Fading Fad

 THE RESEARCH IS IN.Surveys indicate that when the virus hit  home in March, most Americans briefly bit the bullet, masked up, social distanced, played by the rules. But the fad didn't last. In the United States of Advertising, everything is a fad, and fads never last long, with the notable exception of the slinky. The anti virus fad wore off. Concern for public health lost its allure, as the real space and time implications in the real world of personal sacrifice and inconvenience hit home, and we the American people resolutely refused to compromise our beloved bars and restaurants and parties and social life. Oh, the horror of being imprisoned in one's own home with a mere five hundred cable television channels and the internet in pocket. Whether we the hedonistic American people or our hoax mongering reality denying president was more culpable in killing nearly three hundred thousand Americans, and counting, needlessly is a toss up. There are no immutable laws of nature which require the teeming masses to listen to or follow the lead of a lunatic leader. the number of dead is likely to nearly double before spring, the result of our inexplicable but observable urgent need to become peripatetic during the thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years holidays, taking the virus and sharing it with others wherever we may go. The proof, as they say, is in the puddin'. Survey says! women, after nine months of epidemic, are far more willing to behave properly than men in observing public health protocols, and older folks are more self disciplined tan the impetuous, invincible young, unsurprisingly. Minorities do better than white guys. African-Americans and Latinos and Asian-Americans adhere to sensible behavior much more readily than caucasians, ironically, since discrimination against minorities is evident in their lower access to heath care, lower living standards, and enhanced levels of disease and death by Covid 19. Atheists almost certainly care more about the health and well being and wear their masks in public at a higher rate than devout Christians, because of their superior intelligence, but there are no officials records for reference. But now for the coup de grace. Liberal Democrats wear masks in public, social distance, and assiduously avoid large gatherings, while conservative republicans, the Trump support evangelical Christian types either do none of the above, or do so as a much lower rate.They show a marked preference for proclaiming their constitutional rights, for gathering together to worship God and chant "stop the steal!" at MAGA rallies as mask-less and in as close proximity to each other and as loudly as they please, they prefer, and would defend unto death, their inalienable right to be stupid. Clearly observable is the undeniable fact that not only do they have this right, but that they practice it fervently, under all circumstances.