Posted on 03/27/2020 2:21:40 PM PDT by Kaslin
Back in the nineties, on an early episode of ABC’s short-lived series My So-Called Life, high school students were stunned when a handgun was brought into the school and it accidentally discharged in the hallway. By the end of the week, when they arrived at the school in the morning, there were metal detectors at the entrances and police were searching lockers and patting down some of the students in the halls. Everyone was walking around with dazed looks on their faces, but they quickly adapted to what had become “the new normal.”
I was reminded of that this week while watching the local news. The Mayor of a town near where I live was quoted as saying he was “fed up” with nonessential businesses that were still open, people not obeying the shelter in place orders and others failing to follow social distancing protocols. In response, he had somehow authorized the local police to begin breaking up gatherings of more than a few people and locking down noncompliant shops. Spectrum News interviewed a couple of police officers who sounded like they really didn’t want to do this, but planned to enforce the orders in the interest of the greater public good.
As it turns out, our community is far from the only place where this is going on. In Miami, the Mayor is similarly frustrated by the lack of compliance and the cops in his city have been instructed to get these people in line. (CBS Miami)
Sounding frustrated, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez says not enough of the businesses that are allowed to stay open are practicing social distancing. So if they won’t enforce it, the police will.
“Keep your distance. Six feet between all people is not a suggestion. It is now the rule of law,” Gimenez said.
Mayor Gimenez’s executive order limiting gathering in public places to 10 people or fewer while maintaining a safe distance has gone into effect. County police officers are now out enforcing those new rules.
Police all over Miami-Dade County have been visiting coffee shops, restaurants and other popular gathering spots, breaking up groups of people and threatening to shut down businesses that aren’t making hand sanitizer available to customers or sticking to only take-out orders. A spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department is quoted as saying, “Failure to comply with an executive order is a crime. It’s a misdemeanor and it could lead to an arrest.”
These aren’t unique cases. New York City police began enforcing social distancing rules on Monday. In the greater Boston area, police have been recorded stopping people walking along on the sidewalks and asking them, “why are you out in public?” And if the job turns out to be too much for the cops to handle, plans are already in place to mobilize the National Guard in many states and dispatch them to enforce these rules.
Is it just me, or are any of you starting to feel distinctly uneasy?
Look, I understand the rationale behind these orders. Elected officials believe that the virus could still wipe us out. (Professional estimates of precisely how dire the danger is vary considerably.) They’re making rules on the fly and doing whatever they can think of to show us that they’re working overtime to keep us safe.
But at the same time, the image of police rousting out citizens for the act of throwing a frisbee in the park or standing too close to each other at Dunkin’ Donuts is beyond disturbing. It simply feels wrong. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it feels unamerican. And if the National Guard begins deploying armed, uniformed troops on the orders of various governors to start doing the same thing, it’s going to look like something out of an early Stephen King novel.
I’ve yet to find a single incident of anyone actually being arrested for violating these orders. Why? Because for the most part, people are simply complying. When a law enforcement official shows up and tells them to break up their little coffee clutch or clear out of the dog park, people are just wandering off and following instructions. Much like the case with Angela Chase and her friends in My So-Called Life, we appear to be rapidly adjusting to our new normal.
At some point, whether it’s next month or next year, the broad danger from the novel coronavirus will have passed. But will the old normal in terms of social interactions and freedom of movement fully return? I’m sure that’s what we all expect and hopefully, that will be the case. But looking around on the streets right in my home town, it’s difficult to shake off the feeling that something has fundamentally changed. And not for the better.
If we could afford a hundred acres, 4 Belgian dogs, Malinois, live with a well, and a generator ,and a log cabin I would be extremely happy
The dogs aren’t employed to protect the sheep. The dogs are employed to contain the sheep.
“I’m Not Antisocial,
I just feel better
when no one’s Around.”
.
Bukowski
The underlying problem is that we are getting a social order that is designed to meet the needs of one particular community, health care providers. If we had a society that was designed to meet the needs of weapons providers then we would constantly be at war for no good reason.
Hey wait a second, ...
The traffic in the city-50 miles away-is another reason I live -and work-in a rural area-I do not go to the city to buy stuff, either-if I can’t find what I want in the town of less than 900, 16 miles away, I drive 30 miles to the next county-the only city there has 24,000 people and some big box stores-and no major traffic or freeways...
Oh brave new world here we are. Technology is bringing people toward a singularity where they become like collectivist robots. I knew this was going to happen, just didn’t think it would happen this quick.
On the bright side, truckers and welders and warehouse men, the people who make this country go, not a one of them are buying into the hysteria, and from black, brown, red, white.. they all agree it is agenda driven.
The WWII generation gave up their gold without even a whimper.
Bookmark
I like that, thank you.
I am off work right now, but get up at around 4.00 am go for a run, enjoy how no one is out. I then do my work on my house during the day , then I go out later in the evening. I avoid town like a plague. Why put yourself around people who are rude, ignorant and disrespectful.
When my wife and I retire we are looking to move to a place where hardly no one lives
There probably *will* be far reaching changes. What, IDK.
Why don’t you share with all the patriotic warriors WHAT liberties you have when you are DEAD?
Yeah, I’m guilty of not suffering fools well.
“STALIN replied to my comment that A resident replied to my comment that
nobody’s rights were more important than the health of the community.
... nobody’s rights were more important than the health of the community.
...nobody’s rights were more important than the health of the community.
... nobody’s rights were more important than the health of the community.
The movie
“Bar Fly” was
about Bukowski,
a Los Angeles
Drunk/Poet.
That saying of his
Kinda stuck with me.
Cheers!
/
People are basically being taught that when they start going out again adopt a new permanent attitude of always being afraid of everyone else, as ANYONE else could “infect” you with something. The police state will play on those fears.
on a side note related to your GERD, start reading up on LOW stomach acid, not high. The MD’s are lying to people and putting them on antiacids when in fact, 99% of the cause for heartburn and GERD is low stomach acid. I’ll be glad to expand on it for you. It will make a ton of sense once you understand what’s REALLY going on.
you’re a weak fool
“If we could afford a hundred acres, 4 Belgian dogs, Malinois, live with a well, and a generator ,and a log cabin I would be extremely happy”
Wow, that sounds fabulous! I’d add a few golden retrievers in the mix and I’m at 100% bliss level!
Yeah that why I survived 25 years in the military and 30 in law enforcement.
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