We've all done it. You know, when something goes wrong, we try to shift responsibility to someone else, rather than take the heat. The bigger the error, the harder we try to call attention to the other guy.

I suppose a Ph.D. psychologist might tell us why we act that way, but I'll bet it is pretty normal. That doesn't mean it is OK.

In the Great State of Maine, many blame Gov. Janet Mills for the current economic and social challenges. After all, she was the one who ordered us all to stay home, closed our businesses and ordered summer tourists to quarantine for 14 days if they dare to drive across the big Piscataqua River Bridge.

Some of this criticism is normal. Mills is in charge, and we love to blame the person in charge when we don't like the way things are going. That is why we blame the TV weather folks when it rains, or doesn't rain, when it is hot, or not, and especially when it snows, and snows, and snows. The governor is a Democrat and a prime target for Republicans who would love to hold her office. One of the rules of American politics says the ins blame the outs and vice versa.

Another reason she is blamed is that she is a she, and more than one he, and some other she's, resent that she has the keys to the front door of the Blaine House in her purse.

Admittedly, she is also between a famous rock and an equally renowned hard place. Order business shutdowns, wear masks, stay home, and the economy falters. Don't do anything, operate as before, hope for the best, and hundreds of Mainers get sick and die.

When Mills ran for governor, nobody on either side mentioned the word "pandemic.” But in March, the legislators on both sides were glad to give her emergency powers to run the state. They were so pleased to hand her the ball, both houses suspended the rules and passed the bill in one day. Now some folks claim she is a dictator because she issued tight restrictions. These orders violated our sacred constitutional rights and harmed the economy of our state, they say.

Of course, most other states led by Republicans and Democrats issued similar orders, but many ignored it. Few mention that our neighbors to the north also locked down their border to all but essential workers.

States that opened too soon are awash in new cases. Churches that ignored government closure orders found many of their congregants hospitalized with, you guessed it. In Tulsa, officials blamed much of the huge jump in COVID-19 hospital cases on the kind souls who refused to wear masks when attending a political rally.

Over Memorial Day, many southern and western beaches opened to revelers who ignored the usual precautionary measures. Officials blame them for the spike in infections over the south and west.

Here, our friends in the hotel and food service industries like to blame the governor's orders for the red ink on their profit and loss statement. She has eased some of the rules to help them.

On the plus side, we have one of the nation's lowest infection and fatality rates. At last check, Maine had 3,400 reported cases and 114 fatalities. Here in Lincoln County, we had only 26 cases and, praise the Almighty, no reported deaths.

Please take a minute and compare our stats with our neighbors and friends in other states. We look pretty good. So, is the reason for low Maine hospitalizations and funerals due to the governor? I suppose she should get some credit. We should get some, too, for we stayed home, wore masks and washed our hands. But this is not time to pat anyone on the back for doing a good job or to assign blame. Experts say lots more Americans will die until Big Pharma invents a magic pill.

Meanwhile, Washington wants us all to send our precious children back to school in the fall. We do, too. Our school superintendent, Keith Laser, agrees this is the goal. He is trying to figure out how it will work. How will they set up classrooms? What about school busses or plans to do in-school testing? Will teachers feel safe to go back to work? Will parents be willing to send their kids? It seems that one answer leads to more questions.

"It is a moving target," he said.

The virus is in charge. Blame that little bug. The rest of us are just trying to cope.

Be well.