From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 19 July

I used to think some people were stupid. Now I am convinced. One is left pondering the parallel universe in which they seem to live. 

I THOUGHT I was hearing things when someone told me the State Premier, Daniel Andrews, was the subject of some public flak for suggesting the people of Victoria were responsible for the spread of the Coronavirus.

Correct! If you thought otherwise, then, clearly, you are a fool; a halfwit; a nincompoop, and all the other collective adjectives which go to describing some who is so dim-witted. Of course the people of Victoria are responsible for the spread of the virus within the state. Who else would you blame? The garden hose? The world globe sitting on top of my office filing cabinet? Maybe it’s the tea bags which are responsible? We are told an idle mind is a devil’s playground, but this is too ridiculous, even for a halfwit. The thinking, and I used the word loosely, is unfathomable. While there is a blatant lack of government preparedness for such a pandemic, and serious errors in judgements have been made, this is not the time for scoring political points. These are unprecedented times and the circumstances dire.

I could barely contain my anger when I saw newspaper photographs showing people out-and-about at restaurants et al, celebrating their last night before the current lock-down. You would have thought they were being sent to the gallows. Only someone with an IQ equal to the daily temperature would be so hare-brained. Stop and think about it for a nanosecond. I am not asking you to split the atom, just to consider the logic of the revellers’ reasoning and action; their degree of irresponsibility; the overwhelming selfishness; and the depth of their stupidity – which is unforgiveable. One has to ask? Are they functioning illiterates; fools who need to be protected from themselves. If you are not knuckle-dragging stupid, why would you – given the state of emergency which has engulfed Victoria – knowingly put yourself in harm’s way? Stay home, you moron! The virus is dangerous, even fatal. Which part of the sentence, “You may die”, do you not understand?

Supermarkets must get serious about social distancing. They insist you enter through one door and leave through another, and in between you’re permitted to wander aimlessly. Since the aisles are not wide enough to practice safe social distancing, the traffic should be one directional. The decision should have been taken months ago. I confess: following a supermarket visit – and a moment of incandescent pique – I emailed the Premier’s office, suggesting he take the necessary action to make it mandatory, immediately. Naturally, there was no reply!

As for the demonising of Australian Asians, it is too farcical to contemplate. Our Chinese/Asian community is no more responsible for the spread of the virus than the rest of us. We are all in this together, regardless of ethnicity.  I am an Italian/Australian. Italy has recorded more than 34,000 deaths. Am I to blame me for the viral explosion?  Any ethnic vilification is an excuse, and the abuse should be called-out for what it is. Unmitigated racism!

The rat-runners refusing a test should be fined. To argue an invasion of privacy is unadulterated nonsense. The ATO and Medibank have all the information they need; anyway, what makes you think they have any interest in the minutia of your dreary existence? This is about saving lives, yours included, and if you are too stupid to recognise the value of the testing procedure then you should be forced to co-operate; and no, the government is not using the nasal swab to secretly plant George Orwell microchips.

The coming weeks may prove a trial but it is for our benefit. You are not going to war. Just do as you are told. Stay home, sit on the couch, watch television, and shut-up!

Roland can be heard on RADIO 3BA, every Monday morning, 10.45 and he’s still waiting for that reply from the Premier’s office at [email protected].