Objections welcome, but not time for rebellion
As Connecticut residents have held their breaths for months — some behind masks, some not — it was inevitable that many would eventually exhale bitter frustration. Some acts of rebellion against government mandates have taken the appropriate course. Stamford attorney Lindy Urso, who lives in Greenwich, filed a lawsuit in April that charges Gov. Ned Lamont with infringing on individual liberties by requiring residents to wear face coverings while in public spaces.
While we don’t support the lawsuit — which can only serve to consume precious state funds — Urso is following the letter of the law.
So did the owners of a New Haven bar who filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Lamont’s closure of bars and restaurants.
Our concern is that others may be on the brink of less civil actions.
Bridgeport Councilwomen Eneida Martinez is calling for the largest city in the state to defy the governor’s gradual phase-in and open all of its doors to business.
Martinez isn’t simply speaking as an elected official, she has coin in the game. Under Lamont’s schedule, she has been able to operate her Latin and Soul Food Café, which is primarily a to-go restaurant. But she says her other investment, as a partner in Keystone strip club and bar, is in jeopardy.
She isn’t calling for ignorance of social distancing, but maintains her club could open with safety protocols.
While there is something surreal about the concept of strippers wearing masks and maintaining six feet from one another, Martinez is expressing an opinion that is not unique. Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun are leveraging their status as being run by sovereign nations to dismiss the governor’s advice.
Others have expressed their dissatisfaction by raising their voices in public. Protestors at some barber shops and salons around the state waved American flags and signs bearing the words “Don’t Tread on Me.” A Branford salon owner declared Lamont’s leadership a “dictatorship.”
Yes, Connecticut’s former “Still Revolutionary” tagline has taken on a different meaning in some parts.
What these cases hold in common is a desire to save livelihoods. The New Haven bar owners were clear in the lawsuit — which has been rejected by a U.S. district judge — that they could be forced out of business.
That ruling alone doesn’t bode well for Martinez’s proposal, which she made to her 19 council colleagues, Mayor Joe Ganim and the City of Bridgeport’s law department.
Many owners are on the brink of shuttering their businesses. Others already surrendered. All deserve empathy. But while Martinez is merely reflecting the voice of some constituents, Ganim, Lamont and their colleagues and peers must take care to ensure rules are followed.
As Martinez made her pitch, 166 Bridgeport residents had already died of the virus. The death toll in the state was at 3,769 Wednesday.
Elected leaders throughout Connecticut need to respect the rules. To disregard them can only lead to anarchy, which is never a cure.
Yes, Connecticut’s former “Still Revolutionary” tagline has taken on a different meaning in some parts.