Impact of shutdowns causing undue harm

I went to Lowe’s to get some grass seed, a couple plants and some hardware I needed to fix an old cabinet. They have lines on the floors and little marked places for people to stand. I pretty much ignored all that as it wasn’t crowded. I also had to work pretty hard at suppressing a chuckle or two at some people hiding behind those funny little masks and making wide detours around everyone else. With the humor in that, it wasn’t too bad an experience.

But I had a real surprise on the way home. Since the schools are all closed the snails-crawl speed limits haven’t been enforced, but today they were. Yep, there was a handful of children present. But having to slow down isn’t what surprised me or ruined my day.

What set me off and made a deep, intense sense of anger overcome me was seeing a pretty young lady standing alone, immaculately dressed up in her beautiful, perfectly arranged, blue middle-school graduation robes and mortarboard and tassel, standing next to the Walker Middle School sign as her mom immortalized her once-in-a-lifetime experience taking photos. All her friends were missing. She was standing alone. Broke my heart.

I also passed Randal Tyson Elementary. There was a line of what appeared to be parents or teachers sitting in chairs (appropriately spaced, of course) holding signs of congratulations for what appeared to be a parent-student congratulatory drive-by. I didn’t see anyone driving by but me and they looked pretty bored. I tapped the horn and waved.

Seeing this stuff stuck in my craw and enraged me nearly to the point of wanting to spit! What these pandemic frauds have stolen from people, especially kids, is obscene. There needs to be a reckoning for the irreparable harm they have done. I’m hoping people remember and will carefully consider their choices when November comes around. Governments at all levels have shown their true colors. How about yours? Let’s get back on the ball and stop cowering in fear. Enough is enough. JEFF COOK

Springdale