My Harley sits contentedly in the garage as I have no intention of attending the Sturgis motorcycle cycle rally which begins today. Attending any event with 700,000 of my ‘closest’ friends is not really in my character let alone during an ongoing pandemic. The rally last year drew an estimated 435,000 participants and subsequently a number of COVID cases across the entire United States were traced back to Sturgis. With the even more contagious Delta variant now ravaging the country, one would expect an even worse outcome from the event this year.
I saw an interview with a number of rally-goers and one man stated that his wife didn’t make the trip because she was at home sick with COVID. Of course, he was standing in close proximity to others, all of whom were unmasked. I guess he believes that walking around spreading COVID among the crowd, given that he was almost certainly exposed, is within his rights. One can only shake one’s head at the selfishness and stupidity.
This weekend here in Bozeman is the annual Sweet Pea Festival. It was cancelled last year due to COVID but is on in full force this year. In a few hours, hundreds and hundreds of people will be crowded into Lindley Park at the east end of Main Street roaming around looking at the goods being offered for sale and sampling the various goodies being offered to eat. I did, in fact, buy a ticket, but I’m sitting here wondering if going is worth the risk.
There will certainly be no mask mandate in place as the Governor and the Republican-controlled legislature have outlawed any such action. In spite of a dramatic increase in cases here in Gallatin County and across Montana and the entire country it is apparent that most people here seem to believe that we are out of the woods and everything is all rosy. I’m beginning to see a few more masks but they are still few and far between.
Gallatin County has one of the highest vaccine rates in the state but still stands at only 55% of the total eligible population being fully vaccinated. My guess is, that when you factor in the large number of tourists in town and the large number of people who will attend the Sweet Pea festival from areas outside of Gallatin County, the percentage of people who are fully vaccinated at the Sweet Pea Festival will be 50% or less.
The event will be outside. That’s true. However, it will be crowded and there will be a lot of people milling around in a relatively small space. So, I’m wondering whether or not its worth the risk to me. And this is where I really struggle with this whole concept of people claiming that they have a right not to where a mask, get a vaccination or be part of the solution. I also have rights. Why should I be put in the position of having to decide whether or not I want to attend something like the Sweet Pea Festival because I know that there will be a large number of people there whose behavior and decisions are simply increasing the risk to me?
It’s true that I could wear a mask and attend the festival. That is certainly the option I have. After all, I am vaccinated so some might wonder what’s the big deal? According to the medical professionals, given that I am fully vaccinated, it is likely that even I contract the virus, I won’t end up with a severe case. However, there are other considerations. It goes beyond the immediate risk.
My daughter is flying out to visit me on Tuesday for a few days before she starts school just before Labor Day. What happens if I get exposed or pick up the virus, in spite of taking precautions and then expose her? She is also vaccinated but she doesn’t need any extra pressure just at the beginning of the school year. I am planning to leave for Portugal in a few weeks. I will have to produce a negative COVID test before I get on the plane. Do I want to take the risk of getting exposed and failing the COVID test and putting the whole trip in jeopardy?
For me, I’m thinking its perhaps just not worth the risk. I doubt if there is anything at the festival that I can’t live without. I think perhaps I’ll just go for a bicycle ride and then perhaps take the HOG out for a little joy ride this afternoon. They always say you should only worry about those things that you can control. Given that, I’m sure the viral load in and around the Sweet Pea festival will be far higher than anywhere else I will go today so I will probably exercise my right not to go. The really sad thing is, it didn’t have to be this way.