inopportune time in our country's history, there's one faction that has been in power and very active in applying their stupidity and ignorance to political policy, to the determent of the entire country. They could not possibly have been more incompetent.

no stupidity in the WH now. after 8 yrs of it with Obama.

Try harder, it's not so hard to understand. Bye!

Desertsteph, your banjo only has two strings, Democrat and Republican. I don't know if you realize this, but it is broken. Fixing it might not only give you new and beautiful horizons, but it may also save your life, because this virus is way more complex than you can describe with only your two strings.

The Russians and the Chinese were likely fairly sure that they'd have a large and enduring problem pushing the U.S. from its recent pre-eminent position at the centre of the world's stage.

Along comes the current U.S., inwardly divided and at substantial impasse within and fussing at traditional allies and world agencies without.

Pretty much walking away from its recent pre-eminence, leaving that stage somewhat free for whomever to occupy at will.

And a number claim being egged on by a number of autocratic regimes seeking to shunt democracy and responsible government off of the world's stage.

Would one call that achieving useful results in the strategy and project of MAGA?

ole joyful

I find it odd that several conservatives here have "liberal" friends who won't consider wearing a mask. It doesn't jibe with what I know about the situation -- granted, I don't live in the US at the moment but I am very tuned in.

I've been terribly concerned about Canada and all the major problems it has that aren't being dealt with. One would think that such a small population (in global terms) should be able to better govern itself as other nations of similar size seem to be able to do but that hasn't been the case.

Front and center are the economic and social plight of what has been a permanent underclass, the First Nations people. Doing more and working to help this segment of the population seems to never be given enough priority. But in the context of the continuing animosity between English and French speaking Canadians, another problem also unresolved, it's hardly a surprise.

The rise of the ultra right nationalists. Loss of manufacturing jobs. Economic stagnation. Environmental pollution from mining and shale oil operations that are too lightly regulated. It's a long list.

I hope they can find ways to get started to do better, or at least to give more priority to these major problems that fester and don't improve with inaction.

OJ I see your holistic take on the current situation that way too.Our current disunity does nothing to help us whether the encroachers are a virus, or foreign interests that might like to have pieces of the U.S.

Bleusblue that is odd. I consider myself a liberal but I stay indoors , and wear a mask the few times I need to go out.

I've been terribly concerned about Canada

I know, it's in all your posts. Try to get some sleep, worrying too much about it is not good for you.

Elmer, please stop. The rest of us enjoy reading OJ's comments.

If you can distance, great - no mask required. Hospitals are NOT at full capacity here in the Houston area. As of yesterday, hospitals were 1% over last years usage at this time. a 1% difference. That is NOT a stratospheric difference.

Not sure of your source, but it clearly disagrees with what's being reported:

https://abcnews.go.com/US/houston-hospitals-transferring-covid-patients-running-icu-beds/story?id=71552472

The surge in coronavirus cases has gotten so bad in Houston that two of the city's hospitals have begun transporting patients to other cities in Texas.

Harris Health Systems, which runs Ben Taub and LBJ hospitals, over the last 24 hours has transferred 33 patients, both COVID-19 and non COVID-19 patients, to facilities in Houston and in surrounding areas, and was in the process of transferring 15 more, according to spokesman Bryan McLeod.

Some of those locations include Texas Children's Hospital, which recently admitted adult COVID-19 patients, and UTMB's Galveston hospital, which is more than 50 miles outside Houston.

You're as welcome to your opinions as I am to mine.

Nickel and Gardengal- not quite sure what you are trying to imply with your comments about the obvious stock image of a young female used with the words of idiots.

Anyone can take ANY phrase and paste it over a stock photo.

Sjerin- I have to stand up for Elmer here. I respect Ole Joyful and he DOES contribute but I too tire of his holier than thou outlook and schadenfreude regarding the United States vs Canada.

It gets old.

Regarding what can be done?

That's a difficult thing for me, personally. I live in Texas congressional district 13 which is the MOST conservative district in the entire nation!!!

I ALWAYS vote and I vote my conscience even though I know that the vast majority of the time, the person I'm voting for won't be elected.

It can be difficult to be the "minority" and I certainly feel it.

I could move to somewhere where people's views more closely align with my own but...how does self imposed segregation help society?

I prefer to think that, by staying here, voting the way I do, engaging others in civil debate and encouraging them to learn ALL sides of an argument that maybe, JUST maybe...I can make a positive impact overall and encourage a few people to grow.

