In this Feb. 26, 2018 photo Dianne Shenk, left, helps a customer Terry Warby in Dylamatos Market in Hazelwood, Pa. About a quarter of Shenk’s customers pay with benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, so the government’s proposal to replace the debit card-type program with a pre-assembled box of shelf-stable goods delivered to recipients concerns her and other grocery operators in poor areas. “These boxes will be full of shelf-stable items, the same things we’re being told not to eat,” she said. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

It is shocking and tragic to think how less than two months ago Americans were enjoying their day-to-day freedoms without notice or fanfare. Everything was normal.

Now we’re beingdenied the right to buy “non-essential” products, being fined for outdoor activities and we’re being told that the “new normal” may not include large gatherings or events for years to come. It boggles the mind.

In another instance of shocking dystopian moves, a Maryland county has gone ahead with assigning grocery shopping days by last name. Calvert County has seen 99 diagnosed COVID-19 cases to date, in a population of around 99,000. While the county health department is clearly worried about overcrowding during “social distancing” times, they do admit that they see it as their job to control the impulses of their population. Just as Michigan’s governor put a ban on non-essential items to discourage people from shopping unnecessarily, Calvert County says they want to discourage people from going to the store just to get out.

“Going to the grocery store has shifted from an occasional trip to get necessities to a frequent excuse for getting out of the house,” the health department said.

In response, the county has asked residents to shop only every 5 days and according to their last names.

• Last name starting with A-C shop on dates ending with 0 and 5

• Last name starting with D-G shop on dates ending with 1 and 6

• Last name starting with H-L shop on dates ending with 2 and 7

• Last name starting with M-R shop on dates ending with 3 and 8

• Last name starting with S-Z shop on dates ending with 4 and 9

When government starts to micromanage human nature, it only leads to more micromanaging. How long before those days begin doubling in crowd size because people are so desperate to get out and have run out of something important? And how does the county enforce this? How long will it be before people must present identification just to be allowed to step outside their home?

Questions to ponder…and ponder loudly.