Extra Credit Assignment: Lockdown Enforcement During the Pandemic

This has nothing to do with driving per se, but there is an interesting similarity between lockdown enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic and the enforcement of laws against DUI. In both cases, a risk-imposition is treated as a matter of law enforcement, because the imposition of risk can lead to death, even if, in many cases, it doesn’t. When you drive drunk, you could lose control of your vehicle, hit someone, and kill them, but you need not. If you violate the “lockdown,” you could spread COVID-19, infect someone, and kill them, but you need not.

With that background, what do you think of Governor Phil Murphy’s recent statement to the effect that he’s “really damned unhappy” about lockdown violations, and is contemplating a ratcheting-up of enforcement? An overreaction? An underreaction? Just right?

(Treat this as you would any other blog post here. You have the option of answering it or not. It’s worth 10 points. Remember that I’ll take best seven blog posts for your final grade. All of them have to be done by the last day of class.)

24 thoughts on “Extra Credit Assignment: Lockdown Enforcement During the Pandemic

  1. I agree with everything governor Phil Murphy is saying because these precautions are made to keep us all safe, and to avoid further spread of the virus. Murphy is not overreacting in anyway the quicker we seriously take this lockdown the quicker it will be for all of us to go outside and live our normal lives again. One thing I would want to talk about is jobs because people that survive paycheck to paycheck are really struggling right now. This is why this lockdown may be not followed by some or some people don’t really care because they have to go to work, and for the people who have lost jobs or their job closed down is a struggle. This is all made for our safety and I agree people need to work, but if we don’t follow the rules now we may just have this pandemic around until July or August. It’s better to get rid of this virus now before it get even more out of control.

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  2. I would say it is a reaction that is just right considering the situation, especially in his own state. He is taking measures that are necessary for the well-being of the state. Tons of people are complaining about the inconvenience of the situation and the uncertainty of the timeline of it all, but if people follow said protocol, they would be limiting the risk of infection and the ultimately by limiting the timeline of isolation. The governor has a right to be upset because he and other officials are making critical decisions so the numbers of cases and deaths can go down. I sort of believe it is a selfish motivation behind those who are not following self isolation or curfew or whatever the suggested and enforced protocol may be. It is no longer about putting one’s own self at top priority anymore. It is considering those we come in contact with who are high risk. If those people believe they are not high risk, they are simply going to ignore any instructions because they believe it does not apply to them. If measures have to become more strict for those people to get a wake up call that this pandemic is bigger than them, the governor has a right to express his emotion and take whatever actions are necessary.

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  3. I don’t think governor Phil Murphy statement isn’t an overreaction. People are still having large gatherings and even traveling especially to Florida which can spread the virus even more. If people would just stay home then it will be easier to contain the virus. Instead people who think they’re healthy, are going around spreading this virus to ten people and those infected ten are spreading it to the next one hundred people and so on. It sound like I’m being dramatic but I’m not which is why Murphy should give big fines to the people disobeying the order. Everyday the numbers are growing and it will only get worse before it gets better, and trust me, we are not at the worst yet. There is nothing to do outside anyways except catch germs. A prime example is the recent church gathering in Arkansas where all 37 attendees caught the virus. This is not joke especially since everyone is not taking the proper precautions like washing their hands. Another thing people should do is stop going to the hospital if people suspect they have the virus and just self quarantine and call your doctor. Leave the beds and ventilators for people who really need it. I work in a hospital and it’s not fair to put our lives at risk just because you can’t stay home.

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  4. Governor Phil Murphy is has vowed to take “aggressive” action as the number of cases rises in New Jersey. He has given the chance for everyone to get tested even if you are uninsured. He advised those who are feeling sick or have had immediate exposure to someone with COVID-19 to seek testing, to prevent flooding the health care system. A differential method to containing the virus’s spread began with a prohibition on being in groups of more than 250 people but has since hastened to order for residents to “stay at home” and an approaching closing of NJ’s retail stores. Being in lockdown couldn’t be followed by the people who don’t listen because they have work, also it’s a difficult time for people who lost jobs with no other way to pay for food or house/ car payments. If everyone would stay in their homes for 2 weeks, at most, the number of cases could decrease. Whatever Gov. Murphy is doing is surpassing, he’s trying his best to help the people.

