THE ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET
While the coronavirus has schools closing down across the nation, Democrats wondering whether to shut down their 2020 presidential primary election and Gov. Mike Dunleavy declaring a health emergency in Alaska, you have to wonder:
What about signature-gathering such as that being carried out now in Alaska by Recall Dunleavy? It is very up close and personal. Does it not present a serious health threat? Is it not the very definition of such a threat? Why is it still allowed?
Paid signature gatherers – and who pays those working for Recall Dunleavy remains anybody’s guess – position themselves in the busiest places to approach the maximum number of potential petition signers.
They must get within veritable coughing distance to signers, and their clipboards are sneezed on and handled by who knows how many people during the course of a day – as are their pens and other materials. At the end of the day, those things must be akin to petri dishes.
Signature-gatherers might as well have signs proclaiming: “Get your virus right here.”
None of that is good in today’s circumstances. It is the kind of thing that can only help spread the coronavirus. A cough here. A sneeze there. The next thing you know, we are all ill. It is nothing short of astounding that people do not flee when they see the signature-takers.
Given the serious public health risks such face-to-face contact in crowded places presents to the public, it would be more than just wise to consider shutting down such exercises – not only in Alaska, but across the nation.
It is the right thing to do.
“Why is it still allowed?”…. Do you need to read the First Amendment again?
First amendment only applies when its beneficial right?
If they can’t have meetings, are canceling travel for the officials then they need to shut down this ridiculous recall bs. At this point they are going to infect anyone they come into contact with.. Because the pen, the board and the people are like the article said are a petri dish. Washing hands is a second thought for alot of folks unfortunately.. So who knows what you are touching when you sign this garbage. By the way, Frederick, IT has nothing to do with a right to protest with recalls. It’s about getting more people sick by strangers approaching you that have come into contact with who knows what.. That has to stop… The recall baloney is just that anyway. A bunch of liberals still mad that they lost and we actually have a governor who is trying to fix Alaska and not sink it farther.
I come to your site regularly to see what folks who have different opinions than I do are thinking about and to get a better picture of what is going on in the world and Alaska. This is so far beyond the pale, I am shocked. A key part of our democracy is the right to recall. Walker should have been recalled for taking away the PFD and Dunleavy should be for failing to reinstate it. They have both failed. Your article’s outcome, I don’t care what your intention, is to make people afraid to participate. Like a thug at the poll both, you are trying to prevent participation because you believe the recall isn’t warranted. Intimidation is wrong and I beg you to write a retraction. Please do not lose your values to win a minor battle.
You are right, only Democrats can use these kinds of tactics right? Like urging sick people to go to Trump rallies. Traveling around the country to get signatures won’t help spread the virus? DO you think Trump putting a travel ban on China was racist or a good response?
You gotta be kidding, Frederick.
COVID19 is proving to be over 10% fatal in some groups. CDC projects that 70% of all Americans will get infected. Considering all groups, at even 1% fatalities, COVID19 is projected to kill at least 3 million Americans before it’s over.
If we dodge the bullet, it will be for something about the virus that we’re currently unaware of. Israel scientists are projecting a vaccine within three months. Even if they create an effective one, it will take time to get it approved, and then manufactured and distributed in sufficient quantities.
WHO just declared COVID19 a pandemic. World deaths, at even 1% = 70 million? A quarter of the world’s population on quarantine already, and that’s proving to be not enough. Your right to sign a recall petition, to chance spreading it, just ended right there!
I have no problem supporting martial law until COVID19 is proven to be generally over.
Some folks go to pieces so fast, other folks get hit by the shrapnel.
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Hysteria can’t happen without an audience. Panicking alone is like laughing alone in an empty room. Makes you feel silly.
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We were born naked, wet and hungry, then things got worse?
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Remember, a positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it’ll annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
“Some folks…” 1st platitude.
“Hysteria can’t…” 2nd platitude.
“We were…” 3rd platitude.
“Remember…” 4th platitude.
Not a single original thought here.
Never made the debate team, did you?
