Responsible adults will make the right decisions for themselves, their families.

by David Ulmer
Chair, Libertarian Party of Wake County

Individuals and private businesses have done more to combat COVID-19 than any government edict by practicing what their mothers taught them. They didn’t need to be told what to do. They were doing it voluntarily, before government mandates.

In fact, hasty government decisions based on limited information and considering only one aspect of the situation may have caused more harm than good. Now, sadly but predictably, partisanship and name-calling could drown out any civil discussion of how to respond to, and recover from, the pandemic.

People who want to get back to work to provide for their families are not being irresponsible. People who prefer to stay home to protect themselves and others are not promoting tyranny. No one wants people to die. Everyone wants to stay safe.

Science isn’t always cut and dried. What we think we know today may not be true tomorrow. Discoveries can shape how we respond to a disease.

Given current, accurate, and complete as possible information, responsible adults will almost always make the right decisions for themselves and their families.

The most productive government action is to develop recommendations while remaining flexible as new data comes in. Let the people decide how to apply them. Government should empower, not restrict people.

If a business can operate safely and profitably within these limits, they should go ahead.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, let local communities modify those recommendations. What’s suitable for urban areas like Wake, may not be right for rural counties like Scotland. Nor should government decide what is or isn’t essential.

COVID-19 is a serious public health crisis. Severely damaging a robust economy, putting millions out of work, is also detrimental to public health.

The response from most North Carolinians to the virus is proof again that the limitless potential of free people, working together, can solve the most important problems we face.

#WakeLP #WakeUpLiberty #covid19 #coronavirus