In the ongoing battle between our society and a thoughtless, tireless virus, we are finding more and more as time goes on that human beings themselves may be a more formidable opponent than the actual disease we’re fighting against.

Recent incidents of immense crowding at Rhode Island shorelines and beaches – from Narragansett and Westerly to Warwick’s Oakland Beach – has resulted in local leaders and health experts becoming increasingly concerned about the potential for all the positive progress we’ve made since the battle against COVID-19 began in March to all be for naught, as other states that opened prematurely and with an overabundance of ill-placed confidence are now learning firsthand.

As we unbelievably approach nearly five months of various states of being locked down due to this disease, it is on one hand understandable that people have grown impatient with the restrictive measures put in place to protect us from experiencing further deaths and illnesses. After all, everything about fighting a pandemic goes counter to the way that humans normally behave and thrive.

We are primed in our DNA to want to gather in groups – which stems from the idea that life was always safer together than apart. This propensity to gather in groups simultaneously led us to becoming a tribalistic species distrusting of those outside of our immediate tribes. We might be willing to trust the advice of a local town doctor that has treated our brothers, sisters and neighbors – but trusting the advice of a conglomerate of faceless scientists has obviously been a much harder proposition for those who continue to scoff at mask-wearing requirements and social distancing policies.

Still, as time has gone on under lockdown conditions – especially as the weather has gotten nicer in a place fittingly called The Ocean State – the propensity for those who have been unaffected by the virus, even those who may believe in the science of prevention tactics, to casually and selfishly shirk their responsibilities to maintain a safe public health environment for others has noticeably started to increase. This is extremely problematic. Humans may be hardwired to gather, but we would like to believe that a majority of people are also hardwired to be empathetic and understanding that they share the world with other people.

We can’t help but ponder how this modern society would fare in an environment such as the one that was experienced during World War II, or the Great Depression. People had to go without basic supplies and rationed food for years – concessions much more serious and apparent then being asked to wear a thin cloth face covering, avoiding the gym or the beach and standing far apart from other people for a few months. Why is it that so many modern Americans seem incapable of the concept of sacrificing their own comforts and enjoyments for the greater good of their neighbors?

Even worse is that the stance against rudimentary health practices in the midst of a global pandemic goes beyond simple egocentrism in some cases – it becomes some kind of grotesque political stand where wearing a mask equates to giving into the tyranny of government demands, rather than a simple and non-invasive way to protect your fellow citizens from potential harm. It really doesn't get much simpler and non-partisan than that.

Ironically enough, the same scientific process that has led public health officials to urge us to avoid crowds, wash our hands and wear masks is the same exact scientific process that those exercising bad practices detrimental to us all will praise and benefit from once a vaccine is made available. When a viable vaccine is developed, and it’s available to them, we're sure that science will once again be worthy of their trust and respect.

The best generations of Americans knew that sacrifice was essential to ensure that our country could thrive and succeed. The sacrifices being asked of us are not negligible – especially those of us who risk losing their business or well-being due to the continuing lockdown – but for those of us who are only being asked to avoid hitting the beach, it’s a sacrifice that must be made.