Personal responsibility

 Okay, let’s talk about personal responsibility.

The government said that we should take personal responsibility then showed us exactly how not to do that. 

Today is the much lauded ‘freedom day’. They were hoping that the virus would be virtually over and that people would be able to go back to normal without too much fuss. Unfortunately, the virus has decided it’s not over and in many (particularly poorer unvaccinated) countries it is devastating. The government have decided to go ahead with the plans, asking people to take personal responsibility.

This should mean that each individual thinks for themselves and decides what is right for them. We all know that this is an unfair approach. For example, as a doubly vaccinated person with a strong healthy immune system I can take the risk and go into crowded, unventilated spaces without fear of getting too ill but if, in one of those spaces there’s an immuno-compromised person, going to work or doing essential shopping then my personal choice adversely affects them. If they are making a personal choice then do they have to stay at home?

Anyway, personal choice means that you have to think for yourself and do what you believe is the right thing. 

This is what Boris and Rishi did when they signed up for the early release pilot scheme.

Unfortunately for them (and possibly all of us) the country didn’t get the message about personal responsibility and because they don’t believe these politicians to be honest and because they are still frightened, there was a huge outpouring of criticism on all forms of media. 

Personal responsibility should mean that you make a decision, stick to it and defend it with logical argument. However, these politicians have shown that there’s no such thing. It’s so much more important to be liked that they let their decisions flop around like a dying fish.

I’m cross about this.

We need politicians to make thought out decisions that they’ll stick to and those that will take personal responsibility.

I’m also cross because we need trials like this. None of us want isolation if it’s not necessary and how do we prove whether it’s necessary if people don’t take part in trials?

I’m cross that it gives the keyboard warriors the power that they shouldn’t have. On freedom day and beyond we are going to see a rise of Covididiot posts, where people who are doing nothing illegal are photographed and shamed on social media. There was a great example of this last night where Richard Osman, nice guy and author of an easy to read but slightly dull book that has sold millions, posted a picture of the litter pickers on Brighton beach sitting round the fire of rubbish they were burning. The outrage was huge. Having a group of 30 people outside has been allowed for a long time. There is misplaced fury and we are all going to suffer for it.

It is right that people should be angry with the government. They should be demanding better communication. However, taking part in the early release study is not a bad thing to do. I fear that the public who are angry they have had to self isolate have just shot themselves in the foot.

When I had the email from test and trace I also had another inviting me to take part in the study. Both the Long Suffering Husband and I applied. We were assigned to our groups by return of email. I believe that does mean it was random. I don’t think anyone had time to look at it. We were both put in the control group (isolate as normal). Thinking about it now, I’m quite glad I wasn’t in the daily release group as I think I would have made some colleagues feel quite uncomfortable but I hope the trials continue so that less people have to isolate because isolation sucks. 

I know that everyone is scared but please be nice to people. This is going to be hard enough as it is. If people are allowed to make their own decisions don’t shame them until they make your decision. You never know, they might be right and you might be wrong.

The dog has decided that his Boris can also self isolate in checkers.