Like I said about Gauleiter de Blasio. Do a mosque and see what happens. Or be prepared for a whole lot of people coming to the conclusion that sending Illinois cops into a church to arrest some poor Illinois sap caught standing 5.998567 feet away from some other poor Illinois sap is about a lot of things but the public health most certainly isn't one of them.
Plus, the electoral optics couldn't possibly be worse.
We're talking about people's livelihoods here, lard-ass. Assuming, if you ever do open the state up again, that they'll even have jobs to go back to. As somebody who's had more than his share of experience with it, prolonged unemployment is the easiest thing in the world to expect somebody else to go through. I wouldn't begin to understand what it must be like to have to impotently watch the business you spent your life building shatter into a million pieces for reasons that you no longer understand, never mind agree with.
And don't even get me started on telling people when, where and under what conditions they can worship their God.
Glenn Reynolds puts it like this.
The shutdowns were sold as “two weeks to slow the spread,” and “flattening the curve,” and so on, and lots of people thought that was sensible, and it was. A two-month (or longer) shutdown is a different animal, and nobody consented to that. So now people are, mostly silently, withdrawing their consent from the state.
Explain things to people. Explain in great detail why folks really need to take a couple of weeks or even a month off and they'll happily do it as long as they fully understand why. But if that period just keeps getting longer and longer for vaguer and vaguer "reasons" or if people are told not to ask questions, that the government knows what's best, expect more than a little pushback.
Fact is, there are probably nowhere near enough jails in the state, fat boy. Not to mention how many times we'll all get to relive all those moments during the campaign commercials.
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Additionally, the governor sent his family to Florida for a vacation. 'Some animals are more equal than others'.
It's "moving the goalposts" or "mission creep." With the horror in northern Italy unfolding, a two-week shutdown to help keep hospitals from being overwhelmed seemed sensible. The additional two weeks was pushing it, in all places where the hospitals were not overwhelmed, which is most of the country. The fifth and sixth weeks have nothing to do with the previous goals. It is NOT POSSIBLE at this point to eliminate the virus. With anti-vaxxers around, it won't be possible even after there's a vaccine. Living entails risk, with death a certainty unless the Lord returns soon.
I'm entirely at peace with the fact that I'm going to have to stay out of public events for a long time. I'm not at peace with locking up my younger neighbors and their children.
Plus, I'll bet that outside Chicagoland the virus outbreak is much milder. They're keeping downstate in prison for no good reasons.
I read this morning that fat-boy said he wouldn't allow us peasants to go to church for probably a year. A year. I think I'm ready for a revolt.
I think that's what it's going to eventually come to, Elizabeth. Not raising a new standard or anything, at least not yet. I think the "secession" will be quiet at first, people withdrawing whatever consent and cooperation from the government that they can.
At first. It's what comes after that ought to terrify people.
I will attend church and receive communion in my small Anglican parish tomorrow morning. Great care to avoid disease transmission is being taken. I realize larger parishes may have more difficulty, although it can be done. Telling Christians they cannot worship God together for a year is unconstitutional.
That is, Sunday morning. I'm losing track of the days ...
@Katherine: Unconstitutional no matter how much time is involved, but yeah. I was stunned when I read his words. Stunned that he actually uttered those words. I'm assuming his lawyers have said he'd be fine, right? How could this possibly be okay, legally. Here's the article if you're interested. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/illinois-governor-says-churches-may-not-reopen-for-a-year-or-more-because-of-coronavirus
Oh, Elizabeth, I know Pritzker actually said it, and what's hard to believe is that no legal advisor told him not to. According to this article, he and numbers of other Democrat governor-tyrants are being sued, including mine (Cooper, NC):
https://spectator.org/dem-governors-face-dozens-of-lockdown-lawsuits/
"All of these defendants have four things in common: They are Democratic governors, they have used the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to arrogate illegitimate authority, none will voluntarily relinquish their newfound power, and all have committed multiple violations of the Constitution."
@Katherine: Thanks for the link. I'm so disheartened right now.
"I'll bet that outside Chicagoland the virus outbreak is much milder. They're keeping downstate in prison for no good reasons."
