The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in what seems like never-ending quarantine around the world; however, recently, politicians have begun to question this supposed necessity. In a recent interview with journalist Anderson Cooper, mayor Carolyn Goodman voiced her opinion on Las Vegas’ lockdown and her plans to reopen the city.
On April 22, 2020, Cooper interviewed Goodman about the challenges coronavirus has created for her city and her plans to keep her citizens safe. What was expected to be a formal interview between a politician and journalist during this time turned into a video that went viral on every social media platform.
Why? Because Goodman’s response was not at all what was expected.
Not only did she question the science behind the coronavirus, but she attacked Cooper for supposedly making her look bad in the public eye.
Before you read any further, you have to watch this video:
Now that you have watched it, say it with me: what. the. heck.
This interview took an unexpected turn when Goodman voiced her concerns about the quarantine itself.
“I’d love everything open because I think we’ve had viruses for years that have been here,” Goodman said.
What I, along with so many others, found crazy about this statement was how confident Goodman was in her responses.
She firmly believed that the coronavirus was just another virus, one we could easily overcome. Throughout her interview, she notions that perhaps the quarantine is a callous action. Goodman states how America has never been in the condition it is in now.
“We’ve never closed down the United States. We’ve never closed down Nevada. We’ve never closed down Las Vegas because that’s our job.”
To her, the government’s reaction is an overreaction. Goodman believes that since this is the first time we have had to shut down cities, it is illogical to do so. Cooper counteracts this argument by explaining how we have never had a virus quite like this before, which is true. This is an unprecedented time we are living in, so obviously, the actions made by government officials will be unusual as well. But, Goodman’s response AGAIN was shocking.
“I’ve lived a long life. I grew up in the heart of Manhattan. I knew what it’s like to be with subways and crammed into elevators.”
UHM..excuse me? At this point, I was lost. She compared being outside during a time where disease can travel by air to living in the city that never sleeps.
I’ll be honest…the logic doesn’t add up. Even in Boston, we know about busy city life, but that doesn’t mean we know how to live in a city with no social distancing during the pandemic. There’s a reason the quarantine exists, Goodman!
Just when you think it won’t get any better, she says this.
“No, this isn’t China. This is Las Vegas, Nevada.”
Girl, what? In case you guys didn’t know, Goodman has discovered that the coronavirus apparently travels differently in Las Vegas than it does in China.
What a shocking discovery, right? Except as Cooper pointed out, unfortunately, that’s not true.
Tragic, I know. At this point, everyone can probably understand why this interview went viral. The things she said seemed outrageous to all of us, but to some, that ideology makes sense.
We see an increase in anti-quarantine protests around the country because people are tired of staying at home. Trust me; I get it. I would love to be graduating with my friends, just like so many others. BUT ignoring the facts doesn’t make it go away. Unfortunately, the coronavirus is a new monster that we weren’t ready for, nor are we prepared for.
So sit tight and quarantine well. Don’t let yourself fall victim to this virus out of frustration. Quite frankly, it’s not worth it. Stay safe, everyone, and promote social distancing wherever you can!
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