When Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced his statewide stay-at-home order Friday to help fight the coronavirus, I faced a conflict of interest:
I love that old American motto from our War of Independence from England: Live free or die.
But here’s the conflict. When it comes to the coronavirus, I’d rather not die. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if I were able to remain very much alive.
Pritzker clearly knew of the dangers of crowds spreading the infection. He warned about the spread of it in bars and restaurants and sporting events. So, he shut them down.
Yet he also stubbornly insisted the polls be open last week for the Illinois primary, with thousands of voters and poll workers put in close contact, and quite possibly contracting and spreading the illness.