SQUIDFRY 08.05.21: Fear Some

FEAR SOME… A little-known fact about Squid is that at one time Squid fancied becoming a cartographer, being enamored with maps and globes since the long-ago Squidlet days. Squid is ga-ga over the Monterey County interactive Car Week 2021 map (bit.ly/CarWeekMontereyCounty) which not only tells you when and where events are so as to attend/avoid, it also gives real-time traffic and links to live traffic cams (hint: click on the arrows).

One event on the map for Aug. 14 is the Legends of the Autobahn, an annual German car event hosted by the BMW Car Club of America. For years Legends was held at Pasadera Country Club, but this year is slated for Carmel Valley Community Park. With the Carmel Valley Association in the lead, residents stormed the Monterey County Special Events meeting (virtually) on July 22 to cry foul. (See story) Residents wailed that outsiders were going to invade “their” park and “their” village. (Squid checked the map: both are public spaces.)

A week later, Squid was puzzled to read the header in the CVA newsletter about the Legends event. “Lock Your Doors!” it cautioned. This dire warning left Squid scratching Squid’s head. Do they think the people who come to ogle swanky German sports cars are going to feel the urge to break into some homes while they’re at it? Squid says the answer is nein.

SHOTS OR NOT… Back in the spring, Squid eagerly waited in line until cephalopods were eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations, and two weeks later, Squid took off Squid’s mask and oozed around town breathing deeply. Freedom just feels so good.

So Squid is just beyond confused every time someone says no to vaccinations in the name of “freedom.” And yet, Covid-19 is surging again amid vaccination rates hovering barely above 70 percent. In an effort to improve that rate and, yes, help enable us to all live more freely, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors took a big step on July 30, when they voted 5-0 to require all county employees to get vaccinated, unless they could present a credible religious or medical exemption (and in those cases, commit to regular testing).

But just hours later, the predictable backlash began. Squid’s beak dropped open when Squid read an email sent on behalf of Monterey County’s top cop, Steve Bernal, written by Undersheriff John Mineau to employees of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office: “The Sheriff does not support the policy and Sheriff won’t enforce this on employees.”

That whole premise of serve and protect? It’s about serving and protecting the public, not counterproductive ideas about freedom, or maybe it’s just about being contrarian. After all, Squid figures, there is a universal freedom to make bad choices.