Don’t Be a Social Distancing Stoolie [OPINION]
When Mayor Bill de Blasio called on New Yorkers to text photos of folks violating his social distancing mandates he got the proper response. The mayor's fink line was filled with photos of porn and other revolting images that showed what residents of the Big Apple thought of de Blasio and his call to rat out fellow New Yorkers. The program was quickly discontinued.
But not everyone shares the New York view on tattletales. It seems the people of Toledo, Ohio can't wait to snitch on their neighbors who are not following the rules – so much so that the city has had to ask them to stop. Or, at least, stop calling the police emergency line to report on their neighbor's activities.
BizPacReview.com reports Toledo Police took to Twitter to ask people who want to report violations by individuals, businesses, and others who are suspected of breaking the social distancing protocols to call the Lucas County Health Department instead of the police emergency line. Police say that while reports of crimes are down since March, the number of calls from people snitching on their neighbors has increased markedly.
The response to the police tweet was as much as you might expect with folks slamming the stool pigeons as "Karens" and "commie wannabes," and suggesting they just "mind their own business."
No one likes a snitch. Ratting out your neighbors is a wretched thing to do. Living in fear to the point that it has you peering from behind your half-drawn blinds to monitor the activities of your neighbors is a sign that you need help – or at the very least, a life of your own.
Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.