From the beginning of the pandemic, Robert Robb has defended the actions of our Republican governor. Today he maintains that the "sociability and comfort" of "leaders of the community," who individually assess the risk, are more important than any legal mandates helping to prevent people getting infected. Rob does not base his opinions on the safety and welfare of nurses and doctors treating Covid patients or the numbers dying. By making the decisions political from the start and defending what be believes are the rights of people to continue their normal activities despite being a danger to the rest of the community, he ignores the death toll and infection rates which should dictate the decision making process.

Robb is a journalist who writes about politics and the economy. I assume he believes that what he writes has an effect. Eighteen months ago when the death toll was about 2100, he advocated keeping the economy open and restricting mandates. 20,000 more Arizonans have since died. Did what he wrote contribute to that number? Could that number have been less? He seems to suggest from his experience that all is now going satisfactorily. I doubt, however, whether anyone who died recently of Covid would have been invited to an event for the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute for American Democracy where you had a choice to wear a mask or had tickets for the Phoenix Symphony where you didn't. Snuggly cocooned in a middle class world and intelligently assessing the risks, some in our society can avoid the worst of the pandemic. Others, encouraged by falsehoods in the press and social media show their adherence to ideas like "constitutional freedom," and throw caution to the wind, refuse vaccination, or masks or any restrictions on their movements in principle. By taking greater risks, they proportionately die in greater numbers. According to Robb, Arizonans or at least some Arizonans don't need mandates and implies that such restrictions are the symbols of socialist leaning city officials trying to turn us into a communist dictatorship.

The results of Robb's words have unfortunately helped fuel our indifference to the horrendous death toll from Covid. We have become numb to the figures of the dead and infected. If anyone thinks our situation normal, however, look at the figures from countries like Australia which clamped down and restricted their citizens' freedoms. 2006 Australians have died from Covid. 22,350 Arizonans have died! Australians largely agreed to those restrictions because they saved lives. Those figures alone should make us question the quality and intelligence of our leadership and whether those leaders bear some responsibility. Thankfully our scientists will get us out of the mess once testing becomes the norm and we have an antiviral pill but in the meantime our front lines, regardless of politics, should be vaccination, masks, testing, social distancing and travel restrictions. I would find it difficult to sleep at night, had I not done everything in my power to save and protect the lives of my fellow citizens and particularly our nurses and doctors and those in the front line. Others sadly think that protecting their so-called "freedom" not to wear a mask or get vaccinated is worth the price of so many deaths.