New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio seemed proud of his new initiative. To fight coronavirus, he thinks — and he is joined by a whole lot of other people — that everyone should stay at home indoors. And wear masks, gloves, etc., when going out for essentials only.
But since not everyone will cooperate, what to do? Apply social pressure, such as eye-rolls and a few tsk-tsks?
Well, not this Big Apple mayor.
Better get the police power involved!
De Blasio’s notion has been called a “snitch hotline.” In the spirit of “see-something/say-something,” he asked New Yorkers to snap photos of the scofflaws:
Text the photo to 311-692
and action will ensue.
And boy, did he get responses!
Immediately.
The U.K.’s Daily Mail explains that “the service was inundated with prank calls, pictures of genitalia and memes likening de Blasio to Adolf Hitler.”
My favorite “meme” sports a photo of the Führer captioned “TO THOSE TURNING IN THEIR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES / YOU DID THE REICH THING.”
And while Stalin analogies might be more apt for the quasi-commie mayor, Hitler references sting more.
John Nolte at Breitbart, referencing George Orwell’s 1984, called the responses “glorious” and “freakin’ awesome.”
The city closed down the hotline for a while to set up a filtering service before sending out leads to the police departments.
In New York City, as in most places in America, if you attempt to establish a Big Brotherish snitch-line, you will get a free-wheeling re-action.
Is this a great country or what?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
—
See all recent commentary
(simplified and organized)