It all starts with a trickle right?

old

Much of the world has negative opinions about our president, his mishandling of the pandemic and cultural issues. I share those negative opinions. I have no problem with those from Canada or anywhere else sharing my critical views.

Along comes the current U.S., inwardly divided and at substantial impasse within and fussing at traditional allies and world agencies without.

Pretty much walking away from its recent pre-eminence

I might be upset at the way the errors of our current government/citizenry has caused the U.S. to not for many, any longer, be seen as a leader of the modern world, but I can hardly fault others from taking this view.

Then again, I'd have to examine my own feelings as to why I would feel that it would be a loss to no longer be seen as a leader.

What good does it do to be the wealthiest country in the world if that wealth is increasingly concentrated into the hands of the few, with increasing numbers of families unable to make ends meet or to afford quality health care?

Being #1 is a responsibility. Perhaps U.S. efforts might be better spent overcoming its own poverty, racism, gender issues, the continuing fight for us and our daughters to achieve equal pay and quality sustainable employment consistent with family obligations of both spouses, and better parenting skills to teach empathy and ethics to our new generations.

LOL!! It doesn't matter if the image was photoshopped...........It is the implication - regardless of how it was achieved - that to be mask-less in public is somehow approved or condoned by those who support the re-election of an administration that also seems to think wearing masks is an unnecessary impediment to their personal freedoms.

Texas Gem, since you asked, That was my point: that Anyone can take ANY phrase and paste it over a stock photo. "Anyone" could be any where in our interconnected world with access to a computer. There are too many paid trolls world-wide to believe the sincerity of every meme posted to the internet.

Not certain if county judges in Texas are like county commissioners/mayors are in this area but things have gotten worse in two counties. The judges have requested that people "shelter in place". Do not be surprised if before this all ends if several areas in this country are asked to do the same thing.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=virus%20in%20hidalgo%20county%20tx%20shelter%20in%20place&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=virus%20in%20hidalgo%20county%20tx%20shelter%20in%20place&sc=1-43&sk=&cvid=26E17E8A10EE45F7A1AA597F75864117

My brother Mike in Texas and his wife now have Covid-19, and they live in a county that has 1500 confirmed cases, which is way above the 20 required for people to wear masks. I don't know whether they have been wearing masks, but I do know that my brother has been going to work 30 miles north in Waco, where I doubt his co-workers are wearing masks - he works for the Dept of Agriculture.

My niece told me that several of my brother's co-workers also have the virus and that she visited her father almost two weeks ago (maintaining a good distance outdoors), and so she thinks she will be okay. She is not happy with how the situation has been handled in Texas.

Lars I'm so sorry about your brother and his wife, praying for a mild progress and full recovery for both of them.

How does she feel about how her/your family has handled it and is she handling it better? Most of the people who are open with me are simply disregarding the casual connecting. Things like walking too close or simply opening the doors for someone when neither one is wearing masks. The biggest majority say they are wearing masks all of the time, including myself, but like today when I went to the garden center for veggies. I was the only one masked and people were walking past on the small indoor sidewalk to reach the end of the line rather than using the other door and circling around to stand in line.

I did not get that much information from my niece about our family, as she and I both feel somewhat estranged from the rest of the family. I feel close to her but not to anyone else in Texas, which is why I have only been back to Texas once in the past eight years since my parents died.

My sister in Austin is very concerned about her husband because he is developing Alzheimer's and sometimes forgets that he is not supposed to leave the house and/or wear a mask. He has always been very forgetful - like the absent-minded scientist.

My niece said that she is going to have to go back into work in a couple of weeks - she works at a shelter - and she has concerns about that because the clients are not good about wearing masks. She also thinks that she may have already had Covid because she was very sick for a month about two months ago but did not have the usual Covid symptoms. Her husband was also sick at the same time, but only very briefly. I told her that she should get an antibody test, but those are difficult to get at this time where she lives.

Sad to hear of your family's problems with the virus, Lars.

ole joyful

Sorry to hear about covid hitting your family Lars. Sending healing thoughts their way.

I'm very sorry to hear your brother and wife have contracted it Lars, I hope they recover quickly and fully. The situation has not been handled well here in Texas, with the localities having to fight with the governor over protecting the residents.

Lars I'm so sorry about your family in Texas. (((hugs)))

I hope your family beats this relatively unscathed. I'm glad you and your niece communicate.