Civility During This Independence Day

The United States will celebrate the 244th anniversary of its independence this week. The celebration will fall in the midst of protests and debates surrounding the roles played by merchandising icons and statues, just to name a few of the things that have triggered opinions and demonstrations across the country.

As we watch these demonstrations, we are still dealing with the fallout from Coronavirus. Many people are deciding it is safe to congregate in large groups again. Numbers are going back up and reminding us all it is still better to be socially distant.

Some are coming together at beaches and want to have some fun after being shut in for months. Others are coming together to protest and demonstrate. We are still dealing with this threat to our public health. It is wise to wear a mask.

For those who will assemble and protest, it is your right to do so. It is protected by the First Amendment. Damaging property and looting is not. It is fine to publicly display and announce your opinion. I do hope that if you see someone looting, you will try to stop them or call the police. Destroying and stealing property does not further a cause. It hurts someone who is trying to work and provide for their family. You are doing nobody a favor by looting.

To those who want to see monuments and statues removed, there is a process in place for that. Petition your leaders. State your reasons why. Climbing and attempting to destroy an object fixed into the ground risks injury or even death to yourself or someone else. Acting like a hooligan does not help a cause. It risks injury.

I also hope those who watch the protests go on will allow those people to march and make their opinions known. This is their right. Protestors, please keep it peaceful and orderly. You do not help yourselves by destroying property or threatening to harm people. Let both sides have their say. Let everyone be heard. Happy Independence Day.

What is really behind the push to re-open Businesses During COVID?

There is a push from protestors across the country to re-open businesses and allow people to return to work. Businesses everywhere, especially small businesses are calling on the federal and individual state governments to allow businesses to re-open and let people go back to work, get off unemployment, and get the economy back on track.

Golf courses in Massachusetts have been allowed to re-open. Hair salons are pushing to go back in operation. I wonder how many of these decisions are politically motivated. After all, this is an election year and there are plenty of incumbent officeholders who are looking to keep their jobs. The last thing an elected official wants to do is upset their electorate.

Countless numbers of people are marching, organizing, and protesting for the government to allow businesses to re-open. I understand the clamor and the frustration, but the truth is, businesses closing and people staying at home are what has contributed to stemming the tide of the Corona Virus. There are people and businesses hurting, but what good is businesses opening if it contributes to spreading the virus. Can you put a monetary value on people falling ill or dying as a result of re-opening the economy? And what of the people who will be going to work? What about the people who will be forced to go back to work because the Government deemed it "safe"? These people will have no choice but to go back to work or face termination. Good luck trying to find a job nowadays. If you're an elected official, good luck facing an angry mob of people who have lost their jobs as a result of the Corona Pandemic.

The best thing to do is to keep things as they are for a longer period of time. No one likes seeing someone lose their job or a local business closing for good, but it is a better alternative to a spike in cases of a disease for which there is no cure.