Stuck in Wave After Wave of a Nightmare Episode: Keeping Your Distance 17

You are a fantastic writer, Rod Serling.  And I love The Twilight Zone.  But could we please just end this terrible episode and move on to a better storyline?

Look, I 've figured out the story.  Electing someone as narcissistic and ignorant as Trump would have devastating consequences for us and the entire planet.  So, lesson learned.  Could we please go back to the way history should have gone?  Could we please restore the timeline to something that makes sense?  Please?

Of course, sadly, Trump is not alone.  He has whole news (?) networks like FOX and OAN, radio talk show blatherers like Rushy Limbaugh, and an army of so-called Christian evangelicals.  All who egg on people who, although not a majority, are loud, obnoxious, and downright scary.

And part of that army of lemmings are other Republican officials.  One of those leading the way is Georgia's own Governor, Brian Kemp.

No one in their right mind, in a state that has not peaked, where many areas of the state still see a rising number of cases, would decide that this is a sweet time to reopen the state.

It is madness.  It is malfeasance.  It will cost lives.  

It's hard to keep up with the numbers.  As  I write this, April 21st at 9:33 EDT,  we now have 774 deaths.  We currently rank 12th nationally in the number of cases.

Does it seem like it's getting better to you?

What would it take to reopen the state?

1) WEEKS of declining numbers.

2) Massive testing.

3) Thorough and complete contact tracing.

Is Kemp doing any of that?  Of course not.  What he's doing is saving the state money in unemployment payouts.  You can't claim unemployment if the business you have worked for reopens.  You can either choose to stay home without income (good luck making that $1200 last - but don't it have a sweet signature on that phat check?), or you can choose to risk your life, and the lives of everyone you love, by going to work.

You really want to risk your life serving popcorn to somebody who couldn't figure out how to see Trolls World Tour from home?

You really want to cut the hair of someone who the previous weekend was at a protest blocking a hospital and passing out, hand to hand, candy to children?

You really want to help at a gym where people are panting, gasping for air, and expelling COVID by the expectorate cloudfull?

Genuine essential workers, like medical staff and first responders (not, as Governor DeSantis of Florida believes, professional wrestlers), are needed, but EVERYTHING on earth should be done to protect them.  Shortages of PPE gear is criminal neglect by federal authorities who, if they were halfway caring or motivated, could get it to those who need it.

What is another way we can help medical staff?

By aggressive social distancing, so they are not overwhelmed by cases, stretching medical resources up to and beyond their capacity.

Care about others.  Help us get through this.

Don't be like Kemp.

Please, Rod.  Stop beating us over the head with it.

I don't like this alternate timeline we have careened on to.

I'm ready for a different episode.

Unfortunately, this one seems stuck on repeat.

With wave after wave crashing against us, breaking our heart and our spirit.

Remember, remember, this third of November.  Let's do everything we can to change the channel from this nightmare.