Why you ask? Or maybe you simply said SWEET! These days its hard to predict if people are going to be reasonable or self-centered. I mean 32,000 people are killed each year from car crashes how many of those could possible be from speeding, 15,000? That’s nothing, repeal the law! Even if we look at injuries that is only 2 million a year as a result of car crashes, what is speeding only like 900,000? That’s nothin’! I mean at the current rate Covid-19 will make over 5 million people sick and kill 250,000 this year, more that double the rate of car crashes and more than 10 times the impact of speeding so lets abolish speed limits!
So I asked around and even in Germany, home of the famed autobahn, NONE of the people I asked thought it was a good idea to let people drive as fast as they want anywhere they want. When asked why not they said it was too dangerous. Makes sense, who wants to feel the kiss of cold steel as a car catapults you into the next block? I literally could not find a single person who thought it was a good idea to repeal the speed limit. I asked more that 100 people at random and it was unanimous. Its because this is what happens fairly often on the autobahn, a 52 car pile up!
This leads me to wonder why almost 45% of people refuse to wear a mask saying it is a violation of their freedom? Well speed limits are a violation of your freedom too but no one is saying that is a bad idea.
If the US had simply mandated masks in the beginning we would not have had to shut down the economy. Today, if you wear a mask we will not have to shut down the economy AGAIN. Mandating masks follows the same logic as traffic laws, without them a bunch of people are going to die many of whom did nothing wrong other than step out of their house.
If you are not wearing a mask ask yourself why? Do you drive 65mph through your neighborhood? Assuming the answer is no then just stop politicizing masks and put one on already! Of you are already wearing a mask, the economy thanks you. It will thank you even more if you boycott stores that do not require masks. Here is a letter from one such store, Flower World, which is refusing to even allow employees to wear masks:
You will note they say OSHA does not allow them to wear masks, well, sort of, if they were a working farm then yes but it is more than a small stretch to consider all portions of a nursery a working farm particularly the indoor parts. What you can see is that by stating they will be forcibly taking people who disagree with them off their mailing list they are basically saying ignore what I say here and know for us this is a political issue.
Here in Washington we had almost 999 new cases today according to Johns Hopkins, a daily record for WA. The US had 34,700 cases, our 3rd highest daily increase ever and only 1,700 off our high of 36,400 on April 24th. Starting Friday WA is mandating masks in public, wear your or risk up to 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine! Note that is in line with the 10x impact the virus has over speeding so the fine is about 10x, makes sense.
The Tao of Todd 
Nicely said, Todd.
Hope you and the family are doing well.
Masks have become a “normal” part of life here in New York City. Kids are wearing them on the playgrounds, adults are wearing them walking down the sidewalks, every single person working in a store or a restaurant is wearing a mask and often gloves. This is the new normal and it’s how we take care of each other.
Local speed limits such as in a city environment are largely in place to protect pedestrians more than drivers. Reducing speed limits reduces the severity of injuries and reduces fatalities . This is about protecting your fellow citizens. Similarly, most masks purchased worn by consumers are not medical grade masks meant to protect them from inhaling the virus, they are intended to stop the wearer from potentially spreading their own infection to others. d
This is about respect for your fellow citizens. It seems that, more and more, the concept of respect is being touted as something that is antithetical to freedom. But what is freedom without respect? We cannot respect each other’s freedoms without first respecting each other.
Cheers, Russell