OPINION:
If you haven’t already noticed, here are some reasons why our civil liberties are among the threats posed by COVID-19 and why we mustn’t squander them.
A patient at a major D.C. hospital opened fire in the waiting area of the emergency room. The perp was arrested, the weapon was found and no one was shot.
Close call, right?
It usually is when the threat is readily identified, law enforcers are johnny on the spot and the perpetrator or perpetrators are contained in a specific area.
However, the COVID-19 is no such threat, leaving elected leaders to ban large gatherings, institute curfews as they have in the D.C. region, force school districts and colleges into trying to teach and help students learn without setting foot inside classrooms, and pigeon hole nursing and retirement homes into trying to keep the coronavirus — an invisible treat — at bay.
That the White House has to battle partisan politics is an unfortunate reality as President Trump tries to marshal resources against the COVID-19 threat.
That our civil liberties are in a noose is truly dismaying, although it was bound to happen because some yo-yos don’t follow the rules, as we saw during spring break.
And there’s the man in Maryland who decided to have two huge gatherings at his home after — after — police had already told him no more than 10 people were allowed at a time. You’d think this man could count to 10, considering he is a small-business owner who will likely try to profit from the forthcoming entitlements from local, state and federal governments.
Another yo-yo was Florida pastor Rodney Howard-Browne of The River of Tampa Bay, who held Sunday services for scores and scores of people. The video shows parishioners on the stage and crowding the floor to praise the Lord and the pastor. The gathering put parishioners, their families and neighbors, and complete strangers at risk — and they can’t claim the devil made them do it.
Much is at stake as the people on the front lines are manning their stations on our behalf. Health care professionals. Police, fire and other first responders. The 911 call takers. The cashiers and inventory workers at your local grocery and hardware stores. Sign language translators for daily press briefings. Volunteers for Meals on Wheels, caretakers for the sick and shut-in, and the men and women who push the buttons so your homebound children can participate in online schooling and lectures.
And all, of course, so you can binge watch Hulu, Netflix and “Fancy Nancy.”
They all should be among our prayers.
Even teachers, whose unions can often be the bane of education reformers, are stepping into the stay-home breach set by government leaders. The Washington Teachers Union, for example, began partnering with Fox 5 DC to offer daily class instructions. The classes, which began Monday, are a godsend for families of school-age kids who lack internet connections and/or computers.
What a smart move for teaching and learning as the closure of schools have exposed how unprepared the status quo was.
The lessons learned during the coronavirus can be modified, if necessary, for blizzards and hurricanes. Indeed those “snow days” could leave unions trying to finagle new “collective bargaining” benefits.
No matter, though. Sure, we’re up against an invisible threat of unknown proportion, but it won’t last.
Unless, that is, we don’t obey the law and follow the rules, and don’t reclaim our liberties by reminding politicians that they work for us, not the other way around.
Stay safe.
⦁ Deborah Simmons can be contacted at dsimmons@washingtontimes.com.
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