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Karen Bought a Printer and a Roll of Duct Tape
Walking around the block where I was never within 20 feet of another human being, I started reading some brightly colored signs that had been hung all over the place with little strips of duct tape. Each read “Wear a mask in public, and expose those who don’t online. Public photography is legal. Shame is legal. #2DUMB2LIVE.”
These gave me pause as they reminded me greatly of the “Neighborhood Watch” signs I saw all over the place when I was studying one summer in Cuba. (The “revolution” must be guarded, you see. It’s important for “comrades” to police each other.)
Is this where we are as a country? We should shame our neighbors over disagreements about public policy? When did we decide it was okay to bully our fellow citizens? To call them “dumb” for walking alone without a mask in the sunshine?
Perhaps I was wrong to do it, but I decided if it’s legal to tape a random opinion onto a public lamppost, it must also be legal to respond in kind by taking that opinion down.
Don’t worry though.
I threw away all the paper I touched, as I am firmly against littering, which I am certain is illegal.
Anyway, if you see a picture of a crazy looking woman in an Edgar Allan Poe t-shirt with bits of brightly colored trash clutched in one hand, a dog’s leash clutched in the other, I suppose that’s me being “shamed” online, but don’t let me know because I don’t use free social media where these sorts of things are posted. (What you don’t know can’t hurt you, right?)
Note to the Karen with her brightly colored paper and duct tape: If people are going into a business in the city where these signs were posted, people are currently mandated by law to wear a mask, so people wear masks without any public shaming. (Mostly, they are polite and want to help the local businesses stay in business.)
The mandate was put in place because this is a current “hot spot” where there is some ongoing COVID growth, though not exponential growth. (To be exact, in this county of 470,313 people, there have been 42 deaths as of 11 a.m. on August 7 with an average of one death every day for the last month. According to the county’s health department, a full half of these people, though valued members of the community, were 75+ years old.)
Also, you were very industrious with your duct tape, more industrious than I am. Despite my half-hearted efforts at resistance, you have plenty of signs still hanging around all over the place to scold other people. I hope you’re feeling proud of yourself. #sillytotalitarian
Published in General
This created a strange image in my head of a cross between a F-117 and a broomstick.
Maybe we could start an IRL hashtag. Instead of all the phone numbers that can be torn off on a paper flyer advertisement we could make the hashtags be tearable, and to use them you say something and then hand it to the other person.
“I saw that sign too, and it made me mad.” Then hand them the ‘#karenisabully’ slip of paper.
These kinds of ideas are why I’m in the income bracket I currently enjoy.
Clearly you’re a billionaire.
To be fair I can remember when print ads ran online with no changes so nice to see it going the other way. :)
We call them covidiots.
Clicking a newspaper ad, ay?