Astrid’s piece this morning over at Parknews.biz reminds us that there have never been ‘certain times.’ She writes:
Every slogan lately includes the words indicating “uncertain times.” But what has ever been certain in life? The only certainty is with death and taxes. Never before though, there has been uncertainty associated with living and life. Until now. Until a bunch of certain of their paycheck government officials, are indifferent to us in our desire to earn a living. It is time to wake up and drive, move, park and act. It is now or we will never wake up from our contagious malaise.
I commend the entire piece to you – read it in her ‘in between’ section at parknews.biz. It’s titled MOVE, DRIVE, PARK ACT – DON’T GIVE UP.
She’s right, of course. We always live with uncertainty. However the difference now is that our betters have decided to add their spice to our lives and take away our power to act like grownups. One of the things that makes uncertainty tolerable is that we can make decisions about it, we can move, act, drive, as we want to do and we can affect the future, each of us in our own way.
If our so called leaders take away that ability to act, and our media jumps on board and becomes their propaganda machine, uncertainty becomes a behemoth, rolling over us and pushing until we are trapped in malaise.
Mayors and governors, cowards that they are, must be seen to “ACT.” They have to “do something, anything, to seem to be in charge.” There seems to be no scientific proof that closing restaurants and businesses does any good in lowering the spread of the virus. In fact, it seems that in doing so, it increases the possibility of folks having large gatherings at home and that increases the possibility of infection. There are study after study that shows that keeping schools open has no, zero, zip affect on spreading of the virus. This is particularly true of those in elementary school. But we have to be shown that action is being taken.
In the mean time, government officials with guaranteed paychecks, are arbitrarily and capriciously closing this, locking down that, allowing political events, but closing outdoor dining, allowing movies to be made with outdoor dining at every location, but closing the restaurant outdoor dining a few feet away.
Here’s what I suggest. Effective immediately, all elected government officials, mayors, city council members, assembly and state senate members, governors and their immediate staffs, will have their salaries cut to zero. Let their lives become as uncertain as the rest of us.
So there.
JVH
