Letter to the editor: Play by rules to keep parks open

It would be tragic if our beloved parks had to be shut down because of a few ignorant people. Seriously, how difficult is it to stay 6 feet away from each other, and maybe wear masks, too?

During this beautiful but scary 2020 spring, our parks provide an important and critical psychological and spiritual escape from the anxiety and claustrophobia caused by this deadly virus. But in the last 10 days, I’ve seen in my local city parks several groups of people who apparently don’t believe in the very real covid-19 threat.

If you are ignoring the stay-healthy recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others, you are taking a life-and-death gamble that could put you and others in the ER, in addition to health workers. That’s not only dangerous, but also extremely selfish. And, in addition to the health risks, our local government is threatening to close the parks if people continue to be “rebels without a cause.”

Be smart and considerate people: Play by the rules, stay healthy and keep our parks open. Please.

Randy Strothman

East Allegheny