America is now hitting about 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day. Somebody screwed something up. Things were going well.
The people massing in the streets here and there around the world in demonstrations against public health policies they think they don’t like (cognitive dissonance?), are sounding more like lunatics each day. The core group seem like a significant threat to society on the whole, and to themselves. That’s what law enforcement is seeing. Noggins are getting banged.
None of this has the colour of right. Neither side is worthy of support.
Anarchist anti conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest
By Gregor Wünsch, CC BY-SA 2.0, Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine
Is it OK for governments to compel mask-wearing in public places and public gatherings?
The owner of any establishment has the right, within reason, to insist that patrons abide certain dress codes and safety measures, or not attend the premises.
While a lethal respiratory virus is circulating, killing, and mutating—a virus that is hell-bent on hijacking human cells no matter the devastating impact on the host—it would be madness for any entity in control of any public sphere not to mandate the wearing of respiratory-filtering face pieces.
An anti-lockdown protest at Queen’s Park 25 April 2020 attracted about 200 who claimed measures to control the spread of COVID-19 are an infringement of freedom.
Photo Credit: Michael Swan
Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine
So what is the Public Interest?
It is in the public interest and also a reasonable expectation of all persons to have peaceful enjoyment of a safe, happy life in a safe, happy society. Obviously, the SARS-2 virus, a half dead, half alive, misdirected, archaic menace, is not operating consistently with that goal. 9.2 Million estimated total deaths in the world testify to that accusation.
With that in mind, consider that elected and appointed officials are duty-bound to form good public policy that protects the public from this SARS2 menace which in some scenarios, if allowed to continue infecting massive numbers of humans, according to some worst-case models, could morph into something unstoppable and eliminate the human existence as we have come to know that existence, over the next ten years.
The ultimate human right is the right to life. Whatever government must do to thwart any threats to that right, must be done. Right?
It is doubtful that courts in a democratic society would allow government to order a needle into a person’s arm except in the case of a death sentence. Even that is highly questionable, and in fact, revolting and rare on Earth.
Mandating vaccinations in a broad public context is not going to fly. But like polio in the United States, if Americans do not vaccinate their child against polio, those kids may not go to school—any school—and may not join children’s groups and organizations.
Employers may decide, ‘We only employ vaccinated persons to avert the risk of infection to each of our employees’. That is sound logic.
“The enemy”
“I have met the enemy. It is us.”
Despite the vicious propensities of SARS2, probably at some point in time, a court somewhere, is going to rule against mask mandates or imposed vaccination, in some form, and it will take months for an appellant court to trash that stupefying violation of the public interest and public trust.
What are the arguments against vaccination and mask wearing?
Cognitive dissonance.
Incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously compel people to perform potentially deadly dangerous actions. For example, some of Donald Trump’s political rallies were massive super spreaders that killed many people.
The cognitive dissonance person wants to stay alive and healthy but believes they must do things that are contraindicated to staying alive and healthy. That is a form of cognitive dissonance.
People of low intelligence, low morality, or high criminal propensity, seem to be also prone to this type of cognitive disorder.
Videos of persons bent over yelling madly with spittle flying out of heir unmasked mouths at store security personnel at Walmart or grocery stores, are common on social media platforms. Pandemics always bring to full view the worst possible mental health cases.
Please, wear a mask and get vaccinated, then continue to wear a mask because we the people want to remain alive and healthy.
Governments, municipal authorities and corporate authorities have a responsibility to their law-abiding, reasonable constituents. Don’t mess with that or you are entering the realm of committing crimes against the public safety. Those crimes land perpetrators in the slammer. That’s in the public interest too.
Melissa Hemingway