Opposition
Honorable Judges, accurate timekeepers, colleagues of the proposition, audience, all…. I, Kenrick McDonald, stand before you today to corroborate what my first and second speakers have so convincingly articulated, and to drive home the final nail into the coffin of this now deceased and useless idea that “the use of police powers by way of the imposition of curfews and lockdown is an effective strategy in mitigating the impact of Covid-19 and future pandemics.” The funeral arrangements for this dead and useless idea is will be announced shortly after this debate.
First of all, I must begin by saying that I do not know the persons nor can I fathom the thought processes of the people who would have invented such an absurd and dangerous idea as to use the police powers to impose curfews and lockdowns in order to mitigate the impact of covid 19 pandemics, but I have hard time believing that they are from planet earth. Maybe they are, but from the part where they couldn’t care less about humanity.
Honorable judges, there is no such thing as the use of police powers by way of the imposition of curfews and lockdown during a pandemic. What you are wrongfully referring to as the use of police powers is nothing less than the abuse of police powers. After all, the job of the police is to protect and serve. The job of the police force is to keep citizens safe, not to push them to the edge of danger. And let’s talk more about pushing citizens to the edge of danger. How do we do it? You guessed it! By using police powers to impose curfews and lockdowns during a pandemic. Allow me to share with you a clipping from an Australian report published on abc.net.au.
Nearly one in ten Victorians seriously considered suicide during the height of last year’s coronavirus restrictions, a new survey has found.
Key points:
- Report author and PhD candidate Mark Czeisler says the rates are “concerningly high”
- Unpaid carers, young people and people with a disability showed the highest prevelance of mental health problems
- Leading expert Ian Hickie says the findings are in line with other research showing rates increasing pre-COVID before a marked increase during lockdowns
Researchers surveyed 1,157 Victorians during September 2020, and found 33.4 per cent reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, and 26.3 per cent reported burnout symptoms.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Psychiatric Research, found 9.5 per cent of respondents reported seriously considering suicide in the past 30 days.
It found 12.3 per cent had started or increased using substances to help deal with their emotions.
End of Quote
Taking into consideration the above statistics, and seeing irrefutable evidence of the disturbing effects of police enforced curfews and lockdowns, would you still say that the use of police powers by way of imposition of curfews and lockdown is an effective strategy in mitigating the impact of the Covid-19 and future pandemics? Perhaps it is an effective strategy in amplifying the damaging effects of a pandemic.
According to the US National Institute of Health, in a report published in November, 2020, mental health problems amongst people of all ages went up by 53% during the Covid-19 lockdown. Further, suicide rate went up by 35%, and teenage pregnancy went up by 45%. This is no coincidence. There is a clear correlation between stripping people of their freedom of movement and decline quality of life and happiness. For these reasons alone, the use of police powers by the way of imposition of curfews and lockdowns should be banned for this and all future pandemics.
Now let’s examine the traumatic effectst that curfews and lockdowns, when enforced by police powers, have on our beloved children.
Here is a clipping from the US National Health Institute Website
Although, severe psychological conditions of increased irritability, inattention and clinging behaviour were revealed by all children irrespective of their age groups. Based on the questionnaires completed by the parents, findings reveal that children felt uncertain, fearful and isolated during current times. It was also shown that children experienced disturbed sleep, nightmares, poor appetite, agitation, inattention and separation related anxiety
end of quote
Those are troubling words aren’t they? Nightmares, poor appetite, agitation, inattention and anxiety. Is this what you had in mind for our beloved children when you conjured up the ridiculous idea of using police powers to impose curfews and lockdowns? Do you see why the use of the police powers by way of imposition of curfews and lockdowns should be discarded immediately and at all costs?
What the use of police powers for curfews and lockdowns accomplish during this pandemic is simple: give the police a greater opportunity to exercise corrupt practices such as taking bribes from person who has lost their civil liberties of freedom of movement. Allow me to share with you a clipping from news24.com website.
Anderson participated in a webinar hosted by UKZN on Wednesday afternoon, which focused on policing during the lockdown and the responsibilities of the police, versus citizens’ rights. “When we started Level 5, there was a high rate of police brutality simply because, I believe, and some data will show, that police are not really trained adequately to deal with these types of disasters,” she said. End of Quote.
Ladies and gentlemen, we all know what will happen if a police catches someone going to buy bread outside of curfew hours. To avoid a charge, court case or the possibility of being jailed, that poor man or woman would be forced to “leave something” with the cops just because he was attending to his basic needs and those of his family. Of course, we know that all not cops will engage in such practices, and we know that it should not happen, but we must not ignore the fact that it does happen because this is the reality we are living in.
The use of police powers to impose curfews and lockdowns during this Covid-19 pandemic has caused thousands of business to shut down across the globe, resulting in billions of dollars of losses and millions of jobs lost. Thousands of families were put on the breadline, and yes, some people went to extreme measures during the pandemic. Some people were pushed into illegal activities just to survive. Some engaged in dangerous and harmful practices just to get by, and unfortunately, some people committed suicide. Yes, you heard that right. And you are going to stand there, or sit there, and look me in the eye, and tell me this old lie, that the use of police powers by way of the imposition of curfews and lockdowns is an effective strategy in mitigating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic? It is more like a demonic strategy to magnify and aid the devastating impact of pandemics.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure that by now, you are convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that the idea of using police powers to impose curfews and lockdowns during a pandemic is a deadly, devastating, and backward idea. It is one that should be discarded immediately and at all costs.
