But in Southern states the common thinking is that this is something that just happens to someone else. If one is in a rural environment, this view is understa

But in Southern states the common thinking is that this is something that just happens to someone else. If one is in a rural environment, this view is understandable. Not seeing one's neighbors (outside of now cancelled gatherings) may well be the norm. It's just the flu. What's horrific about that is that even if New York, for example, succeeds, it could come back anyway because of these folks. If there is an unlucky mutation and a 2nd go around, the likelihood of that is driven by population. It's the population centers like New York which would most likely produce this. They'll know it's denial when reality kills them in the middle of their opinion-touting. That's often how a free society works. People are free to make decisions, good and bad, and others can then learn from their mistakes. We must be willing to convince, not coerce, when we can.