“ NO. NOT to "protect the refuseniks". To reduce the size of the "petri dish" in which new mutations evolve.”

I was referring mostly to those that won’t get the vaccine, and I know some, that are counting on the rest of us to get vaccinated to protect them. I don’t agree with it but that’s their choice. But your point about the Petri dish is much more relevant and it’s been a concern of mine since the start as coronaviruses mutate so readily. The flu and common cold for example are coronaviruses. That’s why they’re not a one and done - the next mutation(s) is different enough that your immune system doesn’t recognize it right off. It really doesn’t surprise me that we may see more mask mandates… again.

It’s been said that nature will always find the way to cull the herd. We should hope this isn’t it.

Thats what happened last year and part of the reason why we won’t see another peak as high as we did.

On another note, I received the vaccine in the first wave because I am a first responder. My wife will not be getting the vaccine because she has three severe auto-immune diseases. Her doctors agree that she is safe without it as her immune system is very well regulated with the combination of medications she is on. They say the vaccine would likely throw her immune system out of whack and wreck their hard work. She is healthy and has made a choice to go maskless. She is aware of the risks and I support her right to choose. Plus, the last thing a person with a condition that effects their ability to breathe properly needs is a “face diaper” hindering their air flow.

"But this was an "all hands on deck, beat this virus before it destroys our economy" full court press led, full credit where deserved, by You-Know-Who. I don't think anybody was thinking that far ahead."

Your florid description aside, once again, rushed things produce unknown side effects.

For the record, while J&J isn't an mRNA. it's still an experimental delivery-only used for COVID and Ebola. it's also the least effective and contraindicated in the case of thrombocytopenia.

For the record, it's unfortunate that we can't qualify commenters by asking a simple technical question:

Distinguish and contrast RNA and DNA viruses-explain the difference as it pertains to the expected course of the virus.

If you get it right you get to talk. If not, your comments are "fact checked".

I'm still amused by Mr. Freedom Train looking for ways to coerce people into submitting to his will, regardless of their individual medical situation.

I guess everybody else's irony detector needs a tune up.

I don’t think anybody is expecting god-like performance of science. However science often seems to be assigned that power from those who invoke it in managing this pandemic. Dr. Fauci got angry with those who questioned his expertise because he said it amounted to questioning science. He said an attack on him was an attack on science.

I understand the point about science never being settled. But sometimes it angrily insists it is settled in order to force us to follow it. In those cases, I think that is a sign that it is not really science, but rather, authoritarianism using science as a pretext.

With the changes from no mask as a ruse, to admitting the ruse, to must use masks, to masks only working for exhale, to mask working both directions, to masks only for unvaccinated, to masks for everyone, etc., what actually were the formal scientific reasons for these changes?

While these changes may be justified by the science as a response to ever changing data; the public perceives them as science constantly changing its mind apparently because science does not have the answer. So the science authority is losing credibility in the eyes of the public as it flippantly changes direction in rules we are to follow.

If scientific facts are always subject to change as new information becomes available, facts can never be permanent. Rolling out a new vaccine in the middle of all this confusion is bound to create hesitancy. So if it really is for the good of humanity, it requires clear, logical, kind-hearted, empathetic marketing to overcome the natural hesitancy.

But we are not getting that sort of marketing. Instead we are getting angry demands and calls for punishment for non-compliance. This mean spirited attitude is having the opposite effect of what is required. It is increasing the hesitancy and forcing confrontation, almost as if that is the goal. So when they don’t get compliance, the authorities seem bent upon getting revenge against their subjects rather than helping them.

To be fair about this, we don't mandate some arbitrary level of expertise in railroad history, preservation, or hands-on operation before commenting here, either. Imagine if we mandated that you have to have at least six hours of experience in needle-gunning rust, shoveling coal or ballast, etc., or have personally owned a piece of rolling stock before being allowed to comment here..............

