In times of stress, we are supposed to be united as one people. One of the biggest detriments to fighting this pandemic has been the idiots determined to ignore it or put others at risk.
We have mask mandates. I wear my mask. But I more frequently encounter people not wearing theirs. Here is what I do:
Not a thing. Nothing. I avoid them, I leave, I go home. I have specific training to protect myself. This is not a scared thing. This is a “worth it” thing. As in its not. If I approach them, I am violating my own code of social distancing. Plus there is the Grandpa advice.
Like many Grandpas, he made sure to let me know there is always someone bigger, stronger, tougher. No matter how experienced and street tested I might be, someone can come along and gift wrap my ass with a bow on it. He taught me to box, so one day he saw me in action and I thought he would be proud. To an extent he was, but he also made sure I understood the difference between self defense and elective engagement.
See the lesson is that regardless of how tough and trained you are, if you run up against someone who is meaner then you had better bring your lunch box. Some of these guys will give up teeth or even an eye to take a piece from you.
In a way, I treat these people as if they are armed. They are walking around unmasked, presenting themselves as a threat unconcerned about the welfare of others. Their spittle is no less than a weapon if they are infected. And they probably don’t care if they are.
I can’t accomplish anything in a fight with these people. I can’t teach them a lesson, I can’t protect the public. I can’t even set an example to others if I lower myself like that.
And still I feel guilty. We as a society should have made mask violations have real teeth, but instead we have Republicans all over this country making us compliant considerate folks out to be the bad guys.
So screw it.
Don’t confront these people. If they get Covid, if they die, they had ample information they chose to ignore to worship their Orange god. Walk away. Go home.
Then seriously consider how much outside contact you really need to make with a world losing its mind.
-ROC
Earlier I published a diary about the Ma’kiah Bryant case and had someone accuse me of intellectual dishonesty. I disagree but I unpublished the post to review in further detail the specific videos I cited as examples of alternative policing.