They took down the basketball hoops on our neighborhood basketball court. They physically removed the entire hoop leaving just a pole and backboard. Many of my neighbors cheered the act.

You see, a few days ago some bored children were seen playing ball together on that court. I know this because it was all over social media. Our neighbors railed against the ignorance and bad parenting that would allow these children to play basketball in close contact during this time. No one knew the kids personally or anything about their situation. No one knew if they were from the same family or if they’d already been tested for coronavirus or really anything at all. They just knew that these children were defying the edict to remain in their homes and avoid any other living person.

So people who didn’t know them and had no contact with them and who were, presumably, safely ensconced in their own home out of harm’s way acted in these children’s best interest. The sheriff’s department was called, of course. The sheriff’s department rightfully told the concerned citizens that all they could do was to educate the children about the risk. This wasn’t good enough, I suppose. I can only assume the neighbors who were “correctly” quarantining informed our HOA of their big-brother like concern and the HOA acted swiftly to remove the hoops thus ensuring that no small group of children will again act against the wishes of our overlords (or nosy neighbors). Nor, it seems, will any individual be able to use said basketball court to shoot hoops or play HORSE with their own children.

Perhaps ALL basketball courts are missing their hoops right now. I cannot know because I haven’t left the neighborhood in a week. I’ve only left the house once and that was so that my son could ride his bike near the aforementioned basketball court. The taking of the hoops was necessary, I was told, because one of my neighbors heard about a girl who played basketball at a neighborhood court a couple weeks ago and now she’s showing “symptoms” of COVID-19, the illness that comes from the coronavirus.

I actually have symptoms of COVID-19 too. It’s called allergies. I have these symptoms every year as do many others. Obviously, it doesn’t mean I have COVID-19 itself.

In Texas less than 10% of those tested actually test positive (the number is less than 20% nationwide). That’s 10% of people who are so sick or whose symptoms are so bad that a doctor recommends they get tested. Because you can’t just go and get tested if you’re a hypochondriac. You must first see a doctor who thinks you have a reasonable chance of having COVID-19. Only then can you be tested. So, in Texas, less than 10% of those people actually have an illness from coronavirus.

Despite what my neighbors might think, I take this virus seriously. But I refuse to panic or give in to fear.

I also take seriously my natural rights which are codified and protected by the constitution of our nation. More people need to be afraid of the government and politicians and their ability to dismiss our constitutional rights, confine us to our homes, deprive us of income, and determine what is best for us and our families at any given moment. I wish those people who watch our their windows for violations of the stay-at-home orders would be just as quick to call out government officials for violating our rights.

Honestly, I’m more afraid of my neighbors who are all too willing to give up their rights AND my rights out of fear than I am of the coronavirus.

This crises will eventually pass but the rights we throw away could be gone forever.