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  5. I personally do not believe that Governor Murphy is overreacting in this situation. I believe that many people are actually underreacting to the pandemic. When the news first began to circulate, many believed that the virus was only affecting the immunocompromised, children, and senior citizens. People decided to be ignorant and test their luck. There are young adults stuck in other states and countries due to their ignorance of the virus. Many people have the “YOLO” mentality and believe that they are invincible, especially because we are “young” and “have our whole lives to live”. As the days and weeks went on, there have been many people of various ages that have contracted, and even died from the virus. People have become so encompassed in themselves that their only worry towards the lockdown is the “restriction to their freedom”. Aside from the fact that many of us are out of jobs and have still bills to pay, it is actually not that difficult to stay inside, especially when it is pertaining to everyone’s health overall.

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  6. I don’t think governor Murphy is overreacting, if anything he should be more strict. I know people are annoyed that we have to stay inside but the quicker we stay inside the faster this can all be done with and we can go about our normal lives. so the longer everyone keeps fighting the longer this will be. I personally don’t think its worth the risk, im not necessarily at high risk but my dad is and I don’t wanna chance spreading it to him or anyone else who is at a high risk. its really scary how you don’t know if your sick until 2-14 days because you think your fine so you go out but you actually aren’t and you just spread it to a lot of people. at this point I just want things to go back to normal and im tired of this controlling my life. I think we should just go into full lockdown for a week or two because no ones gonna listen another way and then this can all be done with.

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  7. I personally think that Governor Murphy’s reaction is just right, there are too many people who are not taking this seriously, and Phil Murphy shouldn’t be the only one unhappy about it. Everybody needs to pitch in and help with this situation because it’s a virus that spreads really easily, the more people follow the stay-at-home order, the quicker this is all over, because I’m personally tired of all of this. I want everything to go back to normal, and I’m pretty sure a lot of people feel the same. It’s so sad how a person won’t take this seriously enough until it happens to them or someone they know or love, and by then it’s just too late. My town has lost one of the best baseball coaches in my highschool due to the coronavirus, he was also a teacher at the middle school and everybody knew and loved him. He was extremely young, in his 30s, and I personally knew him, and his wife was my volleyball coach. We’re all very shocked with this information, and I found it so sad how something so tragic like this had to happen for people in my town to actually follow the stay-at-home order. People should only be going out for necessities, such as for groceries, medicine, etc. I feel bad for the people who live paycheck to paycheck, I agree that they still should have the opportunity to work, but if you have no business going out, don’t. We should all take care of each other.

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  8. I agree with governor Murphy’s statement, it is a shame that individuals are violating lockdown rules. Since these rules are only put into place for our own safety. During this time everyone is encouraged to practice social distancing, which is is a public health practice that aims to prevent sick people from coming in close contact with healthy people in order to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. It can include large-scale measures like canceling group events or closing public spaces, as well as individual decisions such as avoiding crowds. These rules are enforced so the spreading of the Coronavirus can decrease rather than increase, and many are taking these precautions as a joke or just a way piss off the police force and but not realizing openly putting themselves at risk. Yes, there is frustration from being cooped up in the house for days at a time, but following these guidelines are helping ensure that we have any more days in our future.

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  9. I agree with Governor Phil Murphy’s stance on COVID-19, he is, in no way, overreacting. The world is facing a growing pandemic and these procedures are in place to help slow and prevent the spread of the virus. Governor Murphy’s reaction was handled very well considering the circumstances going on in the world. New Jersey is rapidly getting an influx of COVID-19 cases as it is close to New York which has the most cases recorded in the United States. Many people are complaining of events being canceled but it can all come back as soon as everyone self isolates for the time being.

