Items

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  2020-05

  Critical Industry Employee Authorization to Travel Regardless of the Time of Day

  When this ongoing pandemic initially began, people were not sure how long the extremities would last or whether COVID-19 was as bad as some people claimed it to be. As we now know, the wearing of the mask has become politicized with some movements and ideologies, and the safety and wellbeing of the community is being contested with freedom, pandemic conspiracies and/or blatant denial. It is now November 6, 2020, and I can safely say we as a global community have seen ridiculous and ineffable events unravel over the past year. Sadly, these unique occurrences are far from ending as the pandemic is worsening in terms of case spikes and as the people are growing ever more weary. I am reflecting during this election period, looking back at the strange changes I haven't seen before in my life, and recently I found this work document I had at home. The document presented is a paper granting the holder the right to go about their day, allowing them to travel when others were not allowed.This paper was given to me at work during May 2020 just a curfew took place. Although the mandated curfew in San Francisco only lasted about a week, I remember that people did take it seriously more or less as I walked to work barely seeing anyone outside. The paper would help me if the police stopped me at any point. My parents were worried that I would get pulled over since I worked evening shifts (luckily I didn't have this happen). What is interesting and scary about this document was that others could have been fined or got into trouble if they were stopped; this was something I never considered at that time. Others may state that this document is scary in terms of historical precedence to the nineteenth century in America. This can be tied to freedom papers in segregated and/or slave based areas in the American south when African Americans had to possess such papers stating their business either on their or someone else's behalf. The repercussions otherwise could have been horribly severe if they didn't have said papers. Thus, this paper holds power and grants amnesty from punishment. Two different periods with different purposes but similar implications and deterrents. Interesting what can be created during a modern pandemic.