The New Government Restrictions Are Still Absolutely Baffling
2020 hasn't been the easiest year of our lives - global pandemic, government restrictions and a litany of other occurrences that just aren't the best.
The High School Musical motto of 'We're All In This Together' was trotted out continually by our ousted government at the beginning of lockdown. We all did our bit, community spirit, you'll never beat the Irish, olé, olé, olé.
COVID-19 still has a stranglehold around our collective oesophagi, and it once again needs to be taken seriously in order to curtail those affected and the number of deaths.
However, pandemic fatigue has set in and people are fed up. You can't blame them, however, what you can do is introduce sensical measures that invoke that previous HSM motto.
That is not what this government has done.
On Tuesday evening, a raft of new measures were introduced in order to halt the second wave of COVID-19.
These measures did nothing but baffle the masses.
It was as though they didn't do their homework for English class and were forced to read an essay off the cuff with nothing on the page on front of them.
Outdoor events can only have 15 people and indoor events only 6, but wait actually cinemas and restaurants make money so you can operate as you were.
What about the arts? The arts? You can gig with six people, right? How many people are in your band?
Sporting events that were operating with 200 people including players and officials have been curtailed. The GAA club championships will now be decided by who can hit the crossbar from a 45 first, with the League of Ireland decided by a big game of World Cup.
Of course, young people were the villains of the piece. All of our house parties (by the way, where are all the young people with houses? Last time we checked, it was impossible to get a house in Ireland) were a cause of consternation. That 15 second clip from Mr Brightside soundtracked bar in Dublin were bad, let's not pretend it was kosher. Likewise, people squashed like sardines at house parties (wherever they may be) shouldn't be happening, if they are.
But to mention them explicitly, yet gloss over the working conditions in meat processing planets and the awful living conditions of people in Direct Provision, is scandalous.
Two aspects of Irish life that were the causes of spikes on this island, but because big business is embraced and asylum seekers are shunted, they don't get a mention.
Young people have a right to feel aggrieved at this government, for a million reasons and more.
Constant vilification will only add to that.