THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA 

     The onset of the coronavirus pandemic has created such a devastating impact to our existence that those of us who are living really do not have much peace of mind.  We all have different kinds of coping skills and with the loss of so many lives it seems impossible to find sensible answers for what is happening. The disease is sinister and has found its way into so many lives.

     So, what is the answer as to how to end this pandemic? Obviously, the primary drive for everyone is to survive.  Yet, our country was founded to establish freedom and the democratic process of government to maintain human dignity and respect for each other.  We take pride in that we seek to find continuous ways to fulfill the American dream. Now, we are again facing an enemy which is not as clear a target as we faced in many of our past wars.  It takes a great deal of maturity and patience to win this war.  Most important we hear the refrain, “We are in this TOGETHER!”. But, are we all on the same page?

    Read the newspapers, watch the television broadcasts, hear what the states and federal government present.  It appears we are on the horns of a dilemma.  How so? Ask yourself what is the primary issue we are all facing? I submit first it is the drive to stay alive and be well.  Yet, at the same time we want the right to be free to pursue our American dream of getting an education, making a living and producing economic security. What is the resolution to this dilemma? It seems we need to sort out the options we have.  We could choose to let the disease run its course and continue to mitigate it as much as possible by staying at home, keep social distancing and washing our hands.  Or, we can try to abide by the state and national guidelines available for testing.  This particular option is really a mess that is muddled, jumbled, confusing, unclear and offers no peace of mind.

    You see, we need to realize that our society cannot accept Draconian measures which would be destructive and upsetting to our fundamental values. However, we need to recognize that some form of a national program that addresses the entire nation can help us deal with the unwieldy attempts to use testing.  I remember during World War II none of us resisted the measures of national security that were made at the federal level.  There was no hassle among each of our states regarding legislation that was for the safety and security of our citizens. It is so important to understand that a centralized program that entails every one of us by way of a national system of testing that every single person gets will eliminate all these individual state rules for opening the economy.  No one state will have to meet a national standard for employment, opening stores, beaches, restaurants, parks, schools etc.  Those options will still be retained by each state.  But, a federally managed total testing program that is free of any political or partisan interests should be in place. The fundamental responsibility would be to protect the HEALTH AND SAFETY of all our citizens.