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* Excerpt of the full Gov. Pritzker quote I posted earlier today…
But new hospitalizations just recently started flattening, which is great. And again, I’m very hopeful, and I pray for it every day that we can head back down and fewer mitigations and everybody getting back to a more normal way of life.
But I do want to encourage anybody that’s not been vaccinated, now is the time to do it. This variant is more dangerous than any other that we’ve seen during the COVID 19 pandemic.
* The Question: Are you hopeful about the future? Please make sure to explain your response. Thanks.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:31 pm
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Generally yes, I am hopeful things will get better. That’s partly because I don’t know if things have ever been worse in my lifetime. I think we’ve hit bottom, and the ivermectin craze is an example that we can’t sink much lower.
Please don’t prove me wrong people.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:35 pm
Nope, not with these folks at the helm, the anti-vaxxers, and the return of students, fall sporting events, and the holiday season all at once.
Comment by ;) Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:39 pm
No, too much of this country is too far gone to rise to any occasion for collective good. As the climate continues to spiral, our institutions are fully incapable of providing even minimally competent responses to any number of hair on fire emergencies, and it will only get worse. Republicans seem pretty intent on using Congress and the courts to ensure no Democrat is ever allowed to become President again, and Democrats don’t seem too worried about it.
Comment by SWIL_Voter Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:40 pm
Short term future? Not so much
Long term? It’s gotta get better, right??
(Snark I hope)
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:41 pm
I am. The anti mask anti vaccine gang is going to burn themselves out in the near future.
We are now seeing HS sports impacted and games cancelled, business groups are supporting masking and more employers are requiring vaccines. Courts continue to rule against the rantings of the few who seem to dominate the news.
When mom and pop explain to their kids they can’t do sports, local stores and dining establishments fear other lockdown and parents realize home schooling is in their future without the virus being controlled, the vocal anti everything gang is going to find themselves isolated and outcast from their community.
Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:43 pm
Not for a while. It’s clear that nothing will convince a too large portion of our state’s citizens to voluntarily get vaccinated. Outbreaks are growing at schools that have just started back and we’ll be lucky to get a vaccine for 5-11 year olds by October. So, more kids will catch it and take it home. I don’t believe the mask mandate will help much. Restaurants, bars and social gatherings will continue to spread the virus. This is going to get worse before it gets better.
Comment by getthevax Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:43 pm
No not at all. Even when a vaccine was not available I saw families and parents encourage travel sports with their kids at the height of 2020 fall/summer. That was a sign to me that people make up their own relative standards and implement as little change as possible.
Comment by Solid no Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:54 pm
Current situation is the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime: societal unrest, partisanship, inability to engage in civil discourse, pride in ignorance, unwillingness to sacrifice for the betterment of society and the planet (climate change). I’ve never been much of an optimist anyway, but if I don’t at least try to be hopeful, it makes the days much harder to get through.
Comment by Oxfordian Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:54 pm
Yes, I am hopeful, but I don’t anticipate things will get much better until children under the age of 12 qualify for a COVID 19 vaccine. I also see the tides turning against anti-mask/anti-vaxxers as it appears that all lot of people support employers who mandate vaccinations for their employees and venues who require proof of vaccination for entry.
Comment by Bourbon Street Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 3:56 pm
In the bigger scheme of things, yeah I am. Being hopeful beats the heck out of the alternative.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:02 pm
I had a glimmer of hope earlier this summer. I was even planning a little fall travel, thinking I would be safe fully vaccinated. I am cancelling my plans again–I don’t want to be a breakthrough case, and I don’t trust there will be care for me if I need to seek medical help. I think we will be back to remote work and remote learning in October.
Comment by Fairycat Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:06 pm
I’m not particularly hopeful currently. And that’s largely because we still have too many people that can’t or won’t be led to do the right thing. And sadly the rest of us will continue to pay the price.
I think we’ve exhausted most remedies from the various levels of government. Any of the positive steps we might take to put this behind us are undermined by leaders encouraging the anti-mask and anti-vax crowd for their short term political benefit. I see no signs of that changing.
