Leadership seems hard to come by

Here’s a scene that would give heartburn to any health professional:

•The rotunda of the courthouse on a weekday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

•A gaggle of law enforcement officers stands near the security check-point, chatting.

•None of the officers wears a mask.

•Neither does the officer at the courthouse security check-point.

All of the officers will tell you they are dedicated to public safety, and there’s no reason to doubt them.

So why, as the world struggles to figure out how to go forward with COVID-19, are none of those law enforcement officers wearing any sort of facial covering?

That’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. That’s what the Indiana State Board of Health recommends. That’s what the Jay County Health Department recommends. That’s what the Jay County Commissioners require of private citizens visiting the courthouse.

Somehow, these dedicated people who ought to know better have gotten things wrong.

They seem to believe that wearing a face mask is a sign of weakness, something that would undermine their uniforms and their badges.

But that is 100% backwards.

Wearing a face mask — or being able to wear one when social distancing fails — is a sign of common courtesy during this pandemic.

It sends a simple message: I respect others.

That’s because a face mask doesn’t provide any protection for the wearer. Instead, its purpose is to protect others from whatever viruses the wearer might be carrying.

There’s no weakness in wearing a mask. There’s only strength, the strength that comes with doing the right thing to protect others and respect their health.

And for law enforcement officers, wearing a mask also sends a message. It serves as a role model for the rest of the public. It is an act of leadership at a time when leadership is needed.

Sadly, that simple truth doesn’t seem to have gotten through.

A little bit of leadership might have brought the message home. But a little bit of leadership seems hard to come by. — J.R.