Enemies Among Us

            I didn’t go to church on Easter Sunday because my church doors were closed. But services were recorded and available on-line. Such is the effect Covid-19 has on religious observance that infection is to be feared more than perdition.

            Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear took his role as infection fighter very seriously. He ordered churches to close their doors to prevent worshipers from coming inside to attend religious services. To enforce his order banning such gatherings, he said he would record the license plate number of anybody violating his directive and have the Health Department visit that individual’s home to impose a 14-day quarantine.

            A church in Louisville found a solution by having people worship in their cars. Call it a drive-in church service. That wasn’t good enough for Mayor Greg Fisher who prohibited church drive-ins. He did not, however, prohibit other drive-ins or drive-throughs like to liquor stores.

            Fortunately, Judge Justin Walker would have none of it. He issued a restraining order against the mayor’s prohibition, calling it stunning, beyond all reason, and unconstitutional. Bravo, Judge.

            On Good Friday a man was forcibly dragged off a bus in Philadelphia by two uniformed policemen. His crime? He wasn’t wearing a protective mask. A video of the incident has now been seen by over 2 million people.

            It is no longer enough to ask people to stay at home to help control the spread of the virus. Many governors are now ordering people to do so. Oregon Governor Kate Brown has gone one better by making any violation of her stay-at-home order a Class C misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in jail or a $1,250 fine.  And NO visitors!

            There are reports of people being arrested for surfing in the ocean or jogging at the beach. In California, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office encourages people to call and report violations of shelter-in-place orders.

            Has our country gone nuts? Only a totalitarian government controlled by a police state does this kind of stuff.

            Last week a wonderful lady had her husband drop off face masks for me and my wife. These were just two of over 250 she has sewed for her neighbors. On Easter morning another neighbor left a bouquet of freshly cut hydrangea blooms on our front porch. Our neighbors weren’t arrested. Not yet anyway.