I Guess He Wasn’t In Class When They Discussed Manners

Yesterday Breitbart posted an article about a recent tweet by Miami Herald metro columnist Fabiola Santiago.

The article reports:

As some Florida beaches reopened under social distancing guidelines, Miami Herald metro columnist Fabiola Santiago tweeted on Sunday that Florida residents packing beaches “should work nicely to thin the ranks” of supporters of President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Santiago tweeted that “packed beaches should work nicely to thin the ranks of Trump/DeSantis/Gimenez supporters in #Florida who value money over health.”

…Newly reopened Jacksonville Beach only allows “essential activities” which include “recreational activities consistent with social distancing guidelines such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets and surfing.”

Beach-goers cannot sunbathe or bring towels, blankets or beach chairs. The beaches reportedly don’t allow “lingering on the beach without moving” or gatherings of more than 10 people.

Santiago’s controversial tweet embedded a Miami Herald article sensationally titled, “Packed Florida beach offers glimpse of what may come when outdoor spaces are reopened.”

Mr. Santiago’s comments are not helpful. There are some real questions being asked about the value of the lock-down we are currently experiencing. We know very little about the coronavirus–how contagious it actually is, how many people have had it without realizing it, and how serious an illness it is. It is time to reevaluate the lock-down and proceed with a plan to move ahead. There will probably be more cases of coronavirus in the future, but we have to weigh them against the cost of keeping the nation shut down for a longer period of time. Some of the costs of keeping the nation shut down are not immediately obvious–how many people who have lost their source of income are suffering from anxiety, how many parents are becoming dangerously stressed out while trying to home school their children, how many people with minor alcohol abuse problems are proceeding to the next level because of the shut down? It is time to reopen slowly, state-by-state, with an eye on the numbers and an eye to shutting down any hot spots that may arise.