By Jimmy Rhatigan
PARENTS have a huge job on hands as their teenage sons and daughter are being identified as showing a lack of respect for others by congregating in numbers as a battle with Coronavirus rages.
It is being pointed out that schools were closed so that youngsters would no longer be in groups and hence a shutdown would open up a valuable weapon in a war with a deadly enemy that we are told thrives on community carelessness.
Hundreds of thousands of our people are following the rules, heeding the advice of eminent medics, behaving as the latter would expect of our communities, all men, women and children to act honourably.
Unfortunately, sections of our youth, a grouping that has so often done us proud in community affairs, would appear to be falling short on this one.
Or, more bluntly, they are letting themselves and their families down in what is a battle of life and death.
The tasks allotted to us by caring doctors, nurses, paramedics and their allies as we go head-to-head with the potentially lethal Coronavirus have not exactly been over-taxing.
We have been urged to wash our hands, stay indoors where possible, not to congregate in groups and, vitally, to keep a certain distance between ourselves and our fellow humans.
To their credit, we would suggest that a majority of our people are showing responsibility, doing the right things, all in the interest of saving the lives of neighbours and neighbours’ children.
And, lest those who are playing irresponsibly, flaunting the rules and, in a nut shell, at being ambivalent at this juncture, should not forget, they are balancing the lives of loved us on a very dodgy see-saw.
The reality is that far too many are playing Russian Roulette with all of our lives by congregating in crazy numbers, ambling together, often side by side, situations that would have a virus of any kind rubbing its hands or feet or whatever it has, in pure glee at the prospect of a giant killing.
We note too that there are still flights into Dublin every day from countries where the virus is rampant.
This is not the fault of our people. But it most certainly has to be within the remit of those who may control any master plan to save the lives of generations.
Big numbers travelled to Cheltenham and returned via our capital’s airport without being challenged whether they were coughing or sneezing.
The time is right for someone at the top table, Leo, Simon, Dr Whoever to give said table a real thump to waken up all of our people, particularly the troops who are not showing any respect for either themselves or our enemy.
The onus is on us all to protect each other.
Far too many are now shirking that responsibility.
