My timeline today has been largely filled with UK folks explaining why they're choosing to travel/visit at Christmas. And also with some (far less) people telling them they're assholes because they're doing so.

To those travelling etc:
Make your own choices, do your best to understand (seriously) the risk to you, your loved ones & broader population. And let this inform your decision.

But (with few exceptions) you can't tell this story in a way that means you get to be morally superior. It's a compromise position. I think being honest about that is important.

it's both unhelpful & a bit grim seeing people engaging in this reverse engineering of moral universes where they get to "be right" on something that is so clearly not simple, & is so clearly fraught with likely & potential harmful consequences

To those calling people evil etc:
Just find something better to do with your time. Shame & moralising miss the point. People have wildly varying situations. Navigating ethics/responsibilities & competing demands is hard & punitive approaches just don't work.

My own view is still: If you can possibly wait/avoid travelling & visiting this Christmas, then you should. As badly as govt has failed us, we still share consequences (not equally) & responsibility in a pandemic. Restraint/sacrifice can be a huge act of solidarity & care.

It shouldn't be lost on us that all those people *who will have to be in work* over Christmas - & then deal with the consequences afterwards - have completely dropped off the radar in a conversation that has focussed exhaustively on personal virtue & self-justification

More practically, if you're planning to travel & possibly can, then you should be thinking about what you can do to minimise your risk of infection. Ideally, you would quarantine yourself, though this is hardly possible for most.

Here's hoping you all stay safe, anyway. Whatever you choose.