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By Richard Reeb| For the Victorville Daily Press

The widespread shutdown of millions of American lives for the past eight months is likely to continue and intensify as a change in presidential administrations looms. Critics are invariably written off as indifferent, if not hostile, to science, authority and human welfare. But the case for quartering us in our homes questionable from the start has shown itself to be anti-science, unconstitutional and cruel.

There are serious questions about the science constantly being invoked as a discussion stopper by Democratic governors and mayors around the country. Scientists diligent investigation of the world, especially of the human component, has been a great good. But science as a discipline is only as good as those professing to be scientists actually make it.

In other words, there is nothing scientific about scientists, bureaucrats, politicians or professors claiming to speak with the authority of science in the absence of proof. This pandemic was first approached with an hypothesis, as all such projects require, that this highly infectious virus could be fought successfully by a combination of strict measures.

First, there were travel bans on the virus host country, China, and then Europe; confinement in our homes;cutbacks on non-essential activities;first a rejection then a demand that we wear masks and practice social distancing;and strenuous efforts to develop a vaccine.

The pandemic challenged the best minds. Early on a difference of opinion arose between those who believed that saving even one life was worth the public sacrifice and those who saw that the solution was as bad, if not worse, than the problem. Science has been forcibly invoked to justify the former over the latter.

I am reminded of the popular definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Scientists and policy makers faced a situation for which there was not sufficient or well-established knowledge to justify using existing methods. That made dealing with it the equivalent of a huge experiment. Humanitarian concerns forbade breaking the population into control groups, one chosen for the proposed remedies and one not. That meant that, but for the different approaches in different states, one size fits all.

Despite the draconian measures chosen, the number of COVID-19 cases, illnesses and deaths has continued to grow. When President Trump tested positive and experienced real symptoms, the chattering class denounced him for his carelessness. But by that dictum, all who have tested positive are in the same category.

We know that some states and countries chose not to impose a lockdown, and which experienced no worse results than those that did. But we also know that a majorityof infected persons retain or resume good health. We also know that the oldest and sickliest among us are far more likely to suffer or die than more than 90%of the population.

I was reminded recently of the reaction that Galileo received from others in the scientific community of his day when he discovered that the Earth revolved around the sun rather than the reverse. They refused to look through his telescope! There are myriads of qualified scientists, physicians and professors who have challenged the reigning scientific hypothesis and been denounced as quacks.

As to the constitutional question, let us turn to the Fifth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution, which reads in part: no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

Is there any doubt that this constitutional right has been continually and massively violated? When people are confined to their homes, denied the right to work, run a business orassociate in a variety of causes, and been prevented from attending worship services, it is perfectly clear that their rights and the Constitutions provisions have been wantonly disregarded.

There has been a huge human cost to these ill-advised measures which the professed lovers of humanity have ignored, meaning everything from lost opportunities,jobs and failed businesses, to depression, suicide, andalcohol and drug abuse.

I was reminded last week that as bad as the blatant hypocrisy of politicians and celebrities is, as they decline to wear masks or practice social distancing, worse is the clear implication that they dont believe those measures are truly effective. Masks and social distancing for thee but not for me!

We must newly appreciate how Jesuss denunciation of the Pharisees was not restricted to them, but applicable to all times and places where those in authority live by a different set of rules than the rest of us.

Richard Reeb taught political science, philosophy and journalism at Barstow College from 1970 to 2003. He is the author of Taking Journalism Seriously: Objectivity as a Partisan Cause (University Press of America, 1999). He can be contacted at rhreeb@verizon.net.

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