Actions and consequences

 The world was too ridiculous to even bother to live in ...

-- Jack Crabb, "Little Big Man"

And, well, OK. So it's not THAT ridiculous.

Yet.

But every day there comes some fresh absurdity from the usual suspects, because the interwhatsis is full of usual suspects. And so here was a columnist -- I'll save him the embarrassment of identifying him -- posting his latest work on Twitter the other day, claiming the NFL's Bastard Plague protocols are "Medical Jim Crow."

Medical Jim Crow.

For the love of all that's holy.

Look. I realize the world has gotten ridiculous enough that loony anti-vaxxers are casting themselves as some sort of persecuted class now. Ostracized! Demonized! Barred from the Woolworth lunch counter!

Or, you know, the 2021 equivalent.

For the love of all that's holy. 

We've got a virus out there that's been responsible for 600,000 American deaths, and now its variant is flooding over-stressed medical facilities again. And yet half the country thinks the vaccines against it will give you autism or shingles or, I don't know, terminal halitosis,  because we just don't know what's in it. Also, masks don't work and are a violation of my personal freedom.

For the love of ... well, you know.

Now private businesses are being equated with 1960s racists and segregationists. And all because they're acting in the interests of public health.

Which brings back to the NFL.

Which has told its players, look, you can get vaccinated against COVID-19 or not, your choice, but as with any choice it could carry consequences. If, for instance, an outbreak among un-vaccinated personnel forces the cancellation of a game, the team with the outbreak will forfeit the game. And the un-vaccinated personnel could be subject to fines.

The NFL is not messing around with y'all, in other words. Nor should it.

Because this is not about liberty or Braveheart shouting "FREEEE-dommm!" or being able to do whatever you want whenever and wherever you want, regardless of who it affects. It's about being responsible, because with freedom comes responsibility. Otherwise it's just licentiousness.

The NFL gets a lot of things wrong, most of them in service to image. But it's got this right.