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The rules aren't just for some people

Jeanne Sager - Columnist
Posted 5/11/20

People without masks. They're frustrating, aren't they?

It's hard not to get angry when you're following the rules, and people are breaking them right and left.

But I've noticed of late …

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The rules aren't just for some people

Posted

People without masks. They're frustrating, aren't they?

It's hard not to get angry when you're following the rules, and people are breaking them right and left.

But I've noticed of late that some people are only upset about people without masks if that maskless person is from a specific religious group.

There are a fair amount of people who don't believe they should have to social distance or wear a mask, people who feel this is all a hoax or the government overstepping. You've probably seen them on the news, storming statehouses and declaring their rights to go to the beach, play a round of golf, or get their haircut.

But I've noticed that it's often the very same people decrying mask-wearing and inviting family members over to their homes on weekends for some very non-socially distanced get-togethers who also seem to have a problem when other people who look a certain way aren't wearing masks or aren't socially distancing.

One day they're posting memes about freedom and photos of Christopher Gadsden's popular “don't tread on me” flag. The next they're popping up on our infamous local Facebook groups to blame certain groups of people, identified by their religion, for allegedly walking into local businesses and violating the very laws they're inclined to describe as fascist and tyrannical.

They're posting photos of groups of people congregating in our local parks — parks closed by the county for safety's sake — and railing against the same sort of activities they themselves talk about on their own pages.

There are a few words that could be used to describe this sudden taste for the rules only when one group is involved. Hypocrisy comes to mind. Emotional dishonesty, perhaps. Bigotry too.

When you're following the rules, you get to be mad about the maskless of any religion or ethnicity. When you're doing what you can to keep others safe, you get to be angry at all of those people who are getting too close to one another while our essential workers risk their lives to keep us safe and fed.

But if you expect rules to be followed by some, you'd better expect to follow them yourself.

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