Yesterday, the governor of Tennessee (where I reside) announced that he will be opening up the state as of the first of May (at least, in 89 of the 95 counties; the metropolitan areas may take a bit longer).

Bill Lee (the governor) is a Republican; but most mayors--almost all of whom are Democrats, in Tennessee--have countered by saying that they will not open up their respective counties. (The mayor of Nashville--in a contiguous county to my own--said as much yesterday.)

Thoughts?

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"In his second inaugural address, [Franklin D.] Roosevelt sought 'unimagined power' to enforce the 'proper subordination' of private power to public power. He got it…"—George Will, July 8, 2007

We share the same State. I'm in the Knox-Sevier-Jefferson area, and May 1 does seem to be the target date locally.

They weren't that strict about most of the social distancing other than closing schools, clothing stores and non-essentails. Though I have a 'Essential Personnel' designation letter, not once have I been stopped or questioned why I was out and about.

We weren't that hard hit here (some rural areas around here) and people did take precautions. Those that are AI compromised should continue to observe their protocols. The rest can start moving forward.

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Your life is the sum total of the choices you make.
If you don't laugh at yourself, a whole bunch of people will volunteer to do it for you
I never lose. I either win, or I learn....

Glad that at least one major official has made a move in that direction.
Is their any pressure on the city/county officials to agree with the governor or are the people willing to sit back and continue under soft state lock-down?

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"It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties.
The freeman of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise, and entangled the question in precedents."
..James Madison
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"Live as free people, yet without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but live at all times as servants of God."
..1 Peter 2:16

While here in Ohio, the governor (Mike DeWine, RINO) has hinted at opening back up on May 1st, I have yet to see anything that would indicate that would be the case. He is unfortunately listening to Dr. Amy Acton (director of the Ohio Dept of Health) who would disagree with anything that would go against the narrative that the MSM has been pushing. Gov DeWine is a spineless, establishment RINO that has more often than not, voted or sided with the Democrats. He is incapable of making tough and intelligent decisions.

What we are asking for is to open parts of the state where the virus has not been a problem. The country where I live has seen 1 Covid death (and that was a stretch) but 4 overdose deaths since the lock down. There is no need to keep our area in quarantine just because they may be having issues in Columbus.

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To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine

A lie doesn't become truth, a wrong doesn't become right, and Evil doesn't become good, just because it is accepted by the majority. - Booker T Washington

So the thing about opening the state to commerce (because that's what "opening" means) is that people will have the CHOICE to engage in commerce or not. Business owners can choose to fully open, limited open or remaining closed. Individuals can choose to continue to self-isolate, or engage in commerce.
I don't understand why those choices are fearful for some people.

For some, mainly the casual consumer that doesn't look into these issue, they have yet to educate themselves about the TRUE statistics of this disease. They are listening to the MSM too much and being told they will die if they contract the virus, which couldn't be further from the truth.

As for those in the media and government, it destroy's their hopes and dreams for a police state favoring their leftist agenda.

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To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine

A lie doesn't become truth, a wrong doesn't become right, and Evil doesn't become good, just because it is accepted by the majority. - Booker T Washington

Sadly, the latter, it would appear.

Perhaps this is not absolute totalitarianism; but it is a rather large step in that direction, anyway...

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"In his second inaugural address, [Franklin D.] Roosevelt sought 'unimagined power' to enforce the 'proper subordination' of private power to public power. He got it…"—George Will, July 8, 2007

The reason why such "choices are fearful" to some is the fact that they represent an affront to their desire for an authoritarian rule over the people.

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"In his second inaugural address, [Franklin D.] Roosevelt sought 'unimagined power' to enforce the 'proper subordination' of private power to public power. He got it…"—George Will, July 8, 2007

Indeed, the economy will be held hostage to escalating demands for absolute safety, 100% testing, contact tracking and forced isolation, if all else fails hold out for a vaccine. But don't worry, the pandemic will miraculously vanish if Biden wins the Presidency.

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If Democrats were confident their nominee actually received more than 80 million votes they wouldn't have more troops occupying Washington, DC than Lincoln had defending the city during the Civil War. Not Joe Biden, Kim Jung Biden.