I am angry – in fact I am enraged. No, let me be honest – I am mad as hell. So I am going to vent a bit.
Like many people I have had been doing what I can to contribute to flattening the curve and helping us as a community overcome this COVID-19 pandemic. For that reason I have been greatly disturbed by reports of organized protests in state capitals around the country, including my own Pennsylvania, calling for an end to the “sheltering in place,” wearing masks, social distancing, and closure of all but life-essential businesses. And the folks were not just protesting, they were doing all the things one should NOT do, if we are to overcome and survive in this pandemic.
This was no random set of protests but an organized effort in states where Pres. Trump is hoping to win so-called “battleground states” in the November election. So while he said he was supporting the governors to make the decisions when to let people to go back to work, he then tweeted his support of the protests. The irresponsibility of the protests and #45’s support of them is unconscionable.
Supposedly, these protestors were exercising their constitutional rights to free speech and free assembly. Under other conditions, I might agree. But their actions are akin to shouting “fire” in a crowded theater when there is no fire. It is abusing freedom to such a degree that others may suffer – perhaps in their own families – by their irresponsible actions. Freedom isn’t free – it takes maturity and responsibility.
Sure, we want life to go back to “normal.” Sure, we want to work and earn our livelihoods. But we are not in a time when one can make a decision or take an action on what that one person wants to do. We are in a time when more than ever we must not only concern ourselves for individual rights but for the safety and well-being of every single person with whom we come in contact: on the street, in the grocery store, at our jobs and in our homes. The fact that these protestors would take such irresponsible actions and not even wear a mask or stand 6 feet apart, something any five year old child understands, is beyond irresponsible; its criminal.
Fortunately, the vast majority of people I know and have encountered have followed the CDC’s guidelines and have generally ignored the ill-informed mixed messages from #45. Fortunately, the vast majority people I have encountered understand – sometimes begrudgingly – that their wants and desires come second to the well-being of their neighbors. Fortunately, there are far more people seeking to do acts of kindness and share concern and love with their circles of friends and family, than the idiots marching on these capitals.
Such coverage is irresponsible of the media. All of them should do what Facebook has proposed doing – shutting them down.
In this way we can get through this together and eventually enjoy our freedoms in a way that is responsible and healthy. Wear those masks, keep that distance, stay at home and let’s do the right thing for all of us.
Freedom isn’t free. It requires we exercise that freedom with all those others around us in mind.
Thanks Drick. While Stay at Home is hard, for now it is the right thing to do.
Drick, Your always enraged or disappointed or mad as hell. Big deal. Doesn’t mater what you think is a threat. The Bill of Rights is very clearly stated. And the First Amendment says we can assemble. Period. As Ben Franklin said “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserves neither Liberty nor Safety”
There are many, rightfully so, that disagree with the severity of the virus and question the dramatic decline of the economy. 22 million applied for unemployment in just three weeks. We have very good data on the social economic LONG term effects on people after a recession-depression. The one that breaks my heart is that there will be more divorces which leaves us with untold long term problems of kids growing up in a broken home.
So you don’t agree with the protesters, well tough shit.
BTW, did you see the study out of Stanford that shows the death rate to maybe as low as .01 percent, or are you too angry to think and read a little.
Thank you, Drick. We need your voice more than ever, now. “Our desires come second to the well being of our neighbors.” Love this.
No Bryan it does not. That’s why we have the Constitution. I’m equally concerned about my neighbors but in a different way. I’m concerned about their “well being” also. Your concern doesn’t supersede my concern.
Thanks Drick,
I’m more concerned than angry. I’m worried about my mother in law in an elder care facility in Massachusetts where they just had their first case of covid19, and maybe their first death. I don’t think our elders are dispensable, we need more testing, continued social distancing, and protection for workers and residents of facilities all across the country.
Stay well, my friend.
Steve Miller, divorce is tragic, but so is death. The right to assemble includes responsibility. I think all of the rights in the Constitution assume that people think of others’ well being. Do you think the right to free speech includes yelling fire in a movie theater?
Of course you can’t yell fire in a theater. I never said you could. What is happening with the protests is that these people disagree and feel shutting down the economy has horrible, deadly consequences. They believe differently than you do about the virus. I assume that is OK with you that they have other beliefs? They have the right in this country to gather and protest and express their thoughts and beliefs, even though those beliefs differ from yours.