This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
Informants on the Watch ¶
Across the United States, a segment of the population has turned informant, calling the police, public health authorities, and employers of people they believe are violating social distancing decrees or stay-at-home orders.
These complaints have led to shutdowns of dog groomers and massage parlors, as well as citations and police scoldings to restaurant and bar owners whose patrons are lingering too close to one another.
One such case involved Dr. David Murdock, a cardiologist from Wausau, Wisconsin, who was suspended for a week after being spotted at a rally demanding the state lift its orders.
Dr. Murdock's picture was shared on social media, and dozens of people contacted his hospital to express their outrage. He later wrote a 2,127-word essay about his experience, saying he had no hard feelings toward his hospital supervisors but was surprised by the vitriol he faced.
"It's just unfortunate," he said. "We can't even have a civil discussion anymore."
As the pandemic continues to spread, the actions of these informants are becoming increasingly politicized, with some liberals seeing it as a civic duty and a matter of public health, while others, like conservative talk radio host Vicki McKenna, liken it to the actions of informants in a totalitarian state.
"There's a creepy Orwellian sensibility people have," she said.
Despite the backlash, many people who have reported offenders say they see their actions as a matter of life or death, like Delaney Kalea, a makeup artist from Alabama who has diabetes and a compromised immune system.
"People who think they're completely untouchable to this virus are the reason so many people are losing their lives," she said. "My blood boils almost every day when I think about this. Where is the human decency?"
As the situation continues to unfold, officials are fielding complaints about social distancing, often from citizens who are misinformed about the patchwork of regulations guiding each municipality.
