Let’s All Be Smart - And Safe

To the editor:

Take a hypothetical average American, man or woman, who practices the following safety rules and precautions:

- Wears safety goggles when using the weed whacker.

- Wears a seat belt when driving.

- Wears a personal flotation device when fishing alone on open water.

- Doesn’t speed through active school zones.

- Doesn’t make a campfire during a burn ban.

- Keeps their rifle on safety when hunting.

- Doesn’t drive while drunk or high.

- Wears a helmet while biking.

- Doesn’t tease a mama grizzly with her cub.

- Doesn’t walk into a Bandidos Motorcycle Gang party and try to pick a fight.

Now, given this person who practices the above behaviors, either because this citizen obeys the law or has a modicum of common sense. can you say whether this ordinary American is a Democrat or Republican, a liberal or a conservative, a Californian or a Texan? Of course not. All you can say for sure is that this individual tries to be safe and protect himself or herself as well as protect others against harm.

One more thing, this individual also wears a mask and practices social distancing in public places because they want to be safe and not endanger others. Wearing a mask and practicing social distancing must not be a political issue, or some evidence of political correctness, or your individuality, or whether you’re for Trump or against Trump. Wearing a mask in public places and practicing social distancing is a smart, safe, and compassionate practice, whether it is the law or not. It’s the reasonable thing for people to do who want to protect themselves and others.

Please be a careful and caring citizen - wear a mask and practice social distancing when in public places, and maybe more of us will live through this historical and tragic time of pandemic. Then we can all get back to all the fun of arguing politics on the FCR’s opinion page. But for now let’s all be smart - and live.

Bill Balch

La Grange