I am a fourth-generation Oklahoman with American roots going back seven generations. My father served in Vietnam. His father served in W WII. Like many of you, I have family members who have served in the Korean War, World War I, the Spanish-America War, Civil War, the War of 1812 and The Revolutionary War.
That doesn’t include surviving through the pandemics, panics or the Great Depression. Our ancestors were asked to make great sacrifices, which have given us the ability to live in these great times. They risked life and limb in order to protect our way of life. They scraped by with less than the bare minimum and got us through some of the worst days in America’s history.
During the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, churches, businesses, public pools and most of college football were closed down for months. Some churches closed; others remained open. However, no church then had the means to communicate with their parishioners if they weren’t in the pews on Sundays. Still, our ancestors clung to their faith that they, and the world, would get through it—and they did. When the churches did reopen, they joined in fellowship and forged ahead.
Leaders from around the globe have asked us over the last few weeks, to shelter-in-place, practice social distancing and wash our hands. Today, we are seeing that too many of those pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
Now, our leaders are taking a stronger, more direct approach; ordering otherwise essential stores to cease selling clothes, and a large variety of items that would normally be considered superfluous.
Previous generations did not have the opportunities we do today. Truly essential items can be purchased online. Shoes, ties, belts and bathing suits can, and should be, put on hold. Many churches have taken to social media to spread the Word, but they are not shuttered like they were in 1918.
I am not lessening the hardship that people today are experiencing. Congress has stepped up and is providing relief and more will be coming. This disaster will likely take us more than a year to recover from, but one thing is clear: much more was asked of previous generations.
Perhaps before we curse those who have ordered businesses to shut down, before we compare them to communists or liken them to Nazis, we can pause for just a moment ask ourselves these simple questions:
Is the inconvenience worth saving even the smallest percentage of lives? Do the leaders making these calls do so with the best information at hand and with the best intentions? What can I do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the possibility of endangering my family, friends and neighbors?