Thread by @FreedomFriesInc

Always sad to see. (Screenshot shows what info was available at the time of my tweet; bc it often changes.)

Regardless of the who, what, how, when or why, I still recommend trying to avoid situations where a vehicle could hit you. The threat level continues to be very high.

https://twitter.com/sbauerAP/status/1462611765053767686

Obviously, it's not practical to totally avoid being a pedestrian in a busy area. But participating in a parade like this one in Waukesha, WI today is not as safe as it was two years ago. And things won't improve enough for some time to come. No one knows how long it will take.

During the pandemic so far there have been multiple mass casualty or other dangerous situations around the world. The USA is not alone in this. But the USA has a further complication overlaying the pandemic: the significant and ongoing threat of civil unrest and related harm.

The Waukesha incident could turn out to be intentional or unintentional, politically motivated or not, enabled by mental illness or not, and so on. We don't know yet.

So I want to make one point: We CAN reduce the chance of becoming a victim of such incidents.

The desire for a speedy and full "return to normalcy" is understandable. It's just that it's impossible at present.

As the US approaches midwinter, Covid cases and hospitalizations are again on the increase. None of us know what's ahead in this pandemic.

I continue to be "on a war footing" due to the pandemic, at least in my thinking and in my emotional responses to events. So many of the tragedies we hear about were likely preventable if people had kept taking the dual threats seriously and being patient and pragmatic.

Yes, there are periods of time in this pandemic when we can plan celebrations, with whatever modified practices are needed for ourselves - and others - to be and feel reasonably safe. IMHO, a Christmas parade in 2021 isn't one of them. We are the adults. We can learn to cope.

My dear old Dad was a child during WWII. Kids back then survived without their usual treats. They understood. Their parents and other adults sucked it up year after year for 4 to 6 years, depending on where you lived. We should do the same.

Stay safe, and stay positive.💜🇺🇸