Common Sense

Common Sense
 
A friend of mine messaged me recently  suggesting, “Let’s enjoy life and use common sense to stay safe.”  
 
Merriam – Webster defines common sense as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.”  It would seem “common sense” to use “common sense” in all our judgements and decisions.  Yet, what seems to be sound and prudent judgment to me may not seem so to others.  My friend who made the suggestion about using common sense was referring to his perception or understanding of a healthy relationship to Covid-19 which is responsible for a pandemic.  In his mind:
 

• We don’t know all the ways it may be transmitted.
• We don’t know how it began to take over a significant part of the world. Did it began with animals?
• We don’t know if humans can be infected more than once.
• We don’t know how long one might be a carrier of the virus.
• We don’t know why some get very ill and  many do not.
• We have no idea what percentage of people are already infected in the United states.
• We do not have effective treatments for many who are infected.
• Wide spread testing for the virus and for the antibody is not available.
• Economic hardships for many are acutely real and may be responsible for the financial destruction of individuals and companies but if all has to be closed down again even more will be adversely affected.
• Health insurance in this country is often tied to  one’s job and if no health insurance more people reluctance to get care but putting people back to work just for health insurance when that is also increasing chances of getting ill makes no economic or moral sense.

 
Obviously, those who are advocating and/or violently demanding the lifting of all restrictions  believe that they are also exercising common sense and would argue:
 

• Individuals in this country have the decide for themselves what risks to take.
• Shutting down everything is not stopping a large number of people from dying.
• Politicians and medical people are exaggerating the danger because of their own agendas
• Dying from starvation and/or losing homes because of not being able to work to feed one’s family and maintain health insurance is not preferable to the small chance of getting infected and becoming seriously ill.
• Relatively few who are infected get seriously and even fewer die.
• There are physicians who support reopening as quickly as possible.
• We also know there are a number of people who not believe the virus was ever as dangerous and wide spread as the media/fake news reported.

 
Common sense – a review of the understanding or perception of the situation with Covid-19 would seem to dictate:
 

• We not let emotions dictate decisions.
• We, as a community, accept responsibility for helping each other economically, practically and emotionally through this time.
• We take the concerns of all the members of the community seriously.
• We take responsibility for the potential fallout from our community decisions.
• We support efforts to get scientific answers to the transmission,  risk factors, best treatment protocols, and prevention options.
• We  make decisions which consider the needs of health care professionals, support staff, and all those who are keeping essential goods and services available.
• We think long term and not short term.
• We seriously commit to universal health care.

 
Common sense does not seem to dictate:
 

• The needs or desires of politicians to get reelected.
• Individuals “rights” supersede collective rights. 
• The loudest  and most vocal or demanding voice be  the decision maker.

 
Written May 19, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org