We made it. Here we are — 2021.
Yet the reaction of some Iowans to a private business hosting an indoor New Years Eve party for children shows there is little reason, if any, to believe 2021 will be much different than 2020.
Playground For Kids allowed families to enjoy an afternoon of fun as they celebrated the end of a crazy 2020.
Video was posted on Facebook, and some Iowans expressed disdain for the business hosting a “non-masking” event where there was no social distancing.
“I hope Iowa Department of Public Health and the media reach out to them.”
“Omg. That is so foolish.”
“I do hope there is some accountability here.”
“I’m horrified.”
“Oh my word. This is what happens when you trust people to do the right thing, Kim.”
“So many people in Iowa are foolish. At least now I’m seeing more people masked, but for many months in the Quad Cities, Illinois and Iowa felt like two different realities. And I’m still seeing COVIDIOTs gathering at bars.”
“Maybe their names should be taken and when they show up at the doctors or hospitals are refused care. Tired of hearing about how people are so self-righteous and give the finger to anyone who disagrees with them.”
“Do I really want to live in this state?”
“It’s really a slap in the face to those of us actually ‘doing the right thing.’ I blame these fools for missing my family.”
“This is terrifying.”
“So irresponsible.”
“Really disappointing…So stupid and reckless.”
“Shut them down and revoke their license to operate.”
People are also tagging Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Public Health on social media asking what is being done about establishments that are blatantly disregarding COVID restrictions.
Look, we could get into the science of this, but it really doesn’t matter. The “science” on COVID-19 has changed monthly it seems. Masks make no difference. Masks save lives. Kids can’t go to school (which I’m actually not sure science ever suggested). Kids need to be in school.
I could go on and on and on.
The bottom line is, they really don’t know. You can find doctors who will essentially say nearly opposite things about the same virus.
So what happens — or should happen — in that case?
How about allowing individual people to make individual choices?
To my knowledge, not a single child was at Playground For Kids against their will. No family was drugged and dragged to the event.
No family was told to remove their masks at the door if they wanted to attend (though if a private business can mandate wearing masks, I’m not sure why they can’t also ban it if they wanted to, right).
Parents made the decision they felt was best for their child.
In other words, it was exactly how it should be.
If moms and dads want to give sons and daughters an afternoon of fun rather than fear, big deal. Nobody is making anybody go anywhere to our knowledge.
If you’re so “horrified” and it is so “reckless” to go about living, then just stay home I guess.
But what is the point of life if you decide to stop living it?
There are thousands of ways to die. Thousands.
Every day we participate in behaviors that could kill us.
Every. Single. Day.
People can literally die in their sleep. It can be sudden and unexpected.
People can die walking downstairs.
They can die driving a car.
They can die while going on a walk.
They can die from choking on a piece of food.
There is no shortage of ways to die.
For some, the risk of contracting COVID may not be worth going outside — despite the incredibly high survival rate.
For others, the risk isn’t worth bypassing living life.
Whatever happened to “live and let live,” right?
Whatever happened to “worry about yourself and you’ll have enough to worry about,” right?
Thought we had to learn to “agree to disagree.” “Different strokes for different folks.”
All that mumbo jumbo that gets put out there anytime Democrats want to lecture us about the importance of diversity of thought — so long as it is Democrat thought.
I hate to break it to you, but you’re not going to successfully run and hide from this coronavirus. And you likely haven’t been able to avoid the different strains of coronavirus that have come before it and you probably won’t dodge future strains of coronavirus.
If people are at high-risk, then educate them on the risks and how best they can avoid contracting the virus.
But think about what has been done to people who have no underlying health issues yet are “horrified” or “disgusted” or whatever at the sight of other people making a decision they wouldn’t make themselves.
People are scared to death. Scared to the point where they’ve ceased living.
We do not know how many days we have. Hey, writing this column is a risk. I could contract COVID-19 and die and my wife and kids will likely see and hear people say I got what was coming and I didn’t take the virus serious enough.
But I could also die a thousand other ways.
And I’d hate to die having not seen my mom or my dad at all the last 10 months because we were scared out of our minds about a virus.
I’d hate to die having not enjoyed dinner at a restaurant with my wife and kids because we were scared of a virus.
I’d hate to die having not attended church or sang in the church because we were scared of a virus.
I’d hate to die realizing that I’ve failed to live for the last 10 months.
Remember the good old days where a Democrat, Franklin D. Roosevelt, reminded Americans that:
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”
We’re not all going to agree on this. That’s fine.
But the same people who for years has lectured others about “not judging” are more than willing to judge those of us who elect to continue living our lives.
It is a real issue that Americans are telling on other Americans for simply gathering together without covering half of their face.
The critics are falling back on “government says so” as their argument.
Abandoning individual responsibility and freedom and instead submitting to government for what rights are allowed and what rights aren’t.
But we’re not just losing our freedoms through this “pandemic.”
The reaction of those concerned about the gathering at Playground For Kids shows we’re also losing our minds.
