The states of America are not so united on how to handle the economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. As states like New York, continue to plan, and states like Georgia, seemingly, throw caution to the wind, our nation appears as divided on how to deal with the Wuhan coronavirus issue as any issue that happens to fall on the cracks of political party lines. While many shout to the heavens, “this is a health crisis, not a political one”, some factors of the issue strike political nerves at their very roots. Republicans believe in shrinking government involvement in private matters, in preservation of freedom. Democrats have a more “save the people from themselves” approach to governing, because they know that the people look to the government to make decisive actions, or at least set the standards, on many issues that affect the masses, like healthcare. When you consider those perspectives, it becomes a lot clearer to understand that the confusion surrounding this issue, like any other political drama, is the cause of unwillingness to compromise.

The more right of center your viewpoints are, the more likely you are to believe that the government should stay out of the way and let people do what they feel is best for themselves and their families. The truth of the matter is, the quintessential “American Way” of governing should not involve country-wide mandates, telling people how to do what is best for themselves and their businesses. Frankly, telling the masses to stay home and forcing businesses to close their doors is very similar to what Obama called “crippling sanctions”, only these sanctions aren’t to prevent nuclear weapons from being created abroad, they’re sanctions on American businesses. The American businessman and woman who, like the rapper Roddy Ricch says, “got it out the mud”. These business owners do not want to sit around and watch their hard work go up in smoke. As a business owner, I would want the opportunity to conduct my business in the safest way possible, in effort to save what I’ve worked so hard to build. Owners of businesses, small or large, have a responsibility not just to their own families, but to the families of their employees and the people who demand their goods and services. Shouldn’t it be a business owner’s right to conduct their business, if they believe they can tweak their business practices to the safety standards set in place?

The more left of center your viewpoints are, the more likely you will believe that the masses cannot be trusted to do the right thing when it comes to health issues, because the average person isn’t a health expert. Daily, on the news and on social media, you can see the confusion of the masses. The death tolls are rising, and the loss of life is a cost that cannot be repaid. The virus is still so new that even the experts are changing their story on how to combat it. You don’t have to be an expert to know the country isn’t ready to go back to how it was at the new year. Many feel this time is a break that the planet needs to heal as carbon emissions are at record lows, and many companies are already changing their business practices to allow people to work from home. This could, very well, be a re-tooling moment for the American workforce. The nation could benefit greatly if more people took advantage of education and training resources, becoming more tech-savvy and computer literate. App downloads are way up as more people step outside their comfort zones to find new comforts. Online Shopping and video conferencing are just a few ways people are continuing old habits, in new ways, and it’s about time. It’s about time more companies offered work from home positions, it’s about time more companies invested in their network infrastructure and data security, it’s about time more people invested in themselves and their own talents through entrepreneurship, it’s about time for many changes that have come with being placed outside of our comfort zones. We all want this to come to a safe, peaceful end, right?

In conclusion, whether your viewpoints are right or left, we all can be right on this issue if we meet in the middle. We must all demand for competent direction from our leaders. Both Democrat and Republican citizens have been told their jobs are not essential, but no one disputes that taking care of your family is essential. Business owners shouldn’t be forced to close by the government, especially when the government has no means to cover the losses. That would be disenfranchisement of the American business owner. However, business owners who don’t want to close their doors need detailed guidelines that spell out, plainly, the acceptable standards for conducting business safely in this pandemic environment. If a business cannot meet the standard set in place, they can, at least, focus on a new business or make the necessary adjustments to become compliant. Without enforceable standards, businesses are free to do “due diligence” measures which may not maximize safety by minimizing the spread of infection. Without clear standards, the consumer cannot make educated decisions on whether they want to patronize a business. Now more than ever, we need leadership at the highest positions in our nation to be on the top of their game. The futures of all our children depends on it.