We can defeat this virus if we just show some common sense
It’s easier to blame Government failings than use our heads
ON Tuesday, Boris Johnson told us that “common sense is the greatest single weapon” in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He’s probably right, but one of the things that the pandemic has done is to show that common sense is not as common as we might have hoped.
That’s an old observation, usually attributed to the French philosopher Voltaire, but over the past six months, some behaviour, as played out in front of the television cameras and on social media, has certainly confirmed it.
We hear endless debates about the complexity of the Government’s guidelines, while others complain about an alleged lack of clarity and libertarians suffer angst about restrictions on behaviour.
In truth, society only needs the rules and regulations because, while most people use their common sense and behave sensibly, too many simply don’t.
We have certainly seen many examples of common sense, or good sense, whatever you call it, at an individual level, family level and community level.
Normally hundreds of thousands of people in Ulster attend Orange, Black and Apprentice Boys demonstrations, either as participants, or spectators, but the organisations used their common sense.
They recognised the impossibility of practising social distancing on such a large scale and they decided to forego their traditional, large-scale events.
Sadly, others have not shown that same degree of common sense and, of course, it is not just a matter of hearing the voice of common sense, it is also about heeding the voice of common sense and behaving responsibly.
That was demonstrated back in June with the funeral of former IRA leader Bobby Storey. Republican leaders knew very well the potential implications of such a large-scale public event — they aren’t stupid. They just didn’t care, because “the cause” comes before everything.
Last Sunday, the Thomas Clarkes GAA Club in Dungannon won the Tyrone senior football final. There should have been only 400 people in the ground of whom, presumably, half were with Dungannon.
In that case, nearly every one of their 200 fans and support staff must have been on the pitch with the team, as social distancing was completely abandoned.
There was a distinct lack of common sense at Healy Park.
Afterwards, the GAA admitted that the behaviour had placed GAA members and their community “at greater risk to Covid-19”, but Sinn Fein was having none of that.
Sinead Ennis MLA tweeted: “I’m proud to be a member of the GAA. We will not allow our games to be demonised and scapegoated by anyone.”
So much, then, for common sense and good sense.
Neither has there been much sign of common sense in some properties in the Holyland area of south Belfast.
Not all the culprits are students and many may simply be guests of students, but the PSNI had to issue 30 Covid Notices and 10 Prohibition Notices in the Holyland and Stranmillis in one night.
Alcohol-fuelled socialising is at the heart of the problem in those areas, but it is certainly not restricted to those areas, as too many people’s Facebook pages testify.
Common sense would tell you that such situations, where social distancing is impossible, help to spread the virus, especially among younger people, and common sense would tell you that it doesn’t stop with the young.
Meanwhile, it’s easy to blame the Government and I’m sure there is much that the Government could have done better, although I doubt if other parties would have done any better.
Indeed, we hear very little from them about what they would do, never mind what they could do, beyond a few standard phrases that are then recycled endlessly.
Labour prefer to carp and criticise and, as time goes on, Sir Keir Starmer sounds increasingly captious and carping.
Britain deserves better from Labour than that. I’m glad that Boris Johnson spoke up for common sense.
I hope he continues to do so and I’d like to hear other politicians follow his lead, because common sense and consideration for others will have a big role to play in defeating this disease.