What Happens When Personal Responsibility Fails to Control COVID?

The following is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Townsquare Media Sedalia/Warrensburg or it's employees. 

Fresh off his re-election as Missouri's Governor, Mike Parson is back pushing personal responsibility as the key to getting our state's COVID-19 numbers under control. But what happens when many people are ignorant of the facts or just plain refuse to exercise that personal responsibility?

The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Governor Parson called on Missourians to "take responsibility" to curb rising COVID-19 cases. The problem with that is we have proof that not enough people care to exercise that responsibility to keep their friends, neighbors and family safe. So the question I'd like to ask Governor Parson is what do we do when personal responsibility fails at controlling the virus?

And maybe he hasn't noticed, but it's not working all that well. COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise. The medical professionals and scientists from the CDC, well respected research hospitals, all the way down to those employed by the Pettis County Health Center and Johnson County Community Health have told us what steps to take to stay healthy for months. Those guidelines include masks and social distancing.

Yet, many in our community ignore the science. Parties take place where social distancing is largely ignored. People not taking face mask requirements put in place by our public health agencies seriously. Businesses and stores not enforcing their own mask policies. People getting all huffy trying to make mask wearing or social distancing some big civil liberties violation or some sort of B.S. political statement.

And as long as politicians and government officials like Governor Parson continue to play this game asking the public to take responsibility to get the virus under control. Expect more of what we've gotten so far from this pandemic: Cancelled concerts, empty movie theaters, hurting restaurants and bars, supply chain issues, unemployment, a stressed out health care system, and a life that is anything but normal.

It's time for our county commissioners, our mayors, town councils, and yes Governor Parson, to take some personal responsibility themselves and put forth and support plans that have real teeth to get the coronavirus under control. Because simply, some folks may need a kick in the backside to get with the program.

And those of us who have been personally doing our part to keep ourselves healthy and stop the spread of the coronavirus. We're ticked off that we've been doing this for almost nine months and we're nowhere.