The question is: “How far have we fallen as a society?”
The editorial board of a major metro newspaper says it straight in this editorial position published in today’s paper: “It is neither safe to be together nor smart to have teenagers on the field colliding with one another for hours each week. North Carolina’s public school districts should postpone football, along with any other full- or close-contact sports that could spread COVID-19.” That editorial stance came one day after a group of high school players, parents, and coaches met with the press to make a case for playing. “Athletes protest to save their seasons, COVID-19 may put college hopes in jeopardy.”
Courtesy: Greensboro News and Record
As I read both articles, different ways of framing the circumstance came to mind. Think of the word, lost, and then consider what it means to say, taken away. Both ‘lost’ and ‘taken away’ refer to the speaker. Something that belonged to the speaker (‘possessed’ is the right word) is no longer in his/her ownership. The speaker, then, becomes a victim of somebody else’s problematic action.
The full expression might be communicated this way: “We’ve lost our senior year. It has been taken away from us!” Just a few months ago, the reference wasn’t to athletics, it was to ‘lost’ graduations and proms that were ‘taken away.’ More recently, it was about not being able to enjoy an unrestricted summer vacation.
That language, of course, is full of pity, is self-serving, and denies the reality that experiences like those are never ‘owned.’ But when experiences are presented that way, the unspoken assertion is that the right of personal ownership trumps social responsibilities. When that happens, those who exercise responsibilities are viewed as ‘the problem,’ and right-seekers present themselves as victims of an unjust/harmful deed perpetrated against them.
If there was ever a time in America when responsibilities should supersede rights, it’s today. America is experiencing a deadly pandemic spread by person-to-person contact. But when so many people pine for sports, the commentary on America is the answer to a question that’s far bigger than should we play or not: How low have we fallen as a society?
There’s another participation option this fall. It’s doing your part to stem the tide of the pandemic. Rather than whine about ‘losing’ something that was never yours or blaming others for ‘taking it away,” do your part to serve the public good.
______
Frank A. Fear contributed to this article.
