Thursday, April 23, 2020

On social distancing and bullies

Social distancing because of the pandemic labeled 'corona' brings out the best in people. And the worst. People walking the dog of a neighbour who sits at home with signs of corona, whole neighbourhoods with people standing on balconies, singing the same song simultanously, people who bring food to doctors and nurses who work around the clock to help the sick, et cetera.

On the other side of the human spectrum there are US senators who made a quick buck by selling stocks just before the market collapsed, knew it would happen but kept the public uninformed, government officials that take in protective gear delivered at the border and sell it to private companies who in turn sell it at huge profits to the highest bidding states and simple thieves and crooks who take money promising to deliver face masks they never had.

Grown men punch 12-years old girls in the face in the supermarket 'because that's not a meter and a half, kid!' and use 'Yeah, but she wasn't practicing social distancing, police officer. I only did my duty as a concerned citizen.' (Maybe she wasn't. But you are an agressive bully who deserves to spend a few months showering with 'real' agressive criminals in jail. 'xcuse me, young miss. Could you please step away from me a little? Thank you! By the way: I think it's great you get your grandma her groceries!' would have sufficed. That's the adult way. Your way is the way of the schoolyard bully.)

The behaviour of these police officers (click) and this one (click) reminded me of 'Die Welle',


a gripping story (click here to see the American remake) about a social experiment in which a teacher shows his pupils how easy it was for Hitler to make people turn on their friends, how a rather docile kid can simply be molded into a weaponized piece of walking propaganda and a downright bully.

Above mentioned police officers used the corona-measures as an excuse to behave like a neo-nazi: intimidating and threatening people. Now they've shown their true nature I sincerely hope they get fined and fired.

Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

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