“With rights come responsibilities.” This saying is beyond dispute. Also beyond dispute is the Constitutional right of “We the People” to peacefully assemble. However, the current COVID-19 outbreak calls on all citizens to briefly set aside this right and accept the responsibility of promoting the general welfare by not assembling ourselves for a short while.

As a group, the people who are so loudly demanding their rights over their responsibilities appear to be conservative, fundamentalist Bible-believers. Perhaps they should heed the following wisdom from Ecclesiastes: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.”

Once this pandemic is over, we can do all the celebrating and assembling we want.

Meanwhile, let’s all do the wise, responsible thing.

JOE LYKINS

Coeur d’Alene