During the time when Covid was first winding its way through our communities, and society divided into Pro- and anti-mask factions, so that the people who dutifully wore masks looked at the people who accidentally left theirs in the car like they were evil and had cooties; and random and contradicting mandates were being issued by every level of government; and horrifying rumors spread of noncompliants being arrested in the bigger cities, we received this email:
March 30, 2020
From:
Social Distancing Task Force for the State of Texas
Regional Director - Dan Ciste
1100 Congress Ave
Austin, Texas 78701
To:
David Waldo
Jennifer Waldo
103 Creekside Cove
Marble Falls, Texas 78654
Via Email to jwaldo19@yahoo.com; dwaldo19@gmail.com
RE: NOTICE OF CITATION FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS, Incident No. 11112284
Dear DAVID WALDO and JENNIFER WALDO:
My name is Dan Ciste. I am Regional Director for the Social Distancing Task Force for the State of Texas, serving the tri-county area of Burnet County, Williamson County, and Travis County, created by order of the Hon. Governor of the State of Texas, Greg Abbott, Order No. 2020-2727, dated March 25, 2020. It has come to the attention of this Task Force that you have hosted an illegal gathering at your residence of 103 CREEKSIDE COVE, MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS 78654, on or around MARCH 29, 2020. As hosts of this illegal gathering, you are solely liable under Order No. 2020-2727.
Our office's intake agent has registered the following notes regarding this illegal gathering:
Assembly of vulnerable age population members. Proximity within required six feet. Food and drink served. Small dog displaying unhygienic behavior with humans.
At this time there is no monetary or jail-time penalty for this first-time documented offense. However, state law requires me to inform you that in the event of a second documented offense, the following mandatory penalties shall be assessed:
SECOND OFFENSE: $1,000 FINE
THIRD OFFENSE: 180 DAYS IN JAIL
FOURTH OFFENSE: 4 TO 6 YEARS IN JAIL
The source of this complaint is: ANONYMOUS.
Per Order No. 2020-2727, there is no right to trial or right to confront an accuser for violators of this critical order relating to public health and safety.
Per Order No. 2020-2727, email service of this citation is deemed sufficient and necessary to preserve public health and safety. Due process rights are not relevant at this time under Order No. 2020-2727.
Please visit the website of the Social Distancing Task Force with any questions, or feel free to contact me at any time.
Dan Ciste
Shocking. Due process rights aren’t relevant? No right to a trial? David and I took this citation very seriously indeed. We’d had a few gatherings where friends, some masked, some not, walked through the house, grabbed food, and we all met on the back deck, where we ate and drank and discussed all the dreary foolishness while making no effort to comply with any rule. Also, I was hosting Mahjong at the house once a week, where we hunched indoors at the table, unmasked, breathing each other’s air and unabashedly exchanging tiles.
Every time cars and trucks showed up in our driveway, the next day we’d receive outdoor and distanced comments from the neighbors. “You’re living dangerously,” one said; “We’re not supposed to be entertaining,” from another. “This is the way it’s spread,” cautioned a third.
And now, we’d been turned in. By whom? Anonymous! We were certain it was one of the fearful and judgmental neighbors. Paranoid, suspicious, and deeply wounded, we took a walk up the street outside the cul-de-sac and ranted and pondered, discussing options when our only recourse seemed to be to stop enjoying our lives.
“It has to have been Taylor,” I said, with a mean squint, planning revenge. “He’s officious and judgmental.”
“Yeah, but he’s a good guy. He wouldn’t turn in a neighbor.”
“Then who? Who would do this to us?”
“It’s like we’re living in Nazi Germany. They called Dilly unhygienic. Is it evil to have a dog during covid?”
“If anonymous accusations are accepted as fact, anyone could turn anyone in.”
Oh, we were hurt and frightened, indignant and furious. I emailed Curtis and Sam, sending them copies of the ominous letter and asking for their thoughts and advice. I forwarded the letter to the women who’d been coming over to play Mahjong, and David forwarded it to his friends from Habitat, with whom he’d continued to socialize regularly. We were laying the groundwork for revolution. People might take this crap in the big cities, but we wouldn’t stand for it here in Marble Falls.
Curtis wrote back, suggesting that we check the link at the end, adding a confounded, “Maybe that’ll offer more of an explanation.”
There was something unexpectedly passive about this response. He’s a lawyer who’s passionate about the laws and freedoms of our country. You’d think he’d be outraged. And then a memory crept in. Several years ago Curtis pranked us by saying there was a homeless man named Herb living in the dilapidated shack on the property behind our house. And, because our oldest son is one of the most honest people I know, I’d believed every word—and oh, the havoc I caused by complaining to the property owner, who warned all the neighbors and then called the authorities to come on out and evict poor nonexistent Herb! Also, Curtis had been giving us a hard time about pursuing our regular activities during this irregular time, so perhaps he felt that a lesson was called for.
I hurried in to where David was sitting at his computer. We shared a look and, at the same time declared, “It was from Curtis!”
David clicked the link at the end of the letter and it took us to a YouTube video of a couple of otters and their baby paddling around in a pond, looking harmless and cute. Curtis has always been fond of otters.
I didn’t have a relevant picture so I just went with something colorful.
