Some things don't make sense to me these days, and the reaction to Dr. Anthony Fauci's recent comment about the safety involved with in-person voting during the November elections is one of those things.
Fauci, the popular immunologist and director of the U.S. center for infectious diseases, said in an interview last week that voting in-person should be as safe as visiting the grocery store if safety guidelines are followed.
His remarks made sense to me, but the reaction by so many in the national media made me think that Fauci had proposed something irresponsible, like putting patients infected with Covid-19 in nursing homes, where many of the residents have one or more physical conditions that put them at a higher risk being contaminated with the virus. That action never made sense to me, either.
I can't understand why so many believe I would be at greater risk of being infected with the viruse while casting a ballot in public than I would be during a visit to my local grocery store.
I mean, I have visited a few different retail stores at least once a week (but often more) since March, when the nation was locked down in order to help flatten the Covid-19 curve (remember that one?). I'm in a grocery store for up to an hour with hundreds of strangers at least once a week. And I spend several hours each week at a nearby hardware store.
My wife and I dine at local restaurants at least once a month (always on an outdoor patio). And I work five days a week in a building with nearly 200 hundred area residents. We all wear masks, and we follow safety guidelines.
In other words, we follow the advice and directions of medical professionals, experts on the subject of reducing the likelihood of contamination.
We've been told for seven months now that we must listen to the medical experts. My wife does, I do, and everyone I know adheres to what the experts advise. A married couple I know have such faith in Dr. Fauci that they have the good doctor's portrait displayed in the front window of their home.
So Imagine my confusion when I heard reporters, commentators, political operatives, and politicians (not a physician in the bunch) question what Fauci meant about safety when voting in person. One even suggested voters might put themselves in jeopardy if they vote in person.
What happened to listening to the medical professionals? When did my local polling place, where it's never taken me more than 10 minutes to cast a ballot, become more dangerous than a Saturday afternoon at the grocery store?
Those who insist we must vote by mail no matter what just don't make sense to me, and it sure as hell doesn't make sense to me that after all we have been through these last seven months, after all we've been told, that we would now ignore the medical experts who tell us it will be safe to vote in person.
-- Questions, comments and feedback are welcome, and may be shared here or via email at kbotterman@gmail.com.