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  10. I think Phil Murphy is not overreacting. He is giving us these protocols to stay safe and prevent the virus from further spreading. It’s ridiculous that people are not taking the pandemic protocols seriously. Phil Murphy is not telling us to stay at home to punish us, he is telling us to protect us. Those who are ignoring the protocol and go out with friends during this time is completely disrespectful. It is disrespectful to those who want to stay safe, the governor, and our front liners for this situation. Just because you are young and healthy does not mean that you cannot catch the virus. Even if you do go out and not get the virus symptoms, you can still be a carrier and infect others who have a chance of getting the virus, its symptoms, and may not be strong enough to defeat the virus.
    As both of my parents work in the medical field, I find it disrespectful for people to still go out for fun, not caring if they will get the virus. The hospitals are being flooded with patients, and there are not enough health care workers, with proper protective equipment, to help with those who are suffering from COVID-19. If people followed Phil Murphy’s request right away, we could have prevented/limited the spread of the virus. So no, I do not believe Phil Murphy is overreacting when he requests for us to stay home; he just wants to do his best to protect his people.

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  11. I don’t think Governor Murphy is overreacting I honestly agree with what he is saying. People aren’t going to continue not to listen and we’re going to be in quarantine for a longer time which is crazy to me because people are not even taking this pandemic as they should. The reason he is giving us these rules is so the virus won’t spread more than what it has already he just wants us to be safe. If people want to go back to their normal lives they need to start listening because I want to go outside. The thing I don’t agree with is the NJ Unemployment system, this has to be the worst system they ever made. People haven’t received payments for over a month including my father which is insane. People need to get money some way and they can’t even depend on the government because even if you try to contact them it won’t work trust me I’ve tried. This is another reason why everyone needs to stay home and this pandemic needs to end. People need their jobs back they need money and there is nothing to do about it.

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  12. No, I don’t thinks Governor Murphy is overeating. It’s really shame to see that people are still not taking it seriously, we are facing a pandemic, people all over the globe are dying. It’s not like he’s making these decisions to punish us, all of those decisions are to help save your life and stop the spread of the deadly virus. First responders, doctors, nurses, and other essential workers are risking their lives right now, the least of what we can do is to stay home and practice social distance, only go out for important things, and wear a mask and gloves. Because if we don’t do that it’s just gonna be worse, and we won’t go back to normal any time soon.

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  13. I believe that in this situation, Gov. Murphy is not overeating, but rather taking the precautions so the virus does not continue to spread. By having this “aggressive” attitude, he is just attempting to enforce the rules, since many people aren’t taking them seriously. I acknowledge the connection because both possess a lot of risk that can lead to death. Gov. Murphy is trying to enforce the laws in order for people to remain safe, so if he believes ratcheting-up the enforcement is necessary, then he should take those measures. Even if those who complain about stricter enforcement are practicing social distancing, we must understand that we are a community and all have to work together to end this virus. In the end, both the COVID-19 and DUI enforcements are trying to keep people safe and aware of the problems.

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  14. I believe that Governor Phil Murphy is not overreacting. This virus is spreading faster then anyone could of imagined so he is doing what he can to stop the spread, or even just slow it down .People aren’t taking the severity of this virus serious enough. Governor Murphy is just trying to keep everyone safe so I think he is handling this situation the best he can. It frustrates me when I see these groups of people still hanging out because all these essential works are putting their lives on their line just for people to not care. My mother is a healthcare worker who has to work 10 hour shifts 6 times a week. She comes home exhausted and I have been doing what I can to help her.People need to start following the rules the Governor has set in place so we can get rid of this virus as best as we can and we can return to our normal lives.

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  15. I don’t think governor Murphy is overreacting because we are in a pandemic, do people not understand what that means? I would say no since they violate all the regulations during this lockdown. We are supposed to stay home for our own safety and the safety of others. If we go out not only do we expose ourselves but others as well. We must maintain a 6ft distance and people are out here having gatherings violating those regulations just because they don’t think it’s that harmful or they just don’t care. People don’t understand that if we all stay inside and not go out if not necessary the faster it would be over. Fewer people would get infected as a result of this. Governor Murphy has done an excellent job in my opinion. He is doing what he feels is best for our state, our safety is the number one thing on his list.

