The United States needs a unified effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, specifically directed by the Federal government.
First of all, we need leadership at the top. Honest, strong, and coherent leadership is important during a national crisis. Part of that involves following the guidelines set out by the organizations operated by the Executive Branch. Something as simple as following a mask order as the leader of the country may save countless lives and will reinforce confidence in our government institutions. If the President does it, others will follow.
That is important because government institutions like the CDC must head this national effort against the coronavirus, and they need to be trusted in order to be effective. In order to be trusted, they must not be partisan political operations that are marginalized by the very people who run them.
Ultimately, our lack of a national strategy for the coronavirus has killed many thousands of people. Back in March when this was all starting, swift action to curb the spread via some kind of “national holiday” followed by extensive preparations and legislation to protect our most vulnerable may have done much more to protect those who needed it. As it stands, our policies vary from state to state. Given this is a national crisis, this is a failure at the highest levels.
Finally, we need to remember that this is our government. Fellow Americans work hard to do what’s right in it. We elect our representatives. If they end up being crooks, that’s our fault, and we need to replace them with someone who is not. They are supposed to represent our interests. They are also supposed to work together, much like we as Americans need to work together to mend the cracks and fraying that are happening in our society today.
Let’s work together to make our country a better place.
United We Stand, Divided We Fall.