What the hell is going on?
Now of course, people have fears about the virus, and that's all fine and good. However, it really is time we started getting back in the saddle - and if we as individuals are not prepared to do that just yet then we should at least not stand in the way of others that may want to. Again, that thing liberty. Choice.
(Lord Nelson there, absolutely furious
that they had to postpone the old first division
because of the Napoleonic Wars)
I watched in horror five or six weeks ago as football fans across the country (or at least across Twitter) demanded that football be cancelled. Indefinitely. And now as there is some talk of it finally reemerging I see many of the same people (again largely on Twitter) demanding we postpone it even further. "Until it's safe."
Now this is the thing. Nothing is ever truly safe. There is always risk in life. Players may bang heads as they challenge for a header. Or break a leg in an innocuous challenge. The only way to truly avoid risk in football is to not play it at all - but even then that's no solution. As by sitting at home and being a couch potato you are also putting your life and health at risk. You can hide away at home, far from all external dangers, and then drop dead of a heart attack or slip down the stairs. Again, there is risk in all things sadly.
So it's up to us to balance those risks, and in free countries we generally assess those risks ourselves as individuals and make our own judgements. Based on our own desires and circumstances. Likewise we also have a duty to respect the rights of others who are making their own judgements and choices.
As for the Covid virus itself testing is now beginning to show that the mortality rate is much less than was originally reported in the media. With it now coming down to something approximating regular flu. Now of course opinions will differ on this, however, I'm not writing to convince anyone else to agree with my assessment. I'm simply writing to ask that my assessment is respected, and that the rights of myself and other people don't get trodden in the dirt. Overridden by people who are demanding that their own assessment, based on their own fears, be imposed on other people.
We all have choice (or should have in a free society).
You can choose to stay home as long as you like. You can order your shopping online and have it delivered to your doorstep. Avoiding all human contact if you feel that's necessary. Alternately if you do choose to go out you can choose to avoid crowds or wear protective clothing ..feel free to wear a full hazmat suit if that's your style :)
Every single person has these choices. They can even choose to quit their job. Which obviously wouldn't be a nice choice to take, but it must be remembered that other people have been forced to lose their job or business because of this lock down. So if they're demanding that others sacrifice their job "to save lives" it's only fair that they should be prepared to make the same sacrifice.
So with these choices available people have no excuse for demanding that others stay home. As they will only ever have contact with these other people if they themselves also choose to leave their homes.
Plus, we talk about "saving lives", but what about the suicides, depressions and other mental and physical health conditions caused or exacerbated by this lock down. Again, being a couch potato locked indoors is hardly healthy. So who is best placed to balance all these risks if not the individual.
Imagine an old man with not many years of life left. If he wants to risk catching this virus to go out to watch a football match. Or to go to the pub with his friends. Or to simply watch a game on TV in the company of his grandchildren. Who's to stop him. Where does someone else get the right to take that decision out of his hands and say "No, you must not leave the house. You must be on your own for the foreseeable future. Until WE say so."
Until there's "no risk" ..which will never be the case as there are always flu viruses that will always kill people. So under such logic we would never leave our homes.
Now once again, I'm not asking that others take "risks". If people want to continue to take precautions or even lock themselves down altogether that's perfectly fine. I believe people should be given the maximum help to do that if they so choose. However, people need to stop demanding that others have their rights taken away and that the whole world be stopped until they think it's safe again. We all need to get on with our lives sooner or later, and in regards football itself if we allow this situation to continue we risk destroying the game we love.
Financial ruin is on the horizon. Football is dying. If we don't defend football (and our liberty) we "risk" losing it.
..and by extension FPL too.
