[Finding Joy]

Treasure-Yes!  Rights versus responsibilities!  We all have a responsibility to our fellow man!  We also have a right to earn a living and be able to feed our families.  Somehow a balance has to be struck.  Especially in areas not hard hit!

In our country they emptied the hospitals all over the country to prepare, and the hospitals were only filled up in a few areas.  So my friend who is a PA is sitting home with no patients.  She is partially layed off.  If her area is not hard hit, they should individualize the choices in that area.  One size fits all does not work.

Some want it slanted completely towards the virus.  Lives will be lost if the economy crashes as well, but we are told we cannot worry about that or we want people to die.

That is not a valid argument too me.

[Finding Joy]

XYZ, Absolutely we all have a responsibility to do our part.  However, those marching are marching because the business they spent 20 years building is being destroyed, because they just had to lay off employees, or perhaps they are in a state where a governor went too far!  Or a state not effected much by the virus, but the government still shut them down.

I stay home like everyone else and homeschool my kids.  I’m fine doing my part, but the areas hard hit need to shutdown and the rest of the country needs a slow reopening in a very prudent way so that we can provide for our families.  The poor children are also at great risk. 

[xyzcf]

FJ:

I want freedom and choice.

I spent the first 50 years of my life in Canada and the next 15 years in the US.

I had a great deal more freedom and choice in Canada than in the US.

I had the freedom of great medical care without any worry that I would lose my life's savings if I got sick. Prescription medications cost a fraction of what they do in the US.

I had the freedom of being able to afford to send my daughter to college without her having to incur an impossibly large amount of student loan debt.

The basic determinants of health and safety were and are provided for all citizens. I never once felt like the government was in control of my choices.

All my family still live in Canada, and they are being provided for in many ways throughout this crisis.

Yes the taxes are higher, but when I consider the $1200 per month that I had to pay to obtain medical insurance, it all rather evens out.

 

Or a state not effected much by the virus, but the government still shut them down.

This is not true FJ. Colorado has been very much affected by COVID and there were demonstrations at the capital in downtown Denver yesterday.

As I stated, the social safety programs that exist in other countries do protect people from unemployment that is not being handled in the US.

Please explain to me the need to be brandishing guns and confederate flags during these "protests". And not practicing social distancing such as wearing masks and maintaining a 6 foot distance between protestors...as I said and today going to my local grocery store and spreading the virus to others because they did not follow public health measures to protect ALL people.

[Finding Joy]

Marvin, I do believe in this case the government needed to bail us out, however they added in many extras that were not needed(in the billions).  I was only responding to your comment that the US is behind other governments who back their companies payroll by 80 percent.  Also, if we had only closed down hotspots versus the entire country and used extreme caution in the other areas, we would not have needed a stimulus on this scale.

You believe the government can be in charge of our lives and not infringe upon our rights.  I do not.  In a perfect world your statement about the the government being a support and us still having freedom would be true.  However what I see is the more powers the government gets, the more they want.  The higher the taxes the less individual choice and freedom.

Socialism leads to communism because the more power the government has, the more they want.  The more rights we give away, the less freedom we have.  With each crises they take away more of our rights.  With socialism all are dependent on the government, that dependance opens the door to more and more government control.  This is how over time societies lose freedom.  I believe individuals have a responsibility to do what is right, we should not be forced by the government.  Guidelines yes, but not forced.  I absolutely support the phased reopening here and the decisions left to each state.  I also believe hotspots should stay closed.  We should follow social distancing, and those at risk(which includes my family) should be extra vigilant.

I do not believe every time we have a crises we should put aside our constitutional rights.  Of course those protest should have been done differently, but those people are desperate and being desperate sometimes leads to poor choices.

You are saying you are not being political, but your words say otherwise.  You think the government is the answer.  I believe individual responsibility and individual accountability is the answer as well as common sense. 

[Finding Joy]

XYZ, I cannot explain the need to have confederate flags, or guns at the rallies, nor did I defend those choices.  I do not believe the rallies were done properly.  A line of cars would have followed social distancing guidelines.

Canada is highly restrictive on speech.  If you prefer to live there we all have our personal opinions and beliefs.  However staying here and stating another country is superior makes little sense.

I do not prefer to have the government run my children’s education, or healthcare.  I’ve seen what they have done with the schools, and I am not a fan.  Anything they get ahold in my view is not run well.

[xyzcf]

FJ:

Canada is highly restrictive on speech.

Not sure where you get this belief from because it is simply NOT true.

Freedom of speech means that I am also free to express my views as a US citizen even when they disagree with yours.

[Finding Joy]

My understanding is that certain scripture is considered hate speech.

[xyzcf]

My understanding is that certain scripture is considered hate speech.

I have absolutely NO idea where you are getting that from. I am a practicing Christian, have been all my life and I assure you that Canada accepts and celebrates all religions, races and nationalities.

What you just wrote, without having lived there I presume, is so incredible to me....

[Finding Joy]

I will privately message you when I have time this week.  I am on many watch groups and have received this information for years. 

I will send one link now.

[xyzcf]

I will privately message you when I have time this week.  I am on many watch groups and have received this information for years.

Thank you FJ but there is no need.

I know what I know from living in various parts of Canada for 50 years. My family lives there in several different provinces actually and I continue to travel there 4 times a year.

I have always been involved in the church, my whole life and never heard such a statement.

So I know what I know and what you are suggesting is preposterous.

It reminds me of when Americans would arrive in my home town of Montreal with skis on their ski rack in July and be astounded that we didn't have snow..or indeed comments such as , you mean you don't live in igloos?