So New Zealand just declared the pandemic officially over in their country

So New Zealand just declared the pandemic officially over in their country. They re-opened without any restrictions yesterday, because there were zero cases in their country. In a country with 5 million people, they had only 22 deaths. This was because New Zealand instituted a severe lock down at the federal level in early March and instituted a well orchestrated phased approach to re-opening.

Contrast the United States response. Over 106,000 people are dead, and states like Arizona are currently spiking with new cases, and Wisconsin is still zigzagging in new cases.

A supporter of my campaign who works in the Crandon school district told me that all teachers were physically called back for an in-service yesterday, even though many members of the staff and/or their families are immunocompromised. Note school is over, and any truly important information could’ve been relayed through zoom or email. Teachers could’ve been organized to come back at separate times to clean out their classrooms. This person who relayed the story also said that many on the school board thought this virus was a hoax.

At issue is not necessarily the fool-hardiness of the Crandon school board, but the lack of a coordinated federal response to this pandemic that has caused so many unnecessary deaths. Trump abdicated leadership to the states, and then Rob Swearingen and his colleagues in the Wisconsin legislative majority overturned a well-thought-out plan by Governor Evers and forced the pandemic response onto counties and local school boards, who do not have the infrastructure nor the expertise to handle something of this magnitude.

Citizens of the Northwoods, you know that you have common sense. And you know that when you read that a country like New Zealand has completely crushed the pandemic in their country due to science, following the advice of experts, and effective government leadership, it makes sense to you.

Regardless of whether you are Republican or a Democrat, follow your common sense. If one party is telling you that there’s nothing to worry about, yet you see cases spiking all over the country, you know that scientifically this cannot be true. Ask yourself why that party is telling you this pandemic is a hoax. It is because they are currently in power, know the US response has been an absolute disaster, and unless they can convince you there is nothing wrong, they stand to lose power at the ballot box next November.

It’s time to stop voting along party lines and vote for common sense and common values. If you can build a bridge to a party caring more about its own power or enriching themselves in spite of the health of its constituents, you know they don’t share your same values.

There is an alternative at the ballot box this November, and it’s time we vote with our consciences, not with our parties.

Please share with people who may have different political ideologies than yours, but share your common values.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/world/australia/new-zealand-coronavirus-ardern.html

Written by Kirk Bangstad on 06/09/20