We must all admit to our responsibilities

THERE seems to be a raised level of activity in the protest industry at the moment, fuelled by MPs and members of the public.

Much of the noise centres around ‘my human rights’. Sadly none of it considers ‘my human responsibility’.

I fully endorse the right of anyone to make a protest about any grievance, however there must be some sense of responsibility as well. Those crowds of people, mostly but not exclusively young shrill women, are keen to demand their right to protest, thus removing the necessary police from other tasks.

In so doing they ignore scientific and legal requirements regarding social distancing and the wearing of face masks.

Such action inevitably raises the risk of catching or passing on the virus, and this in turn perpetuates the coverage of the pandemic, whilst ignoring the human rights of all those people in hospital on ventilators, those lying in mortuaries, and those laid to rest in cemeteries, all of whom are the victims of bad luck or the thoughtlessness of others like the current street protesters.

Until we get control of the virus (which is unlikely ever to be total) we must all acknowledge our responsibilities.

By so doing, we might eventually catch up with the awful backlog of hospital treatments for matters like cancer and orthopaedic replacement operations and of course begin to reduce the strain, both financial and human, on the NHS and its staff.

Next time there is a crazed idiot randomly firing his semi-automatic pistol into a shopping mall or schoolroom, will we be seeing these same protesters on the street protesting about the police whilst dodging the hail of bullets coming their way?

After all, it is their human right to protest, isn’t it?

C H White Tavistock,

Devon