Editor,
This is a call for people to stop and think about what they are doing while the covid pandemic batters the world. I write this from the perspective of someone who was left disabled from the last pandemic and, over a decade later, still trying to sort through various ailments and problems caused by the H1N1 flu before a vaccine was available.
First, to those people who are, I guess, protesting against a virus, please stop. While you think you may be able to withstand a bout of COVID-19, you may infect others, and you could also end up with a lifetime of playing health problem whack-a-mole, where every time you figure out one allergy or malady, a new one appears. I was in my mid 40s when that hit, generally healthy and running a business.
I get that finances are a huge concern, but your rights mean nothing when you’re in a casket.
I see people are getting pulled over for speeding in other counties going over 100 mph. Burglaries are up in places. People with frazzled nerves are assaulting one another.
Stop it. Just stop it. This isn’t one of those “purge” movies.
The courts may be operating in a limited fashion now, but after 20-plus years of handling criminal cases, I can tell you that the court system will be under tremendous stress once operations fully resume. In my experience, even a slight disruption in the criminal justice system can cause a massive amount of headaches for everyone who makes the usual well-orchestrated process for handling a large number of cases (in most courts) run.
If you are tempted to think you can do something mean or stupid and not get caught, think again. When you do get caught, I doubt you will see much sympathy from any judge or prosecutor.
What you could end up with is a criminal record, loss of voting and firearm rights, loss of opportunities for schooling, military service, work, housing and more. You could literally ruin your life with a couple of really dumb decisions.
So knock it off and let’s start behaving like adults with functioning brains.
Tom Pacher
Freeland
