A friend just visited the Villages in Florida.

[Baitball Blogger]

His host told them that he didn't have to wear masks in the Villages because it was a free state. And, also said that there are no Covid cases in the Villages. "Free of Covid" is what I think were the exact words.

I really do believe that Republicans have found a way to create a sovereign nation for themselves, right under our noses.

[Captain Zero]

1. I knew a guy who used to live there

He died from Covid back in August.

[Blue Owl]

2. Somewhere a Village is missing its Covidiot

[Initech]

3. Red Staters really do live in another plane of existance.

[electric_blue68]

4. I think I remember seeing some photos of anti drumph Villagers...

before 2020's election. 🤔

[OnDoutside]

7. Yes they had a Trump golf cart parade and lots of confrontation

with Dems living there.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. You may be thinking of Ed McGinty

https://twitter.com/winterwayed

He has gotten into legal trouble because he is so widely hated there.

[True Blue American]

12. Like this?

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/2020-election-florida-villages.html

More Democrats are moving to the Villages.

https://thevillagesdemocrats.com/

[electric_blue68]

22. Heh, no, I never saw those 👍

[True Blue American]

35. I saw a caravan of Golf Carts

Flying through the Villages with Democrats and big huge signs heading for the polls. Very much in your face! I was trying to find that. No luck so far..

[electric_blue68]

38. Yeah - I think that's the photo I'm thinking of! 👍

[CentralMass]

5. I know two who live there that have both had Covid. Despite that they

are very lax when it comes to folowing protocol.

[PJMcK]

6. Yeah...

This is just stupid. There is no where that is "free of Covid." The host is a bald-faced liar.

[Patterson]

8. Besides COVID I think the have lots of VD.

[Frasier Balzov]

10. Promiscuous seniors?

[Haggard Celine]

11. I've read the same thing.

Isn't it lovely to think of grandma and grandpa as swingers, passing the clap around?

[Dorian Gray]

15. It's known

to be a raging Seniors swingers scene.

[mitch96]

27. Yup, with the advent of Viagra, STD's are rampant at the villages now that

grandpa can get it up... Seniors who lost spouses now can hookup ! ymmv
m

[Baitball Blogger]

26. Free not to wear protection.

At least they're consistent.

[sir pball]

34. IIRC they have one of if not the highest rates of STDs in the country nt

[True Blue American]

36. LOL!

[Girard442]

13. "Nobody has ever died of COVID here."

Oh, just kick the denial up a notch and claim that nobody dies here, full stop.

They just sleep a lot and get really bad hygiene.

[GoCubsGo]

21. Right, they died in a hospital outside of "here."

See, if they die outside The Villages city limits, they don't count. Just like if they have some other ailments. THOSE are what killed them, not the respiratory virus that took over their bodies and sucked the life out of them. The contortions they go through to "prove" their conspiracies are entertaining, to say the least.

[obamanut2012]

25. This would be truthful

They died in hospitals in Orlando and Tampa, in different counties, which is why Sumter County's Covid numbers have never been horrible.

[LiberalFighter]

40. Which is why it is important to review the death certificate.

It includes also their residence.

[Hortensis]

14. CDC: Over 98.5% of Americans over 65 have had at least one shot.

A few months ago I read that 91% of over-65s were fully vaccinated. Of course, the CDC figure includes almost all older Republicans. Just thought I'd throw those in.

I was in central FL in Jan-Apr 2020, and retirees were among the first to self isolate for protection; they just disappeared from businesses in large numbers.

As for getting a notion about The Villages, if that host represented the place, he should have been returned to management for housebreaking. About a third of the 80,000 or so residents of The Villages vote Democratic, so there're plenty around, besides more sensible others. It was what it was, though, so hopefully he got a few good, extremist whacko stories out of it.

[uponit7771]

28. +1

[TxGuitar]

29. My daughter's in-laws retired there

They are originally from Michigan, lived in Texas as educators for 30 years and then retired to The Villages. Both are avowed Democrats and hate Trumpism. They are great people!

[Hortensis]

37. :) Sound like people our friends there would like. Who knows,

Last edited Mon Nov 29, 2021, 01:06 PM - Edit history (1)

maybe they run into each other. Minus the golfcarts of course.

Seriously, from what I've heard people are generally pleasant and well mannered, as sensible people would expect, and those spewing political bigotry are a minority most don't want to be associated with -- same as other places. That's what the spewers come to political forums for.

[left-of-center2012]

16. The Villages has the reputation as ...

The largest conservative retirement village in America.
It is a favorite 'go to' fundraising site for conservative politicians.

[Throck]

17. Good

In six months there will be housing vacancies.

[snowybirdie]

18. We lasted there

Less than six months. Awful place to live.

[FBaggins]

19. Some clarification/translation

I doubt that they were referring to the community as a “free state” distinct from the rest of the country. Florida itself has no mask mandates and has been actively opposing localities that try to create one (or vaccine requirements). The host (assuming a Republican) was probably touting the state itself as “free” compared to most of the rest of the country (note- I spent the last week in different parts of Virginia and saw no mask mandates).

As for “free of Covid” - they may not be too far off for now. The state had some of the worst numbers in the country during the early Delta wave, but currently have some of the lowest infection figures anywhere in the country. Given the assumption that the Villages are an older demographic and that Florida’s elderly population were actually pretty highly vaccinated - there probably is indeed little risk currently.

[TxGuitar]

31. The Villages Covid information

https://covidactnow.org/us/metro/the-villages_fl/?s=26091515

Apparently they are not doing too badly.

[lame54]

32. High vax rate

[gab13by13]

20. I would have asked the host

the % of people vaccinated? I know The Villages was one of the 1st in line to get the vaccine, which is fine.

[Earth-shine]

30. This is true -- The Villages was one of the 1st in line to get the vaccine

The Florida gov DeSantis was pro-vaccine at the beginning of the pandemic.

He chose the Villages and a few other retirement communities, including mine, to get the vaccines first.

And then, months later, DeSantis became anti-vax or at least anti-vax-mandate.

[Calista241]

23. So i live in Atlanta, and a similar mindset has taken place here, in a fairly progressive city.

I'd guesstimate the mask usage rate at 15%. Earlier this year I'd say it was 75% plus, but it's really fallen off a cliff.

[tanyev]

24. It's a free state, alright. You couldn't pay me to go there right now.

[Aristus]

33. A GOP sovereign state?

A bunch of superannuated syphilitics?

They can have it...

[Baitball Blogger]

39. It definitely calls for a study on the vector of diseases.

Because, the place is Republican, Libertarian central.

[mcar]

41. The Villages is RWNJ heaven

It also has the largest Democratic club, and one of the largest Democratic Women's Clubs, in the state.

[Deep State Witch]

42. My Idea of Hell

The Villages is my idea of hell. My cousin lives near there, and I have never wanted to visit her. Too many entitled White Republicans zipping around in their golf carts, complaining about the illegal immigrants while those same immigrants keep their lawns and golf courses in immaculate shape. Besides, there are a lot of people from my former workplace that have moved there. I didn't socialize with them when I was working - I'm sure as heck not going to socialize with them after retiring!