To say these are crazy times is to engage in understatement.
Much of the world’s population is being encouraged—or forced—to
“self-quarantine” and/or “shelter in place” due to the coronavirus threat. In
many countries, “non-essential” businesses have been forced to close until
further notice. Time will tell us these businesses aren’t so “non-essential”
as unemployment skyrockets and economies weaken. “Social-distancing” is another
practice we are all encouraged to utilize. It seems strange observing a line of
people at a checkout being spaced six or more feet apart, or being one of only,
say, six people allowed into a store at the same time.
The
governor of the state of Washington, Jay Inslee, has taken social-distancing to
a new level. In addition to ordering the state’s 7 million residents to stay
home and closing all of the aforementioned non-essential businesses, he recently banned
weddings and funerals. This seems a bit draconian, even in these times.
Okay, I can understand putting the kibosh on weddings for a while in the
interest of keeping people healthy. Plus, people can assumedly still run to Las
Vegas and elope. But banning funerals? If there is one service that is
essential during a bleeping pandemic it would be funerals. They, unfortunately,
go hand-in-hand. They are endemic to a pandemic as it were. As the number of
deaths rises, it seems a bit harsh to tell families they can’t give their
recently deceased loved ones a proper good-bye.
It is relatively easy to postpone a wedding
indefinitely. The same cannot be said for funerals. There isn’t a funeral
version of eloping. Or at least there shouldn’t be. The deceased shouldn’t be
the only one in attendance at their own funeral.
Let us hope the coronavirus can be
contained soon. With each day—and every person—that passes, we become a little
less human.
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