Editor: I am appalled to read of the protest rally in Tecumseh Park April 26 with upwards to 300 arrogant, selfish people assembled to decry the safety measures our health experts are using to protect all of us.
That some of the organizers included elected members of federal or provincial legislatures is even more disappointing. Knowing that these rogue officials are on a clown tour of Ontario propagating their specious ideas, I would suggest that if any participant in any of their rallies contracts and dies of Covid-19, they should be charged with manslaughter.
As for the pastors who participated, I realize that full churches on a Sunday is their revenue stream. They have to have full churches in order to take up offerings.
Their interpretation of scripture, however, leaves much to be desired. Apparently in their bibles Christ’s admonition “obey those who are in authority over you” has been cut out. Rather than leading their congregations in accordance with scripture, they are making a mockery of Christianity trying to use it to justify encouraging breaking the law.
As for the infantile comment, “If people can buy alcohol, we should be able to go to church,” LCBO stores are limited to a maximum number of customers at a time. If churches want to limit their attendance to 10 people, and have someone go out the back door every time someone comes in the front door, go for it. Just be sure to leave your “offering” as you pass through.
These people have been watching far too much U.S. television. This is not an attack on freedoms. No one has the “right” to deliberately infect another person with a deadly disease. This codswallop about not wearing masks “because it is my right to do what I want” is simply a regurgitation of the absurdity spewed by a disgraced former U.S. president.
Civilization is built on a sense of community. We obey traffic rules because it is the only way to safely operate the millions of cars on the road. It protects other drivers from us, as well as protecting us from them. The health rules including masking and distancing are in place to protect other people from being infected by us as well as protecting us from being infected by them. This give and take is the basis for communal living.
For those who complain that rules in Chatham-Kent are based on health issues in the GTA, this is unfortunately correct. The province cannot have different rules for different regions, because of uncivilized, selfish people like those who participated in this protest. A large percentage of them, including the rogue pastors and elected officials, were from outside of Chatham-Kent. They came from other regions suffering from higher per capita case counts of Covid-19, potentially bringing the virus with them.
If restrictions are relaxed in Chatham-Kent, we will be inundated with greedy, selfish people wanting to take advantage of what we have accomplished through our actions. Until this virus is defeated across the province, we are all in the same boat with the need for the same restrictions.
I was born and raised in Chatham-Kent. I have always been proud to be a Chathamite. To observe that our community spirit has deteriorated to the point that local people would host such a protest is deeply disappointing.
David Goldsmith
Chatham
