Two years: Residents share thoughts two years into pandemic
Two years ago, life came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 12, 2020, "March Madness" was canceled. March 13 was the final day of school in Michigan for the 2019-20 school year. Restaurants were closed, as of March 16.
Only “essential workers” were allowed to go on with their job routine, and carried documentation to prove it.
Crafters began sewing masks. Soon after, fabric-providers exhausted their supply of elastic.
At the stores, carts dripped with disinfectant and shoppers hurried past one another, avoiding contact. Toilet paper, hand-sanitizer and bleach were sold-out.
Plexiglass barriers were installed. Meetings, canceled at first, eventually went to teleconference format.
COVID-19 cases in Hillsdale County were low at first, but many residents kept a close eye on the numbers. The health department, aided by the National Guard, set up testing sites.
Now, two years down the road, the dust seems to be settling. Some local residents commented on their personal experiences and thoughts about the pandemic via the Daily News Facebook page. Many said the pandemic brought mistrust of government and media. Here is a sample of comments.
“…Fear is a very powerful thing and that people can let it control their otherwise normal lives and become very irrational when it comes to what really is and what the media and news outlets want you to believe. From day one, I lived like I did before it all happened, but others were so consumed by the fear of getting it and not surviving or that everyone around them had it and they did things to try and protect themselves that they wouldn't have otherwise, had they just continued on with their lives. I realize people died and that's never what any of us want, but it's not the first time the world has been through it and it won't be the last. It brought on a whole new level of power-hungry and mind-controlling games that were totally unnecessary.”
"The government was quick to take our freedoms away. We should decide when and with what we are treated, not government.”
"I learned that I really like curbside grocery shopping!"
"I got to see in real life how people can be manipulated with fear into doing what they are told ... I also got to see people literally act rabid toward others because they were terrified to get sick. Fear is a fantastic way to control people who can be easily manipulated with it."
"There is nothing that can't be turned into a political issue to further divide our country ... That we can't trust any federal agencies or media sources at all. That each individual must try to sift through available information and do what he believes is right for him. That the elite of the world is using every tactic imaginable to take our freedom from us."
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: News
