Whiskyman wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:15 am
JayK wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:04 pm.
http://www.hammerschat.com/forum/downlo ... hp?id=2086
Not a very good analogy Jay. You're better than that.
If we knew that anyone of advancing years could die if they ate jellybeans I would, being in my 60s, avoid the fucking things like the plague. However I would expect my grandchildren to continue eating them. But if they offered one to me I would decline to accept it. That's the best way I can respond to that example. I guess you'd call it basic self interest. Or maybe simple common sense.
Or putting it another way. I recognise I am , because of my age, more likely to die if I catch Covid than someone 20 years younger than me. I can shield myself from the germ carrying masses if I so wish by adhering to the many restrictions the government seems hell bent on imposing on everybody.
But I do not think it is right, or even sensible, to screw up the education of a generation, destroy, or at very least damage, whole sections of the economy and inflict financial loss on millions, not to mention the generations to come who will have to pay for the borrowing spree, to help prevent me and my generation from catching it.
I know there are a small number of people in other age groups who have died from it. But isn't that the case with ANY disease that most of us recover from. There are always some unfortunates and there always will be exceptions to the rule.
I do understand where you’re coming from Whisk and it’s evidently clear education, employment and mental health are taking a massive hit from this thing. Also your reply is better than some others.
The problem with this thing and the jellybean thing is that it’s a lottery and a bit like Russian roulette. Nobody would eat the jellybeans if they knew there were 2 in there somewhere that would kill them, absolutely nobody, unless they’re suicidal. They also wouldn’t share them with friends and family with that knowledge.
The fact this thing has killed completely healthy people with zero underlying health issues and of various ages from old to young should highlight the fact nobody is safe from it coz it’s like I said, a lottery.
I genuinely believe, if it wasn’t for all those selfish people out there, still meeting up, crowding the parks and beaches and those protesting we’d be nowhere near the situation we find ourselves in with the hospitals on their knees, nation in lockdown and my local town being in a situation where they believe up to 1 in 5 people could actually have the thing (a week old info now).
I agree, the majority of people will not suffer. I’m personally not fearful of my life. But the problem a hell of a lot of people just don’t accept, appreciate, understand or whatever word you wanna use there is the fact, 1 in 3 people that have it (could be 1 in 4 but I’m cloudy on that now) don’t even know they have it. They then go to work where there are colleagues who then contract it themselves and go see their relatives, old vulnerable, carers or whatever and pass it on. The spread of it is the big issue. Easily spread.
As I’ve said before, we can’t just lock in the old and vulnerable. They have to have a level of interaction whether it be with doctors, care workers etc who in turn go to the supermarket, have kids at school, live with others who work with others. So they’re still at risk. That’s why locking down, trying to reduce the spread and risk is so important.
I’m currently a part timeTesco.com driver while my self employed work has taken a massive kick in the bollocks. Pay is shit. The point of this though is the risk I carry. Despite wearing a mask, I’m still mixing with a large number of people at work and then visiting the public. Some of those customers can’t carry their shopping in so we have to. Some of them might have the virus, some are getting over it, some are shit scared of you being anywhere near them. I could quite easily contract it and pass it on to anyone....and then there’s my family I could be putting at risk.
Bottom line for me is, if we’d locked down sooner, harder and for longer at the start, we wouldn’t be in this mess or having this conversation. If people respected rules and feared the consequences a bit more, we wouldn’t be in this mess either. So for me, it’s never been about protecting myself but protecting and respecting those around me at home and in my every day life.
And that is probably my longest ever post and don’t plan on posting more like it