Well, I keep hearing that the next wave of infections is sure to hit the downstate areas any day or any week now. My husband is absolutely convinced of it, to the point that he insists upon us strictly limiting grocery shopping trips to once every 2 weeks, wearing a mask every time we step outside, etc. There are 20 deaths in our county of about 200,000 residents -- a death rate of 1/100 of 1 percent -- and the majority of those deaths are from a single nursing home, but if you point that out to him he'll say, what about the people who work there, they have all been exposed to the virus and they are probably out spreading it everywhere, etc. When this WuFlu stuff first began I was terrified of it and he thought it was all overblown BS.... now it's the other way around. Oh well....just had to get that off my chest. I am really getting sick of everything this lockdown crap is doing to our mental and spiritual health, can't you tell?
As far as church goes, it's been 8 weeks since I last went to Mass and I have NEVER gone that long without it in my lifetime. And I think it's beginning to show.... being cut off from the sacraments is just as bad for your spiritual health as being cut off from food is for your physical health. However, I hear that Masses are resuming in the Archdiocese of St. Louis starting on May 18....perhaps it would be worth trying to make a mini-pilgrimage?
I hadn't heard that, Elaine. I'll poke around and see what I can find out.
A couple local news sources confirm the 18th.
Elaine S., I am sorry to hear your husband is so frightened. It's very likely true that there are asymptomatic or mild cases in your area. One needs to get a significant viral load exposure to get really sick, according to reports. Get outside, only put a mask on if you have to be closer than six feet to people outside. I'm still wearing a mask in the grocery store, but I think even there my chances of getting it are rather small.
The single most significant thing people can do to limit their risk is to get their Vitamin D levels up into the recommended range. For people of European ancestry who get outside some, that may be 2000 - 3000 IU daily. For darker-skinned people, maybe more, because their bodies don't manufacture as much from sun exposure.
Catholic priests could do what my Anglican priest is doing: Run numerous services, each with limited attendance. Ask people to wear masks except when receiving. Priest and server (no fever) use hand sanitizer before beginning the service. Communion is delivered on the tongue only, no cup, and servers sanitize hands again and put on masks before offering communion to the people, who stay six feet apart throughout. It is unconscionable for the clergy to deny the people the sacraments.
Katherine,
I only would modify your suggestion by having the priest wear gloves and drop the wafer into people's cupped hands. No contact at all, then. Many Anglicans already receive this way.
Oh, I forgot the gloves. He does wear them.
Katherine,
I believe a major reason the elderly in nursing homes are so vulnerable is their immunity is compromised by low levels of vitamin D3. They are as a group probably <20ng/ml. My older sister gets her meals in her room with no vitamin D3 supplement and no sunshine outside. It take D3/K2 supplements daily and sit in the sun for 30 minutes a day. My vitamin D3 level is 80ng/ml. (range is 30-100). Everyone wants a cure. I want a good immune system too.
Dale, good for you. I keep seeing more and more studies on D3 and this virus, as well as other respiratory viruses. I sent links to my Asian and black neighbors.
Katherine, Yes, but having the priest deliver to the tongue means changing gloves after each communicant. Better to drop it into the hands so there is no contact at all betweern priest and communicant.
On another note, during out Zoom church service, there was a Virtual Coffee Hour that followed, and the #1 question was when can we go back to having regular services. Among the suggestions were having 2 people per pew and alternating pews and an outside service. The diocese wants churches to remain closed until the end of May. So not only did we miss Palm Sunday, all of Holy Week and Easter, now we will miss Pentecost also. Nice job, diocese.
Who's side are they on?
Oh forgot, our priest is also thinking of adding a third service on Sundays so that we could keep the attendance down to manageable levels.
Our Catholic bishop in Springfield IL just said he's formulated a plan to enable the faithful to receive Communion again, but I haven't seen any details yet. It's supposed to be up to the pastors how to do it. I'm guessing that Communion is going to be offered outside of Mass either on an individual basis (which would require making an appointment or calling ahead) or in small groups of fewer than 10. The pastors have been able to keep churches open for private visits and for confession during designated hours (since that can be done with just the priest and the penitent, and there are rarely 10 or more people waiting in line at any given time) so maybe they will be offering Communion during the same hours as well.
I'm in the Chicago area and my local parish has locked their doors, including to the separate Adoration Chapel, for at least the past month and according to the pastor, nothing is due to change in the near future. There's no "private visits" as far as I know.
This is just disgraceful and outrageous and I don't expect Cupich to make any suggestions or relaxations in the least.
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