He was a wonderful man

Photo: Contributed

Re: Stop asking for it

Your letter did a couple of things to me. First, it made me angry. Then, it made me sad.

It took me back to the last day I was able to spend with my father.

Your words: "It was a party atmosphere in a crowd of like minded people who want nothing more than to just be left alone to live our lives in the freedom we all grew up with".

A group of unprotected, like minded people. A group.

My father was in a retirement home. He was quarantined. He hadn't been in contact with anyone let alone a group for more than a month. One person was responsible for exposing him.

One.

Not a group of like-minded people. One.

I have had the sad privilege of seeing what death by COVID looks like.

It's heartbreaking.

To date, COVID has killed more than four times the number of people in Canada than the average number of deaths annually from influenza.

The number of cases of influenza are dramatically down this year. Why? Because people, most people, are practising vigorous handwashing, social distancing and the wearing of masks.

Had we all chosen to ignore those guidelines in the interest of self and our warrior-like stance on "civil rights" and "freedom of movement", those numbers would look much more like an average year.

So look at it this way, what would the numbers look like had we not, again most of us, chosen to not follow the guidelines that a relatively small group view as oppressive and restrictive? My guess is that you could multiply the current number of 24K, give or take (Afterall, what's a few extra lives here or there, especially if they're in that "nearly dead" anyway category) by as much as ten.

Would that get your attention?

Do you think you would have as many like minded friends then?

Some who read this will not be moved in the least and I get that. Until the death or the debilitating effects of the virus hits their life, they will continue to fight the fight.

Nobody likes any of this and we all want it to be over but as long as we have to keep fighting against not only the virus but those who will defy its existence or its viciousness, the battle will wage on.

This is the last picture I took of my dad. February 4th/2021. 7 hours after this was taken, he was dead.

He died having contracted COVID which in turn induced pneumonia and a severe blood clot in his leg. He was healthy prior to that.

He was a truly wonderful man and I wish he were here.

Peter Haslock