"It's Too Late."

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I'm not sure what you are referring to here? Can you elaborate?

I feel people are the victims of perceptions borne out of the media and the Internet.

Not everywhere is like downtown Portland, Oregon. Not everybody is like those idiots who post on sites such as 4Chan.

I don't believe if you wear a mask at most gas stations in the South, that you will be harassed. I'm sorry if this has happened to you.

I feel like the prevailing attitude within most people is apathy----rather than a revolution, whether Trumpian or "leftist."

I can't help but feel offended that you assume that this is not a common occurrence in my area. Not only have my partner and I been harassed on more than one occasion (and we do not in any way "draw attention to ourselves"), but I have had other family members and friends in the region with very similar experiences. This isn't some figment of my imagination. This isn't some perception I've garnered from facebook or the media. I have mostly been on hiatus from social media since the start of pandemic, and I get a lot of my information from universities and medical journals. But this is what I am LIVING right now. The conservative right has made masks a political issue in the South.

Not only are there multiple instances of violence over mask wearing in this region, but schools are even refusing to reinstate mask mandates (as conservative parents have such strong opinions on the matter). There are no COVID protocols in place in many local schools to boot. My sister is a teacher within these school systems and lives in fear that she will lose her source of income if she speaks out about the atrocities/negligence taking place. Her husband (somewhat conservative) fears for her and is trying to find a better paying job so she can retire early. Infection rates are rising even further here, putting more strain on our already failing medical system/resources.

So, yes, mask-wearing is an EXTREME point of contention within our communities/region. Are there pockets of Georgia where this is less likely to happen, sure. Most of them are within the suburbs of Atlanta, where I do not reside. I live in a rural area where the vaccination rate is still around 25% and people refuse to wear masks.

I really don't appreciate your attempt at invalidating what many people are suffering through right now.

Last edited by Flown on 31 Aug 2021, 9:52 am, edited 2 times in total.

Sorry about that....

I guess I was mistaken. Now I know your situation better.

I'm very much into "mask mandates" and "vaccine mandates."

I'm sorry if I got a bit upset. It is a really sensitive (and fresh) issue. It has been horrific living here this past year and a half. I don't want to have to move. I am a naturalist, and I am in love with the wildlife of the Southern Appalachians. I am in love with our land and all of its creatures. I just don't feel safe here anymore (in multiple ways). I also have chronic illness, so this pandemic has been scary in that regard as well.

Yep. It's a beautiful area. And you have a fundamental right to enjoy it as a human being.

I wish you didn't have to feel like you have to move out of there.

I do too. We had planned on building a house here, but the supply chain shortages have complicated things A LOT. We've weighed out the pros and cons of moving, and it looks like the best plan for us would be to move back to New England (we are thinking Vermont, NH, or Maine). We have had a long list of things that we really dislike about the South for a while now (they have been irking us since we moved back here in 2008), and that list only seems to grow by the day. The previous presidency paired with the pandemic was/is our breaking point. Living in the South has felt a LOT like being in an abusive relationship for a very long time-- ignoring all of the red flags despite the misery being inflicted. We both deserve to feel safe, feel happy, and have better healthcare options. I'm not expecting to suddenly not feel like an alien, because that will always remain a constant. This is going to be really difficult (I don't do well with big changes), but I feel it will be worth it to move.

To the OP, sorry for hijacking this thread. I'll try to shush now <3

Yep.....you really can't go wrong with Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine

I guess I should "shush," too

Nothing important; just an irrelevant humblebrag about not drawing attention in order to draw attention and derail this thread. Back on topic, please? And no more derails.

Three more this past week:

1. A Protestant minister who started his own church.

2. The cigarette-smoking mother of a co-worker.

3. A grandmother of one of Mrs. Fnord's cousins.

None were vaccinated.

:/

Shame there's so much misinformation, conspiracy theory, and political divide - so messed up that the USA's politicians turned science and public health into us vs them left vs right BS.

USA fully vaxxed rate is 53.6%. We're at 68.3% in Canada now, 75% here in British Columbia - and with the new vaccine requirements to go to restaurants, gyms, public places etc beginning September 13th, a bunch of laggards are booking their vaccines now. Hopefully we can get up WAY higher than that. Pretty ridiculous that we're as low as we are still, even though we're fairly high for the country, still.. the conspiracy theory garbage on the internet is affecting peoples' decisions here and they've gone as far as having antivaxx protests outside of major hospitals recently. Obvi it really pisses of Doctors and Nurses, especially since they force immunocompromised cancer patients to navigate through their unvaccinated crowds to get to their appointments.

Whoa.. haven't seen goatse in years.

Wtf? Not sure if intentionally posted or if that's what some image file server automatically serves up when you try to hotlink an image and that's their way of saying F U no way to stealing their bandwidth.

If intentional, welcome to bansville.. population: You.

I'm sorry to hear this. It's so sad (but also maddening at the same time). The deaths of the unvaccinated are on the rise in my area as well. :'( It isn't really surprising considering the low vaccination rates (we are still only at around 32% with just the first dose, 29% fully vaccinated in my county), the lack of safety protocols in our OPEN public schools, and the lack of mask-wearing in ALL public locations.

The lockdown rules need to be re-instituted.
The shots are NOT 100%.
So, so many people seem unable to grasp that.
The only thing that will work, will protect them (and me) is being MADE to wear a mask.

↑ No vaccine is 100% effective.  A vaccine can still allow a virus to enter the body, but the antibodies the vaccine triggered will destroy the virus once the body detects it.  A person vaccinated against covid, for example, can still be infected with the covid virus; but the antibodies will eliminate the virii before the actual disease takes over.

A person so vaccinated may (or may not) notice the usual symptoms of a viral infection -- head and body aches, fever, fatigue, et cetera -- and may (or may not) be somewhat contagious for a short period of time.  However, a person who has not been so vaccinated will likely become very sick, and possibly die.

And THAT is the big difference: Get the vaccine and live; refuse the vaccine and die.  It is just that simple.

Some fully-vaccinated individuals have developed severe Covid, have been hospitalized, and have died.
Vaccines seem to help, but they are not a guarantee of immunity or of survival.
We were safer during the lockdown,
Both shots and observance of lockdown precautions are a person’s best chance