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  16. I agree with governor Phil Murphy. His statement is not an overreaction and is just right. We are in a worldwide pandemic right now and it is his job to protect the state. He is only trying to stop the spread of COVID-19 and since it is spreading fast he has to do what he feels best to ensure the safety of everyone. People are still not abiding by these rules and regulations which is just making the situation worse and prolonging the extension of lockdowns. If everyone would just do their part, stay home and only come out when necessary it will increase the chances of slowing the spread and slowly opening back up the state. It blows my mind that people are taking this pandemic so loosely and not serious. People are really protesting the lockdowns which is absurd in my opinion. These lockdowns were only put in place for our protection and well being. People have the mindset that “even if I get the virus I’ll survive it” but what they fail to realize it that there are other people who won’t and this goes to show you how selfish people can really be. It’s rude to everyone who has to risk their lives everyday trying to help the people who contracted the virus. The lockdown will continue until Governor Murphy feels we are safe enough to start fully opening up stores and such and I totally agree with him.

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  17. I personally feel that Gov. Murphy was 100% right about his decision. It was not overreacting at all because Covid-19 is extremely serious And dangerous and should not be handled lightly. There’s too many people dying and becoming infected because of people’s carelessness. It might feel unfair to be trapped in our homes but it’s the most effective solution to spot the spreading at the moment. The faster the virus is controlled the faster the restrictions will be lifted. Everyone needs to stop being selfish and start to think of the Negative effects that the virus has caused to those around us and to us, and then think of how much slower it’s been spreading since the lockdown.

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  18. For a virus as contagious as COVID-19 this was not an overreaction at all. The longer people stay in there homes the better chances that this virus will be contained. As much as people hate staying at home, such requirement is needed to further stop the spread. Gov. Murphy is in the right for taking it seriously.

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  19. Personally, Governor Murphy isn’t overreacting at all because its just part of human instincts. When people feel there is danger nearby the first thing is to panic or try to make the situation better. this Pandemic has wiped out many people in nearby states especially New York who is only a few miles away. However, if we don’t take this serious the death rate and cases will only increase and later multiply making the situation worse. Murphy will then begin to put stricter rules which can cost people to live a normal life. So by taking this serious by next year everything will be fine and people can live their normal life without avoiding their love ones.

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  20. I personally dont agree that gov Murphy is overreacting I think he did well trying to keep all of us safe during these times and thanks to thsat lockdown less people have gotten the virus because he acted in the time.

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  21. Governor Murphy is doing what is morally right for the people. Other states are opening prematurely and their citizens are clearly paying for it, Georgia had over 1000 new cases the day after they reopened. While that isn’t an accurate representation of how the state is doing since those people could have had it before that day and just were not tested yet, these people are freely roaming the streets not knowing they are infected and possibly infecting others. The stay at home order was extended to June 5th this Wednesday and while I’m a little hurt the summer will be ruined I completely understand and just want everyone to remain safe.

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  22. with the lockdown happening i feel like it was a good. idea because having to close down non essental business and other places were people can gather is good because the more you can keep people off the streets and in there homes is better keeping the virus in control will help us better because the less spread the better and thats how you will save more lives as well keep them from spreading becasue this is something we need to be in lockdown was a good idea yeah some people dont listen but they will now with this lockdown

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  23. I agree with Governor Murphy and believe he is not overreacting at all. His reaction is what we need because he just wants to keep us all safe and to go through these procedures so we can all beat this virus and go back to normal life. When we do go back to normal life it won’t be the same as before, but Murphy just wants us to get better and not let this virus keep on spreading. Essential workers should be the only ones really going out because they are risking their lives to help all of us out. Which why Murphy and everyone else should react like that because others that have no reason to be out is risking other peoples lives and is going to make the situation worse for everyone. This lockdown is a good idea and is going to help us all, we just need everyone to follow up to it.

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  24. Considering the amount of people not taking this seriously, it wasn’t an overreaction. He simply wants to protect the state and people are taking his actions as if it were detention. I mean yeah it does suck that we had to close down business and put our regular lives to a halt but this is bigger then you just wanting to go outside, this is for the health of all of those around us, all our friends and family. I honestly rather be home and stay safe and keep my family away from virus, rather than go outside and potentially get sick.

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