I'm Not Sacrificing The Elderly And High Risk On The Altar Of Going Back To Normal

As I scroll through my social media pages this week my heart is broken at what I’m seeing as countless people gather around America to protest their desire to have the country reopened so that …

Quarantines can end.

Stay At Home orders can be lifted.

… And life can go back to some sort of normal.

The other day I read a story about a protest happening outside of a hospital where although the protestors were being somewhat decent (besides the screaming and yelling and honking of their car horns), they were causing such a huge traffic jam that doctors and nurses were late for their shifts and the patients inside the hospital were complaining of the noise.

People yelling.

Horns blowing.

Protestors chanting.

Sure, the protest started in front of a Government building, but the procession of cars was so long that it stretched past a hospital inside of which all sorts of things are happening these days.

Right?

A hospital in these days is a place …

Where some people are grieving the loss of loved ones due to COVID-19.

Where people’s loved ones are fighting for their lives in isolation because friends and family aren’t allowed in the room.

Where people are afraid.

Where doctors and nurses are pulling 18+ hour shifts with limited bed space, limited supplies, and limited energy.

(Oh, and just so I don’t get accused of making up crap because I have nothing better to do with my life and my time, here’s the link.)

I mean …

Do we not have enough human decency to make sure the protest steers clear of the hospital?

Can’t we just let people be ill and fight for their lives in peace?

Do these people need to lie in bed with the sound of protestors outside of their windows reminding them of how messed up the world is?

Can we let doctors and nurses leave their shifts on time so they can go home and get some rest before coming back to do it all over again the next day?

What in God’s name is going on?

AND.

Why was this allowed? That’s what I’d really like to know - why didn't somebody with a shred of morals stand up and say, “let’s take this somewhere else and let these people do their jobs."

Why?

And then I saw another protest where people had AK-47’s strapped to their chests while dressed head to toe in camouflage. Some were holding Confederate Flags, others were holding American Flags, and others were holding Trump 2020 Flags.

Some signs said “WE WANT OUR FREEDOM BACK!”

Other signs said, “FIRE FAUCI!”

Others said, “I WANT A HAIRCUT!”

Really?

First of all, why do we need guns at a protest for the economy to be reopened? And why on earth do you need to bring an assault rifle (of all the guns you could choose!) to the protest? And why are we dressed in camouflage like we’re ready to jump onto a battlefield and go to war?

What exactly are you trying to prove? What are you protesting?

Seriously? Tell me.

And why a Confederate Flag? The Confederates carried that flag into a losing battle and it also represents horrific acts that occurred on this soil during a terrible time in history that has left generations of people wounded and hurt and carrying loads of pain to this day.

Many of those hurt people are your neighbors.

My neighbors.

Our fellow Americans.

Our fellow human beings.

So, why bring it with you? While (again) holding an assault rifle of all things?

Why? What are you doing? Again, what exactly are you protesting? What muscle are you trying to flex?

And who are you trying to intimidate?

And some people won’t like this, but I’m going to say it anyways - why is this considered a “peaceful protest” that is acceptable in the eyes of these protestors and those who applaud them … many of which condemned NFL players for “taking a knee” during the National Anthem?

Yeah, that’s right - WHY?

Why is it not OK for a black man and his white friend to kneel during a song at a football game without so much as uttering a single word, but it’s OK for these protestors to carry assault rifles, carry a Confederate flag, and chant their demands for freedom on the steps of State Capitols and outside of hospitals all the while aiming to cause as much intimidation as possible in order to push their agendas and make their point?

Why? Why is this OK?

Why is it OK for these people to demand the economy opens up but it’s not OK for those black men to demand the same treatment as their white brothers and sisters?

Why?

Why is one OK and one is not? Why is one peaceful (when it clearly isn’t) but the other isn’t peaceful (when it clearly is)?

Why?

To push the button harder, would it be OK for those same football players to stand outside of government buildings with assault rifles and dressed in camouflage?

Or a Muslim man?

Would it still be considered a peaceful protest if a black NFL player or Muslim man carried their guns in the streets and screamed terrible things into the air to push their agendas and state their demands? Or created a traffic jam in front of a hospital while nurses and doctors weren’t able to get to the people inside who are dying?

