Administrators rawTOP Posted December 31, 2021 Administrators Report Posted December 31, 2021 [Note: this isn't specifically about sexual health, more about health in general. So not a perfect fit for this part of the site, but a closer fit than other parts of the site.] I'm a moderator at a mostly straight discussion forum for the porn industry. Whenever the topic of COVID comes up there are huge battles. I just posted the the following message on that site to see if there's actually more agreement than it seems on some of the fundamental issues surrounding COVID. I'm curious how the gay community differs from that group. So I'd appreciate if you look it over and respond… [The bits about not having discussion are meant for them - not for you guys… Just keep the conversation civil!] When I was a kid I went to a fundamentalist Baptist school from 5th to 10th grade. The kids at the school weren't all Baptist though. I was "evangelical", others were Presbyterian, Lutheran, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Mennonite, Methodist, etc. - even a few Catholics were in the mix. One of the most vivid memories from that time were the intense arguments in Bible class over the minutia that defined the various groups. It taught me that there were multiple perspectives and interpretations to things and to think for myself after listening to everyone. But in hindsight the battles in Bible class obscured the fact that we agreed on more than we disagreed about. We were nearly all Protestant Christians - what we were arguing about was actually really minor. Having had that experience I wonder now if, in all the fights over COViD, most of us don't actually agree on more than we disagree about. Below is a list of what I think are pretty "mainstream" statements related to the pandemic. (Mainstream = what is said by most public health authorities). Look at each statement and count the ones where you agree more than disagree. This is the type of pandemic where your actions can affect others. Vaccination is one of the best ways to protect yourself from serious illness and (depending on the variant) reduce your chances of infection. Vaccines aren't necessarily one-size-fits-all - consult your doctor to find out the best/safest vaccine/booster strategy for you if you have concerns. The pandemic drives home the importance of health and fitness. Masking, done right, can slow the spread in certain situations, but it isn't particularly useful in some environments (e.g. outdoors, at home with the people you live with), and some masks are more effective than others (N95 and KN95 masks are more effective than cloth masks). Social distancing (e.g. avoiding crowds, spending time with fewer people, etc.) slows the spread. All of the above can be helpful and together they can "flatten the curve" but they may never completely get rid of COVID as a threat. "Flattening the curve" is critical primarily when ICU capacity is strained in an area, at other times it is not unreasonable for the community to choose to take certain calculated risks to boost the economy, mental health, etc. Masking and social distancing when you're around strangers in enclosed public spaces is polite since you don't know if they are high risk. There are times when it may be completely reasonable for people to choose to engage in higher risk activities then you personally would engage in and you shouldn't judge them for taking those risks (e.g. when they are not interacting with high risk people and the hospital system in their area has sufficient capacity). These are not points of discussion. If people start using this thread for discussion I will request that the thread be closed. The point of this thread is to find points of agreement - not to start yet another argument about COVID. So simply reply with the number of items you are in general agreement with (you agree more than you disagree). If you have no opinion on some items, you can list the number where that's the case as well. Optionally you can also list the item numbers that you agree or disagree with (whichever list is shorter), and/or the item numbers where you have no opinion. Just list the numbers, not the concepts, since just seeing numbers is less likely to elicit discussion. And if you feel so inclined, I'm wondering about regional differences. So feel free to add your location and possibly your regional identity if it differs from your location. (e.g. "New Yorker living in Montreal"). My response would be: Agree with 10 of 10 New York City 3
TightBott7 Posted December 31, 2021 Report Posted December 31, 2021 While to somewhat different degrees, I agree to 1 through 10.
Loveitraw Posted December 31, 2021 Report Posted December 31, 2021 For what it's worth, and as you say not derailing the thread, I agree with all your points. 10 out of 10, UK
beanna Posted December 31, 2021 Report Posted December 31, 2021 10 out 10 Scotland Where pro rata Scotland has 34% fewer infections and 37% less deaths than England Who are far more lax than Scotland following items 1 to 10
Guest Posted December 31, 2021 Report Posted December 31, 2021 Mostly agree with all 10 of these but I also understand they all need to be used together to help slow the progression.
Filthpig69 Posted December 31, 2021 Report Posted December 31, 2021 (edited) I agree with 10 out of 10. I live in Auckland, New Zealand Edited December 31, 2021 by Filthpig69
BlindRawFucker1 Posted December 31, 2021 Report Posted December 31, 2021 10 out of 10. Las Vegas and the southeast
Tanbbottom Posted December 31, 2021 Report Posted December 31, 2021 Agree 10 of 10 Ontario, Canada, north of Toronto
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