To the extent that I am optimistic is because I’ve seen more organizations recently speak out in favor of vaccine mandates. Whether that’s the IFT, IMA, Retail Industry, or Chamber of Commerce, it’s probably our best path out of this. I’d feel a lot better if I saw more movement towards mandates.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:12 pm
Kids are playing sports, have a few trips planned, “in-person” school is happening, business is brutal -but still working. Don’t really think things will get better, but we were on that trajectory before the virus. Gonna just take it one day at a time. Keep the head down, stay safe with family and ride it out.
Comment by JDuc Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:28 pm
I’m not hopeful about the near future. It depends upon how the schools will handle increases in COVID-19 among children. Once they can receive vaccines and more places mandate vaccinated status, I think things will improve, maybe by spring.
But watch out for future variants and get those booster shots.
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:39 pm
I sure hope we are at the peak. We have topped the April surge numbers for ICU & vent usage.
Comment by Stu Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:49 pm
Between those vaccinated and those acquiring antibodies by being exposed, we will reach herd immunity soon. I hope.
Comment by Blue Dog Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:53 pm
No. Far too many anti-vax, anti-mask, MAGA maniacs out there. They’re selfishly , foolishly & obstinatly jacking things up for everyone else.
Comment by Lt Guv Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:54 pm
Always hopeful, those old, angry white folks are trying to sell despair, but feeling hope is like standing up against the bad
Technically how I feel hope is more about a feeling and resolve one has, as hope is a want, measured differently and seen differently to its own end.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 4:57 pm
No. we are divided more than we have been since the period preceding the civil war.
Our two party system is broken beyond repair with the overwhelming majority of one party enthusiastically worshiping a wannabe despot and gleefully accepting obvious lies.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 6:21 pm
comment
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 7:40 pm
Guess my dark vision earlier today got caught by the auto-censor filter
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 7:41 pm
To rephrase:
I see living with covid for the foreseeable future
I see a media that likely will never be mostly objective again
I see a recession in about 5 years
Can’t change it, so I’ll just keep keep playing with the grandkids and cars
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 7:48 pm
I was hopeful about the future until I saw that there are breakthrough COVID cases that end with hospitalization and/or death. I thought I was being very careful, but I was stricken with COVID before the vaccines were available. Even after being vaccinated, I am fearful.
Comment by Downstate Dem Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 7:58 pm
Hopefully more anti-mask/vaxers will increasingly just give in. The effort to maintain the cause will become significant as mandates come from employers, schools, health insurance coverage, hassle of home schooling, canceled sports, and data on vaxed vs unvaxed deaths.
Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 8:22 pm
It’s hard to be hopeful when you have one of our two-parties actively taking action to damage our public health system. Centuries of proven health practices are being falsely discredited and reversed in GOP states because of partisan malice and general ignorance. People dedicated to saving lives are vilified, losing their jobs and physically threatened.
I could go on about the political milieu in general and the threat to our democracy, but I’m too depressed to even think about it anymore.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 8:50 pm
I was hopeful until I saw the numbers going up the past five weeks. Now I’m trying to be hopeful that we will be peaking the current wave within the next 5-10 days and dropping by early November. But as others have said, I’m anxious what the holiday season will bring.
Comment by From DaZoo Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 9:26 pm
No. Not about Covid and not about much else for our country either. The greatest generation sacrificed much for us. People went to war, those that stayed home gave up a lot. Rations, etc. The rest of us won’t even get a vaccine to save their lives.
Our nation’s capital was overrun for the first time since 1812. Half the country doesn’t see it as a problem. Those are the same people that would believe the sky was purple if they read it on a website or heard it on the radio. No idea how we get our country back.
Comment by thoughts matter Tuesday, Aug 31, 21 @ 10:17 pm
If we can get more pro-health people ‘Dems’ elected to the US Congress, we might have a chance to turn things around.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 12:04 am
no, not until mayors (Springfield) start requiring businesses to enforce mask wearing in their business/stores or get cited. also more employers should require vaccinations or testing and masking. some antivaxxers are tracking those business that don’t enforce & sharing that info.
Comment by Peanut Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 8:30 am