Townbroadcast Covid All-Scofflaw team introduced

ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.

These days we often see a notice on the front door of virtually every public building, warning people who enter they must wear a mask because of the current Covid-19 crisis. Such notices routinely appear at public structures such as township halls, city halls and even private businesses.

Yet there are times I attend public meetings in which some public officials somehow take on the roles of scofflaws.

Dictionaries define a scofflaw as:

• “A person who flouts the law, especially by failing to comply with a law that is difficult to enforce effectively.”
• “A noun coined during the Prohibition era to mean a person who drinks illegally. It is a compound of the words scoff and law.”
• “They refuseto obeythe law, for example, by failing to pay their debts or by ignoring minor legal regulations.”

So it’s somewhat uncomfortable when I see so many people attending public meetings dutifully wearing masks, yet at least a couple of township officials are not. I have bitched about this, particularly at Dorr Township last June, but the issue persists.

Public officials who refuse to wear a mask in a public meeting are telling constituents, whether they intend to or not:

• The rules do not apply to them.
• They don’t believe scientists who have strongly urged everyone to wear masks to help stop the spread of the virus.
• They defy the executive order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer because they don’t like her or they see this as a political rather than a health issue. They believe it restricts their freedom.
• They simply don’t want to wear a mask, it’s uncomfortable, or it demonstrates the wearer’s fears.

The possible consequences of this behavior are getting sick or perhaps even dying. It is alarming these people seem unconcerned about spreading an airborne disease to others.

Some public bodies, such as the Wayland City Council, Hopkins Board of Education and Hopkins Township Board, have done an outstanding job in making themselves and others say safe by having their meetings on line. Wayland Board of Education has done reasonably well in that regard, except having one in-person meeting at which no one wore a mask.

The default, in the interests of public health, should be to wear the mask while inside a public building. Some public officials, like Dorr Township Trustee Teri Rios, have joined meetings electronically to avoid this kind of trouble.

Yet too many others have deliberately acted as scofflaws, and they deserve to be called out. It’s one thing when Jane Doe or Joe Sixpack are guilty of ignoring science, it’s worse when duly elected public servants show off their undeserved privilege.

I repeat: This is not a political issue. It is a health issue. Failure to comply has contributed to the awful statistic that has made the good ole USA No. 1 in the world in Covid cases and deaths. Yes, “We’re No. 1.”

To celebrate this lofty position, I hereby offer my selections, based entirely on personal observations, for the local All-Scofflaw team:

The Townbroadcast All-Scofflaw team:

Trustees John Tuinstra and Josh Otto of Dorr Township Board; Treasurer Susan Tiemeyer and Clerk Rachelle Smit of Martin Township; Trustees Brian Bonnema and John Hooker of Leighton Township.

HONORABLE MENTION: State Rep. Steven Johnson, (R-Wayland), who is shown in a photo at right stopping in at Harding’s Market not wearing a mask. Well, at least he shops locally.

Scofflaw of the Year — John Tuinstra, who told me he doesn’t have to tell me why he doesn’t wear a mask in an enclosed indoor building.