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No state wins any award. Nobody will celebrate a single death.  Many can criticize but it really is not fair to tie the death rate to a governor. ( maybe a few exceptions but let’s just ignore that for this conversation)

But we can give plenty of our own thoughts and opinions.  These are mine- and whether you believe this or not- they are not political at least an intention.

What is the right answer when you’re trying to balance “flattening the curve”, protecting those who are vulnerable, The general health of the public, the economic viability of those people who live in your state- especially small business owners whose ability to feed their families and pay their bills is solely tied to the small business that they run, having kids in school which we all acknowledge is optimum but not putting teachers and administrators at risk, and the list goes on.  I am not sure there is a “right“ answer.

I am glad I was in Florida when this thing hit because I am very very pleased with the way Florida handled this. I feel like the balance between individual protections, the greater good including economic, we’re about as well served as they could be. I also think the fact that so many people are moving here now supports that at least to some degree.

The fact that this was so politicized is my greatest disappointment and nobody gets off the hook here. “Science” was tossed around like a security blanket but completely misused.  You simply cannot say with a straight face that people who want to gather in a church, distancing, while wearing masks, is not following science yet having liquor stores, marijuana dispensaries, and other things open, is.  It clearly is individual opinions and decisions.

The world was not prepared for this and it seems like we are finally starting to learn more and I just hope if and when the next one comes the world will be much more prepared for this and in the United States it won’t become a political hot potato.

Well said, HB. And I don't consider your response political. 

I agree regarding "science". It seemed that was the response at each time that someone wanted to keep everything closed--"I believe in Science!"

But... It didn't compute. The science doesn't support keeping kids out of schools. The science doesn't support closing things like haircuts and nail salons, as long as everyone is masked. 

The science DOES say not to get together for Thanksgiving, without a mask, with 23 of your "closest" relatives comprising 7 different households in an enclosed house. But nobody, on either "side" wanted to listen to that. Which is still IMHO one of the reasons we had so much trouble during the winter--but I could be wrong.

For Florida's sake, I'm really glad that it worked out. I agree with you that there has to be a balance, and I don't think California struck the balance properly nor had consistent messaging. 

I'm just saying I don't think Florida was an A+, nor do I think California was an F. I think it's a lot more nuanced than that.

You're just letting them inject whatever they want in your arm, aren't you?!?  lol

Grade on a curve. Assume there must be A, B, C, D and F grades. 

Economic, education and social factors must be included.

Grade on a curve. Assume there must be A, B, C, D and F grades.

Economic, education and social factors must be included.

Oh I know where you're coming from.

I think the real sticking point, has been watching a guy like Cuomo being lauded on the grand public stage, being given book deals and Emmy awards and such, while at the same time watching all of the MSM take pot shots at Florida, as if they're somehow handling it worse than Cuomo and NY did-- which is absurd.

And then when some of the positive attention does turn to Florida, a person like the LA Times writer feels the need to insert further commentary into the discussion.

It'll be several more years before we have most of the data we need, to compute the overall effects of this pandemic, by region.  And really, it's going to be probably decades before we comprehend the entire fallout of some students missing more than a year of in-person school.  But when we finally have the data, I genuinely hope that we'll take the time to sift it, analyze it, and come up with some meaningful conclusions to use as the basis for our strategy for the NEXT time this happens.

Because it most assuredly will happen again.  And potentially with a more lethal virus, which is a sobering thought.

I don't see California or Florida in the list above......

that's good

The next time is hopefully 100 years away.

Early on in this thing, "we" didn't know much about anything. People were dying at a high rate. A very high rate. Now we as a country are down to an overall rate, from the start, of 1.8%. It's probably closer to 0.5% now. Maybe even less, and that doesn't count the many millions of people who had it and didn't know it.

And the country was crippled - and parts of it still are. I 100% agree with the early shutdown of most states. That should have ended by May or June.

There was no reason to cripple the country. "We" should have protected the very vulnerable and let those not very vulnerable go about their business.

The world is only getting more connected every day, and that's the main driver of the spread.  If this specific version of the novel coronavirus evolved in the exact same part of China 100 years ago, it likely wouldn't have spread beyond its native village.

The amount of increases in global connectivity in just the past two decades, is staggering.  Especially to and from China.

I mean, I certainly hope the next one is 100 years from now, but realistically I don't see any way it's not within 10-15 years.  And probably sooner than that.

HOWEVER-- we absolutely have learned a lot in the past year, on how to handle something like this.  From treatments to vaccine development to quarantine procedures to online work/school, we've already lived the experiment and are applying lessons learned in real time.  I honestly believe our capabilities will continue to improve dramatically in the coming years.

apparently our national leadership wasn't horrible

I blame Trump and Biden