Frederick, I first saw this at Anchorage Daily Planet. I believe the actual author of this article is their editorial board. You can leave a message on their site, too, letting them know your thoughts. Like you, I enjoy reading articles from a variety of Alaskan sites. That’s great that you are able to do that, even when you disagree with some of their content. Too few people are willing to do this. Thank you!
This site is information. Each reader can decide the merit of each article. I fail to see the expression of facts as “intimidation “.
With no cases of coronavirus in the state, this seems premature.
Up to 3 week incubation period without showing symptoms, but still very infectious. It is suspected that several carriers were in Washington for maybe weeks, paying it forward, before anyone had a clue.
With 938 confirmed and presumptive positive cases Nationwide this whole overreaction seems premature…I think that might kinda be the point of the article. Tongue in cheek you know, hopefully just saying tongue in cheek doesn’t mean I need to be put in quarantine…because you know tongues are dirty and might have the corvid virus on them.
“A wise person sees the danger, and hides from it.”
I think the idea was we all take a bit of a pause on the partisanship until we get thru this..
Based on some of these comments, that seems to be a bridge too far..
So far there is no stopping this virus. Quarantine, stopping travel, stop all
Public gathering, what ever. It will roll
through our country as well as all
others with a very, very high number getting the disease and a certain percent of them dying. Maybe hundreds of millions eventually. And no cure is in sight yet.
This pandemic will get much worse before it is over. And the impacts will be staggering. Much of the world’ s wealth will be lost and deaths from other diseases will occur to third world populations. And many more will simply starve. And when there is no food or water violence will break out. This could take more people off the planet than the Great War and WWII combined. Things may never look the same again. And there is no one to blame but mankind itself.. Mother Nature is simply proving once again who is Boss. We have too many people on the planet and we have not been good stewards. As George Carlin said the planet is just about to shake many of us humans off just like a dog does fleas.
We can take steps to ensure the impacts on our health services doesn’t overwhelm the capacity of that service.
Prudent lockdowns can make this more manageable.
Ignoring it and saying it’s just all inevitable won’t help.
That’s bad advice.
With the Wuhan V spreading exponentially, far and wide and very fast, I think it’s foregone to accept that we will likely catch it (Murphy’s Law). For many, the goal is/will be moving from not catching to surviving it. There are many natural vitamins, food, and supplements that will help strengthen the immune system to help prevent catching it. There are several ways to fight the virus if it’s caught, but remember, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Silver (colloidal) is said to be very effective at killing viruses. Plain old garlic is effective in more ways than flavoring food. For ages, Koreans have been called “garlic eaters”. Maybe that’s the reason the fatality rate is so much lower in S. Korea. I would suggest everyone do their own research. Time flies. The sooner the better to beef up your own defense. I see rumors of a national interstate travel ban, potentially as soon as a couple days away. Where you are when that is enacted is where you’ll stay. Said to be for at least a month. That will bring an entirely new set of issues for people. We will survive. This will pass. God Bless America.
The fatality rate in S. Korea is as low as it is because they are testing 10,000 people a day.
It’s not because of ‘supplements’, garlic or silver colloidal anything. In fact, immunologists warn that there’s little evidence any of that ‘folk’ remedy will actually work against a fast moving virus like corona virus.
S. Korea’s test takes 10 minutes at most.
Drive through, you never have to get out of your car.
Results are texted to you, usually the next day.
And it’s free
They’ve been testing 10,000 a day.
That tells them who to quarantine, where to lock down specific areas of spreading disease.
No reason we shouldn’t have that in place by now except for the unconscionable incompetence from the top down.
All this talk of America is #1 best healthcare ever, why do Singapore and S. Korea have the best record for responding to this global pandemic and we don’t?
Nay,
A test is not a cure. You speak in generalities, not specifics or reality. There is a reason Koreans are avoiding the fatality rate of other nations. It’s not because more people are being tested. Common sense. Badmouthing our President and America is not a cure. This should be a time of American unity, not using the crisis to further political goals and expound divisive leftist/liberal diatribe. I think you should do a little research on your own before you expect people to “think like you”. Sometimes the truth hurts. Are you in pain?
I speak in generalities?
There you are, Ben Colder, you project as easily as Trump.
Is being obtuse your best product?
Holding Trump accountable for his incompetence is American.
Did you miss civics classes?
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