And the reality is that "fact checking" as we "know it" in 2021 is used almost solely as a means of censoring or countering allegations or outright facts that the "fact-checking" body/authority find inconvenient to their agenda, NOT as actual repudiation of outright falsehood. We're not talking "There's a PRR T1 hiding in a mine/sunk in a quarry!!!!", but more like "steam locos outdraws diesel in tourist railroading" (which someone with an agenda would counter by saying "Acktchually..... the Grand Canyon Railway and the Verde Canyon RR and the Rocky Mountaineer prove you wrong.........")



Mine exploded violently many years ago as stuff postulated by the Babylon Bee as farce repeatedly came true........... I figured why bother replacing it as long as the current clown shows remain firmly entrenched in political machinations?

So what type of "kind-hearted marketing" is going to get through to people who've spent the past 30 years being fed propaganda that anyone telling them what to do is part of some un-American plot?



How is "logical marketing" going to get through to Kenny Hubbard here who thinks you can take your "average scanner", whatever that is, and "scan your arm"?

No. The problem is that people have been fed BS for so long that they can no longer recognize reality. We shouldn't be humoring them anymore, because reality has shown that their behavior can kill the rest of us.

Extremely good points here.

The problem with modern science is that by some (a growing minority of people), scientific findings can be perceived as truthful. The problem is that science isn’t the truth. Science is and forever will be a series of very well educated guesses about certain topics until we decide that a certain topic is no longer worth discussing because something better can’t be explained.

The problem people have with Dr. Fauci in this present day hasn’t been the fact that he’s a scientist or anything. Rather the fact that he’s on multiple occasions made it appear that his opinions and the opinions of “the scientific community” are infallible and, as a result, not up for any sort of debate. He’s also too decisive, making decisions about certain things that can totally backfire with his attitude about the whole thing. Prime example being the mask problem; where we’ve gone forward and back to explaining how and why they work, with those reasons having changed seemingly ever few weeks or so.

The vaccine rollout has also been pretty terrible over here for sure. If you wanted to encourage people who were skeptical of getting it to receive it, they did it in the exact wrong way. Making it a “you don’t get your life back if you don’t get it” sort of thing. Or “we should punish people for not getting it”. Or worst of all, having some celebrities being melodramatic about the issue in some preachy attempt to get others to take it. It honestly makes the whole thing wayyyyy worse than it needs to be.

No. The problem people have with Dr. Fauci is a symptom of the anti-intellectualism that has pervaded American culture since the Puritans first stepped off the Mayflower but that has picked up speed since the advent of mass communications.

I have a co-worker that went on and on about how masks didn't work but he would wear his anyway just to be a good sheeple. A few weeks ago he mentioned that ever since he started wearing the mask he hasn't gotten sick once, I almost burst out laughing. I get a kick out of the fact that some people are saying social media is censoring post and being anti First Amendment would probably be the first in line to press legal charges against me if I posted this on some website their kids went to and they actually did it.

Ed makes some good points above.

I just heard that the Biden administration is seriously considering issuing a federal mask wearing mandate covering all persons ( vaccinated or not) when on public transport, inside any building and when in any gathering of 10 or more persons.

The mandate under consideration will also mandate effective Sep/t. 1,, 2021 that all persons wishing to eat in a sit down restaurant or attend any function ( indoor or outdoor) attracting 20 or more persons must show proof of being fully vaccinated.

Now that we have a CIC who thinks about what's good for the nation I hope he'll decide to go forward and issue this mandate as it's about time we stopped coddling the minority who are responsible for prolonging this agony.

IMHO- Ross Rowland

You mean a POTUS who is only performing a political act not based in science?

No, I mean it's so nice to again have a CIC who thinks about the good of the nation vs. the previous clown who ONLY thought of himself. I know it takes some getting used to but give it a while and you'll recognize it too.

Ross Rowland

I sure do miss the days when I could escape all the political bashing by escaping to my happy place.....furthering my hobby by reading about railway preservation on the forum dedicated to such. Clearly those days are over as the posts on political commentary are beginning to outnumber anything having to do with railroading much less preservation. I respectfully requests that the moderators begin deleting these irrelevant comments.

PS - Since RYPN is now clearly a political viewpoint forum I'll go on record as saying I do not approve of the current POTUS and I do not approve of any new mask mandates or vaccine requirements.

Would you like a participation trophy or a cookie?