My Word: On establishing precedence

LARRY ANDERSON
Larry Anderson

Much of law is based on precedence. An important case goes through a court, a verdict is rendered, and the ruling becomes reference. This establishes a means by which subsequent cases can be judged. This is a fairly simple process and an aid.

Precedence can be a valuable tool, but it should never be the only one considered whether in law or life. Circumstances are too dissimilar.

The reaction to COVID-19 was understandable and necessary when the virus initially broke. No one knew what it was or the best way to defend against it, but there was still some precedence to go by. Quarantine, for example, has been used for centuries as a means of isolating and ultimately defeating a virus. What works should be used but with the understanding that a steady supply of new information can adjust any policy. Sticking with it may not be as important as moving past it.

We know substantially more about the illness than we knew a couple of months ago. The accumulation of data, remedies and course of action should be our guide now, not the uncertainty instigated early on. Such practices as maintaining space or wearing a mask in public are reasonable defenses, but sense should have a big part in when and where. Rigid rules trigger resentment, and should not be the precedent for all that follows. There is a time to move on.

Numerous regulations may go beyond protection. They could be social engineering under the guise of looking out for you. Governmental insistence quickly collides with individual rights; therefore, we should not allow caution to overwhelm a higher indulgence in life, but no one should take risk lightly either. Judgment is the primary protector.

A precedent in the dissemination of information concerning the coronavirus has taken place. We aren’t told everything, at least not conclusively.

We know now that children aren’t especially prone to COVID-19, but older adults are. If a person is 85 and has diabetes or emphysema or both, that individual is far more likely to expire from the addition of coronavirus than a healthy school-age person. This truth isn‘t ignored entirely, but it certainly isn‘t emphasized by media or health authorities as it should be.

It is like telling us Pearl Harbor was bombed but not informing us of the casualties. Incomplete information sets a bad precedent.

We can handle the whole truth.

Everyone must understand the difference between contributing factor and cause. In many instances coronavirus has contributed to death, but that’s not the same thing as causing it. There may be other factors such as age, pre-existing health issues, and living within confinement that have been equally contributory.

Cause is when coronavirus alone ends a life. Those instances are far less common than implied but are less negotiable politically. Consequently, cause of death and contributing to death are lumped together. This is misleading and wrong. Statistical information should be explained completely.

Huge parts of our society and economy have been closed down. Will this be the precedent from now on whenever any illness comes to town? When this happens, more power goes to government and the more our behavior is monitored and controlled. In the wrong hands, this can be dangerous.

I can’t shake the feeling the real purpose behind this extended shutdown is social engineering with the left steadily maneuvering its agenda into place. That’s why we keep hearing things will never be the same and there is now a new normal. This is how progressivism operates, and what exactly is the new normal? A life without fun?

What we could be seeing is a major step toward the abnormal. At least for Americans long used to freedom, autonomy and mobility.

At some point we may have to decide how much we are willing to give up for the new normal and the uncertainty of physical security. Keep in mind in America we elect leaders in whom we place trust. At no time should they become the boss or make the mistake of thinking they are. That precedent should never be.

Larry W. Anderson is a retired educator.