Susie O’Brien: Idiot fame-chasers show worst of pandemic life
From Bunnings Karen to truckies and tricksters dodging strict border crossing rules, the pandemic has exposed an alarming underclass of people who see their rights as more important than our safety, writes Susie O’Brien.
Opinion
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Idiot fame-chasers who believe masks violate their personal freedom are part of an alarming underclass of people who see their rights as more important than our safety.
There was the Bunnings and Australia Post customer — identified as Kerry Nash — who thought it was her “right as a living woman” to not wear a mask.
And the woman, known as Eve Black, who triumphantly evaded border crossing guards by refusing to answer their questions.
And Adam Thurrowgood, a truckie on the Queensland border, who asked a cop to guess his gender and accused him of “acting as an armed civilian outside your authority”.
These people seeking glory and kudos have a blatant disregard for lifesaving safety measures, and they’re proud of it. They don’t realise it’s not about human rights, it’s about human lives.
A record number of people in this state are dying tragic, lonely deaths, and yet all these people care about is their right to put themselves — and others — at risk.
The same goes for the Black Lives Matter protesters in NSW, who insist the rally will go ahead on Tuesday. I passionately believe in the cause, but rallying will do nothing to stop black deaths in custody or improve indigenous-police relations. Organisers insist racism “is a massive pandemic too”.
“You cannot self-isolate and stop racism,” their manifesto says.
Yes, but you can self-isolate and save lives.
Organisers say that unless NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian orders an investigation into the death of David Dungay Jr, “then it goes to show no one cares about our lives and we will see you on Tuesday”.
Given the rising infection rates in NSW, there’s no place at this time for blackmail of this kind.
These people deserve to be condemned, along with celebrities who make sure the rules don’t apply to them.
Why should actor Nicole Kidman and her family be allowed to self-isolate in the NSW Southern Highlands? After flying into this country, she’s been allowed to stay home in the lap of luxury while everyone else is in hotel quarantine. Double standards like this breed resentment among others doing the right thing.
However, it’s important we don’t get derailed by these isolated individuals who are undermining the efforts of us all.
The real worry is not Bunnings Karen or Border Crossing Darren, or Home-stay Nicole, but government bungling that leaves aged care workers short of PPE and allows affected abattoir workers free to contaminate others in the community.
It’s all very well for Premier Daniel Andrews to have a go at such people, but he’s largely responsible for the wider problems the state is in.
The situation in Victoria is spiralling out of control, thanks to outbreaks in essential workplaces that have spilled into aged care.
The real crisis is that government has failed to contain rising case numbers in workplaces in hotspot areas where big numbers of staff are working closely together. This includes meatworks, cool stores, health care, distribution centres and warehouses.
This is why we haven’t had stage four restrictions: because the most at-risk workplaces would continue operating, even under full lockdown.
In location after location the same issues arise, highlighting fundamental failures in the government response. A lack of accountability, a lack of transparency, a lack of equipment, a lack of organisation. These include:
BUNGLES over isolation procedures, with 750 Colac abattoir workers were told they didn’t need to isolate while they waited for test results, although they were all later identified as a close contacts of a worker who tested positive. Now Colac’s Australian Lamb Company has nearly 50 cases, and the town has put itself on lockdown.
INSUFFICIENT stocks of PPE despite regular pleas over recent months. More than 1300 aged care homes asked for more protective gear but didn’t get it. Now there are more than 680 cases in aged care and many deaths.
TEACHERS’ pleas to be able to work from home going unheeded, despite more than 55 schools remaining closed across the state.
This is compounded by workers who are waiting for test results are still not staying home, and people are still not getting tested when they feel sick.
These are the real crisis areas, not selfish show-offs who want to become overnight viral media stars.
Such people deserve to be named, blamed and shamed, we must not get distracted by the
sideshow they present. Let’s keep pressure on the government to improve systems, services and accountability and get us out of this horrible, deadly pandemic as soon as humanly possible.
Susie O’Brien is a Herald Sun columnist
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QUIT COMPLAINING AND JUST WEAR A MASK