Our family veterinarian sent their customer base an email letter this month. It indicated that several of their customers, many of whom had adopted animals during the COVID pandemic, had made appointments for their pets, but failed to keep them, and in large numbers. This meant that the vets had to institute a policy of requiring a downpayment for their services.
Also, the letter indicated that some of their staff had experienced workplace abuse, not from the animals but from their human companions. Unacceptable, the vet office proclaimed.
On CBS Mornings, some doctors in Idaho were uncomfortable wearing their scrubs in public, lest they rile up someone. One technician quit and took a job as a Walmart clerk. These were the groups of people who were HEROES in America not that long ago.
Recently, I was in an urgent care facility in my area that has been hammered by the number of people needing COVID tests. We were told at 4 pm that it would take about an hour to be seen, and that was about right. About 5:30, a woman came in with her son, who was maybe 8 years old. She was told that it may take as much as two hours. She started SCREAMING at the intake person. “What if my son were in need of immediate care?” She carried her son out – though he had walked in; maybe she went to an actual emergency room.
Violence against Healthcare Workers is A Worldwide Phenomenon With Serious Consequences.
Education
From an email I received:
In Indiana, school board members were forced to flee and escape to their vehicles to escape individuals who tried to intimidate them by force.
In Idaho, school board meetings have been canceled because the school couldn’t ensure that the scheduled event would be secure and free of violence.
In Maryland, school board officials began receiving violent and personal threats from individuals in retaliation for supporting the wearing of masks.
Also, Justice Department and FBI investigating a “disturbing” uptick in violence against school employees.
Did it happen?
The Scale of Under-Reporting is Widely Acknowledged. This predates COVID, and health care providers were the most regular targets. And I don’t know what to do, baring getting physically involved if it comes to that.
BTW, it is not just an American issue, as this UK article can attest.
The phenomenon has redoubled my effort to try to show appreciation to what they call the front-facing workers. They are the grocery store clerks, bus drivers, retail clerks, bank tellers, the people who you meet each day.
You are so right about showing appreciation to workers who may be subject to abuse. Whenever I email my doctor’s office through MyChart, I always ask how everyone is first. And to cashiers: “Thanks for all you do. Stay safe,” with a wink. It’s a small thing, but it helps.
There is a movement in WI to inject lots of money into school board races. The “Club For Growth” (known in our house as the Club For Gross) is infamous for meddling in all sorts of these little races. Now that we have been reminded over and over how important their work is, I hope those of us with better motives at least show up and vote!