Lockdown: Who Are They Kidding?

By Alyssa Erdley, News with Attitude

The state's Stay Home Order has been extended past the 3-week term originally given at the beginning of December. This is no surprise. Officials warned us when they instituted the additional restrictions on activities that the Stay Home Orders would automatically extend so long as ICU capacity fell or remained below 15% for a region. Los Angeles County currently claims to be at 0.0% capacity in the area's hospital ICUs.

By now, California residents are used to officials promising one thing and delivering another. Since March 19, every lockdown order's deadline has been extended. You can bank on it.

So why did officials even pretend they were only going to impose our current set of restrictions for three weeks?

The answer is because they know that's the only way they can get us to accept yet more restrictions in the first place. They always know the deadline they promise is unachievable (according to their own criteria). But they think we will accept the bitter pill more easily if we are promised it's only for a little while.

The current restrictions placed limits on Californians' already limited freedoms. Non-essential office workers were told to stay home. Retail stores were told to severely limit capacity. Initially, children's playgrounds were closed. Hair salons and gyms were closed. And, of course, outdoor dining was prohibited. In addition, residents were told they had to stay in their homes between 10 pm and 5 am.

Obviously, nobody living here was going to look favorably on these new impositions. California residents haven't been able to lead normal lives since mid-March. But it was only going to be for three weeks, we were told. Surely we could grit our teeth and accept that - in order to SAVE LIVES.

But the lives haven't been saved. The virus is sweeping through the population at a vigorous rate. The number of deaths have been increasing at an increasing rate since November 11. The lockdown imposition appears to have had no effect on the sharply rising curve. So our oh-so-wise leaders double down. We need to stay tucked in tight. If cases continue to rise, IT MUST BE THE FAULT OF THE PEOPLE. And if the state-established criteria does not improve, then they have no choice but to extend lockdown deadlines - BECAUSE IT IS OUR FAULT, THE FAULT OF THE STUBBORN, UNCOOPERATIVE PEOPLE.

Zero evidence has been presented to prove that lockdowns can bend curves. In fact, the opposite appears to be the case. Zero evidence has been presented that California residents aren't obeying restrictions. Zero evidence has been presented that it is the behavior of irresponsible, noncompliant citizens that is causing the current surge in coronavirus cases. Yet we are being asked to believe this is true anyway.

Because the necessarily opposite conclusion is unacceptable to our leaders. It is utterly unacceptable to allow California residents to figure out that nobody has control over this very infectious disease. It is utterly unacceptable for them to conclude that the very people directing and restricting our lives with the claim they can save us have absolutely no power in their hands to do so. They are the man we are not supposed to pay attention to behind the curtain.

We will therefore be condemned to suffer through this lockdown until whatever natural forces are at play create a situation of lessening infection. In no way will that happy situation be the result of the actions of Governor Newsom, LA County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, or anyone else claiming to have divine power.