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Letter: Stop acting like spoiled children

(Zak Podmore | Tribune file photo) Fourth of July parade participants in the bed of a decorated pickup on Saturday, July 4, 2020, in Blanding.

I read in the paper that people in Blanding, where the COVID-19 virus is running amok, felt so bad that they couldn’t have their regular big bang 4th of July celebration that a few of them decided to have a smaller celebration with a car parade.

I think the car parade is a great idea. One of the schools had one through our neighborhood and it really cheered us up. But I think gathering for food and trinket vendors presents too big a temptation to mingle too closely.

The worldwide pandemic is a once in a lifetime event (we sincerely hope). Isn’t this a good time to teach our children that things requiring some sacrifice do happen.

Maybe it’s a good time for the adults to be reminded how easy we’ve had it in recent decades. Most of us have never really had to sacrifice anything. I really am worried that we are not strong enough to get through this time as a country.

Now that restrictions are lifted a little, we go nutty. We whine about not having celebrations like we want to, overrun outdoor areas, can’t deal with the inconvenience of wearing a mask, don’t want to go the marked way on trails and in stores, just ignore restrictions that we don’t want to follow.

Good lord, we don’t have bombs falling or real food shortages, and very few of us have loved ones fighting and dying in a war. We don’t have to do paper or metal drives, or ration our gas, butter or meat. I mean, come on people. Are we so soft, so privileged, so indulged that we can’t suck it up and do what needs to be done to get the job done?

It’s not a matter of pride to lead the world in virus cases that we could/should have had under control. Let’s try to regain our standing with ourselves and the world and quit acting like spoiled children.

Gail Davis, Salt Lake City

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