Stores selling arms and ammunition are “essential services” in the U.S. during the pandemic, and their sales are rocketing upward. The U.S. South is the place where people have defied physical distancing and other health rules more than any other region; yes, the “Confederate” states, where Christian fundamentalism and racist history are cultural facts, make up the section least obedient to government just now.
But apparently even in Canada, sales of ammunition are high since the health crisis began. And as everyone now is notoriously aware, we pay our essential grocery clerks and delivery workers the stingiest wages with the least benefits. I am pleased to have such a learning opportunity thrust upon us by the virus, while I certainly wish it had not been forced on us in this manner. Let’s make the most of this teachable moment and hold on to the lessons when the crisis fades in our memory.
Charles Jeanes
Nelson
