It’s a poor show
THE second wave of this pandemic has been a disturbing experience for many people in Victoria.
Melbourne has been in lockdown for a few weeks now and a recent outbreak of cases in Colac has reminded us that the regions are not immune.
It’s particularly dispiriting because we thought we had it under control, but we looked away too soon.
Now, when we go to the supermarket, the majority of people are wearing masks. It’s not a requirement in Geelong, but it is a recommendation.
To many people, this seems like common sense. Wearing masks and social distance is a small price to pay for community health in Victoria; so let’s do it, right?
Even the federal government is recommending that people in NSW should “consider wearing a face mask in situations where physical distancing is not possible”. We are six months in.
We don’t have a vaccine. We don’t want to end up like the United States.
A potpourri of exceptionalism and individual rights, trumping the rights of others to live in a COVIDfree community.
This virus is bad. It is not a hoax. People get sick, people die and we still don’t know what the debilitating long-term health impacts may be.
So, until we get a vaccine, it makes sense to do our best to protect our communities from this highly infectious virus.
A face mask is a simple way to lessen transmission. It does not stop you breathing or inhibit your rights to free speech.
In fact, the use of a face mask ensures you and your fellow Australians can exercise your rights to move freely around the community and get on with life without being unnecessarily interrupted.
This is because masks help to contain airborne droplets and greatly reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 running rampant.
They’re not a cure, they’re not 100 per cent resistance, but they make a significant difference.
The Victorian government has a whole list of instructions for use and a raft of exceptions on its website. If you have a medical condition or if you are smoking (ironic, right?) or if you are running, then you don’t have to wear one.
But if you are not an exception and you do not have a mask in Melbourne, you can be fined.
Most people are doing the right thing, most of the time, but apparently all we need is a good old-fashioned pandemic crisis to bring the conspiracy theorists to the surface.
On the weekend a collection of videos emerged on social media of people refusing to comply with basic community health recommendations.
This included things like “testing” the border restrictions and refusing to give basic information.
Or intentionally walking the streets of Melbourne without a mask and refusing to provide their details for the police.
People went into Bunnings to pick up some garden supplies and intentionally sought out a confrontation with staff who were simply asking them to adhere to the conditions of entry to their store.
This is intentional anti-social behaviour. And these people are working from a script.
They are responding to the police with the same rhetorical questions: “Have I disturbed the peace? Have I committed a crime?”
They are seeking out public confrontation to demonstrate that they will not conform to the rules of society.
In the good old days (pre-pandemic), people who didn’t want to conform to social norms (because they believed the government was trying to control them) would do anything in their power to drop off the grid and protect their identity.
They might refuse to register to vote, refuse to participate in the Census, refuse to get a driver’s licence and disconnect from the internet.
They would use an analogue phone instead of a smart phone and try to bury their online communications. They may even wear a disguise in public (or a mask) to avoid being caught on security camera. This old-school approach to dropping out makes sense.
But this current crop is flipping the board.
They are purposely broadcasting their faces and their interactions. They don’t want to blend into the shadows, they want to be noticed.
They want to go viral.
This pandemic theatre makes for disconcerting viewing.
Now is not the time for “look at me”.
Ross Mueller is a freelance writer and director