A boy in my neighborhood committed suicide a few weeks ago. It’s possible that the teen’s preexisting problems were exacerbated by the seclusion, tediousness, and helplessness of a national lockdown. Maybe not. I didn’t really know him. I do know that locals were forced to pay respects by sitting parked cars in the local Catholic church’s parking lot. Friends of the devastated family couldn’t hug the aggrieved parents. They couldn’t enter the church and pray together for their community. Scenes like this play out across the country.

At first, most Americans self-quarantined without being forced because, in large part, we’re conscientious people and the argument for flattening the curve was a rational one. Soon, however, we were being told that wandering into the non-essential part of a local grocery store to buy vegetable seeds put every American life in mortal danger. Irrational and platitudinous arguments — “if we can save one life we should!” — began making an appearance…

Not a single governor or mayor has tried to shut down protests themselves, even though BLM marchers are breaking the very edicts they signed. Nay, many of these officials march themselves, and invite others to participate. The despicable mayor of New York who threatened to sic the police on a dozen peaceful Yeshiva students only a couple of weeks ago now invites people to march by thousands.