At this stage of the political campaign, minds have been made up so we should be able to discuss the COVID-19 without all of its usual political rhetoric. We have nothing to lose if we can be open and civil about the subject.
The pandemic is a critical problem because it is not going away for years, considering the limited cooperation the medical profession is getting from North Dakota citizens. Our frontier experience has made us an independent people but our independence is killing us.
A climate for virus
As long as unmasked people keep providing a climate in which the virus can prosper, the virus will not die and North Dakota will have to live with it for years.
COVID-19 is anti-life and North Dakota can’t be anti-life. Life is the most precious thing granted to us on this earth. While some may believe that life mysteriously oozed ashore in the Azores, life originated with God and is sacred.
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Ultimately, life is his property that we get to borrow for a while.
Life is valued more in North Dakota than in other states because we are a small state. More of us get to know each other, thereby building a sense of community in which lives are guarded by friends and neighbors. It is difficult to go anywhere in North Dakota and not talk to a stranger who knows your cousin in Bowbells and your uncle in Hankinson.
Great loss of life
Because life is borrowed property, we are obligated to protect it at every turn. If COVID-19 is destroying lives, we must do the best we can to limit its effectiveness. When the loss of lives becomes great we must consider options and reorganize our priorities. As you know, the loss has become great. We need to take another look.
I don’t have a litany offering the tragic convincing details of COVID-19. I am sure that you are well briefed; you know the statistics.
No matter what you do, you will get flak from somebody, mostly from those who have never been in tough decision-making positions. However, if we don’t deal with this problem the consequences will be great. North Dakota is becoming “legendary” in ways we didn’t plan.
Use Legacy Fund
We have a $6 billion Legacy Fund that should be used to soften the impact of COVID-19. The epidemic has caused much damage to jobs, small businesses, hospitals and schools that could be ameliorated with the Legacy Fund.
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Every governor has the hope that he/she could leave a legacy that would honor their memories. While governors come into office with numerous goals, most of their hopes are dashed against a governmental system that defies progress or change.
Because governors are eaten by the details of the job, few leave a recognizable legacy. Most are lucky if they escape blame for the sins of others.
So what do you hope your legacy will be? A remodeled government? A new economy? An invigorated recreation industry?
It sounds harsh to say but unless we get control of COVID-19 your legacy will be in the cemeteries scattered all across North Dakota. I don’t want that. Nobody wants that.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
