Archive for April, 2020
Happy Easter to (Most of) You!
Editor’s note: A very small percentage of the population will likely find this post offensive.
by John Weckerle
Tomorrow, the denizens of New Mexico Central will be celebrating Easter in the same way we (and most of the nation) do pretty much everything these days – just us, at home. Normally we’d be visiting friends for dinner, or something along that line. We’ll be giving that up, as we have many other things, along with the good people of this nation who care enough about their fellow humans to stay away from them until this pandemic crisis can be managed. To all of you who are doing this: you have our thanks and our wishes for health, happiness, and a whole lot of satisfaction with the hobbies you’re either discovering or rediscovering.
There’s an old saying, however: there’s one in every crowd – and when you apply that to 300-plus million people, that can add up to quite a few. Tomorrow, tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousand or millions – of covidiots (we thought we had coined this term, but apparently that is not the case) will defy science and the advice of essentially every credible medical professional on the planet and attend mass gatherings – despite the fact that it’s already been shown that such gatherings have resulted in illness and death (here, here, here, and here, for a very few among many examples).
In nearly every interview we’ve read, those engaging in this practice have said more or less the same things, referring to “my religious practice,” “my religious freedom,” “my beliefs,“ “my rights,” and similar sentiments. To quote the Beatles: I, Me, Mine. We find it unfortunate that some people who profess to love their neighbor are willing to endanger their neighbors’ health and lives because they are so selfish and self-centered that they are unwilling to miss one – that’s right, ONE – Easter Sunday service to protect their fellow citizens. And the gigantic irony in all this is that the people who struggle to save these attendees’ lives when they get sick, some of whom will die as a result, will be people who had the sense to stay at home as much as possible and do what they could to serve the community and protect it from harm.
For the most part, however, religious people of all faiths have been responsible and responsive to this crisis, and we are giving a hearty “shout out” to those many, many people who have been innovative, understanding, and willing to make sacrifices in a very important part of their lives to protect all of us. Thank you very much for being the kind, intelligent, and compassionate people you are. We salute you, and wish you the best and, as always, a wonderful holiday. Stay well, stay safe, stay home as much as you can, and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible when we can.
Editor’s other note: New Mexico Central acknowledges that regardless of the current situation, even those behaving responsibly may have to drive tonight or early tomorrow morning. To those who must do so: please keep a watchful eye for rabbits. One of them may be a bit distracted and not watching the traffic.