Would those same people who are protesting today sit at home and applaud those NFL players or those Muslim men if they did the same?

And then I saw another person who held a sign that said, “SACRIFICE THE WEAK AND REOPEN TENNESSEE”.

Seriously?

What?

We’re at the point where after a month and a half of being asked to stay home we’re ready to take the elderly, take the people who have compromised immune systems and sacrifice them on the altar of the economy? We’re ready to open the floodgates, let everyone out, go back to life as normal, and risk the lives of …

Grandparents.

Parents.

People with immune deficiencies.

Etc.

… All so that we can go back to work, get our hair cut, go to the gym, have our sports back, go to parties?

And nobody in those crowds of people sees an f***ing problem with this?

I know 2 people who lost grandparents to COVID-19 last week. I have friends who are nurses who are pulling 18+ hour shifts. I have family who have immune deficiencies. I work for Apple where we’ve been closed for a month and a half and I now work from home everyday to help people in the medical field get the technology they need ASAP to help their patients.

And.

Here’s the thing.

All the people with their guns out on the streets and all the people waving their confederate flags and all the people creating traffic jams in front of hospitals and all the people holding signs that say terribly thoughtless and careless things like “SACRIFICE THE WEAK” … when these people taunt these ideas and make these demands and make a mockery of COVID-19, it’s a direct slap in the face to anyone and everyone who has lost a friend or family member to the virus or who has a loved one who is highly at risk to catch the virus and not survive.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not willing to sacrifice 1 life much less thousands of lives on the altar of “getting back to normal” and opening the economy.

I’m just not.

And don’t get me wrong, hear me loud and clear and don’t send me hate mail (I won’t read it) - I’m all for peaceful protesting.

I’m all for NFL players taking a knee.

AND.

I’m all for people being able to express their desire to have the economy open.

AND.

I’m all for people protesting to make their points and push for change.

All people …

White.

Black.

LGBTQ.

Religious.

Atheist.

… Go ahead and protest ALL. DAY. LONG.

100% - the US was built on such prophetic acts of courage and great movements have come as a result of peaceful protests. I might not agree with the agenda of the protest, but I’m for you being able to partake in it - you do YOU and go be the change that YOU want to see.

Do it.

Also, I realize that some people are protesting very peacefully. Maybe even the majority of people. And that’s wonderful. But (even so) I don’t think that the positive behavior or the many should coverup the poor behavior of the few.

Terrible behavior in times like this must be called out. Like Christ we must march into the temple, flip over the tables, and drive out those who are creating burdens and wounds and hurt and pain with their actions.

We must.

But, none of that is the point here. The point, rather, is that these protests can happen, but need to happen …

ONE: in places where people aren’t grieving (keep it on the capitol steps, not the hospital).

TWO: in ways that clearly represent the issues at hand (leave the Confederate flags at home).

THREE: in ways that don’t intimidate and generate fear in onlookers (stop screaming and chanting and leave the assault rifles at home and ammo).

*Sigh.*

In all honestly, I have no idea what’s going to happen. Perhaps we’ll open up the economy and everything will be fine. Or maybe we’ll open up the economy and it’ll be great for a few months before the bottom falls out and we’re right back here again. Or maybe this is about to get so out of hand that we won’t be able to contain it and the death count will go through the roof.

I’m not sure.

But whatever happens I hope that when all is said and done and whatever the government decides to do, I hope we can all move forward in the Spirit of Christ who left us with the command to “love our neighbor as ourselves” and “treat others as we want to be treated.”

Yes: it’s the golden rule that can be found in all of the world’s great religions and it might just be our only hope as we step out of this season and into whatever is next.

And so if the economy opens in a week or so …

Maybe that means staying home when you can.

Maybe that means maintaining social distancing practices.

Maybe that means wearing a mask.

Maybe that means being mindful of the elderly.

And if the economy doesn’t open up maybe that means shutting up and doing what we’re asked to do so the curve can be flattened (hopefully) for good and the lives of our neighbors can be less at risk.

I’m a ball of nerves these days, friends. Some days I’m angry, other days I’m sad. Most days I want to launch my computer out the window. Truth is, though, we’re in odd times and it’s OK to feel what you feel.

Much love,