Throughout childhood we were, in one way or another, often told that no one likes a tattletale.
So when Katie Lumpshortz told our fourth grade teacher that I was reading comic books at my desk instead of the assigned literature, should she really have been surprised when Sister A gently told her to mind her own business because no one likes a tattletale — after, of course, my issue of “The Incredible Hulk” had been confiscated.
(Katie Lumpshortz is a fictional name used to protect the identity of the young busybody whose activities included telling on those who “acted up” when Sister A left the classroom and informing authorities that I had not done my homework at home but in fact copied it from a friend first thing in the morning before class.)
There were times when life at school was a lonely affair for Katie, as her behavior occasionally led to her being ostracized by classmates during recess or lunch.
In adulthood, however, the call to be an informant is almost a demand: See something suspicious in your neighborhood? Call the police. Suspect your neighbor is a terrorist? Say something to the FBI!
With time, hopefully, we learn to distinguish between the occasions when authorities need to be informed of wrongdoing versus the times when it is OK to go about your business.
Neighbors hosting a loud party early into the morning on the weekend is probably a time to turn the other cheek. Screams and gunshots, on the other hand, may warrant a phone call to authorities. The distinguishing factor boils down to the question is it a matter of health and safety, life and death?
Which brings us to where we are today. As the state faces an alarming increase in positive COVID-19 cases and local governments ask businesses to drastically curtail their operations to slow the spread, some businesses openly and, seemingly unrepentantly, refuse. Their reasoning is that closing down now would lead to their permanent shuttering.
This leaves neighbors in a predicament. Do they report violations to the authorities in an effort to benefit the broader community or do they look the other way knowing that irreparable damage may come if the rules are followed.
See something, say something or keep your mouth shut?
