SOLUTIONS ARE NONPARTISAN

It has been an interesting couple of months to say the least. I have learned some new things. I have seen old ideas take on new meaning. For example, I always thought a corona was a nice Mexican beer that usually came with a slice of lime. Wow, who knew? It turns out that corona is a virus that has been unleashed on the world by China and it has killed several thousand people with more soon to die. It even has its own nickname now. Covid19. What ever happened to Covids 1 through 18? I really don’t want to know, just wondering. 

I have learned other new things also. How about this one? If a pitcher throws you a curveball, and it breaks like it is supposed to, it is almost unhittable. But, if that pitch flattens out and doesn’t break, the next thing you see is the baseball flattening out and disappearing over the center field fence. So, I always thought flattening a curve was a bad thing if you are a pitcher. Well, apparently flattening a curve during a “pandemic” is a good thing. The number of cases rise until they reach this arbitrary peak, they level, flatten out, then start headed down. Soon then, the pandemic is over. This is the good flattening of the curve. 

According to most reports we have reached this leveling off point in some areas. We even are now considering reopening our economy and returning to some semblance of normal. I am of the opinion that this could not happen soon enough. Of course one size doesn't fit all situations. What might be okay for North Dakota isn't necessarily good for New York or New Jersey.  So, we will proceed with caution. 

Next we have "social distancing". That's the one that has become the biggest problem but at the same time it is credited with the biggest success we are having dealing with this virus. I was never a fan of people breathing down my neck anyway. But I am also not a fan of dictatorships. Some politicians have taken it upon themselves to sign "executive orders" regulating activities of free citizens. In their zeal to be in charge, they have thrown our Constitution out of the window. Well guess what? That has never and will never be acceptable to free citizens. 

I am convinced that if reasonable people are given true information, they will do the right thing without executive orders. The moronic Mayor of New York City, De Blasio, has instructed New Yorkers to spy on their neighbors, take pictures of perceived wrongdoing, and send those pictures to the authorities. They will then deal with it. I believe that was pretty much the way things happened in Germany in the 30s and 40s. Sorry Mayor. Wrong country and wrong time. We, the people don’t need or want a “gestapo”. 

In my last post I commented on the ease by which the citizens of this great country gave up their freedoms because of fear of a disease. Do you remember what Benjamin Franklin once said? “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” As we go further it would be in our interest to remember these brilliant words. It would also serve the interests of our “leaders” to remind themselves as well.

We are a free country. We, the people, are citizens, not subjects. Given the correct information most of us would do the right thing. Most of us would be responsible. Would-be dictators, take note. This pandemic will soon be over and we will expect you to return to your jobs. You know, the ones we hired you to do. Pandemics, by their nature, are neither Republican nor Democrat. Solutions are also nonpartisan. It is time to get back to work.

Ron Scarbro April 21, 2020