Balancing act

Back in the 1960s, when there were actually political debates instead of members of different “tribes” shouting past each other— which is what we have today—there was a famous, and literate, one about military spending.

One debater asked the other, quite fairly, “what do you think our military budget should be?”

Came the answer: “As much as takes to defend the United States of America, and all its interests. And not one penny more.”

That’s the situation in which we find ourselves as many persons are clamoring over when can businesses get going and ease some COVID-19 restrictions. When should our lives return to normal?

When is the: “We’re safe enough and the economy can’t stand this situation one second longer” moment going to happen?

We can’t answer that question. Probably no one can, but leaders are going to have to make that call. It was chilling to see the results of a U. S. Chamber of Commerce poll reporting half of American small businesses say they are a couple of months away from closing permanently. Half.

Is it worth noting the original estimate of 100,000 to 200,000 American COVID-19 deaths was too high and has been revised to 60,000?

That’s good news. Unless you’re one of the 60,000.

Both the president and governor are working on “reopening” guidelines. Some countries are already taking steps. Interestingly one of those countries is Austria, which shares a 250-mile border with Italy, one of the hardest-hit COVID-19 countries.

We don’t envy officials who have to make those decisions. They have a delicate balancing act to perform. It’s a question of how much economic damage vs. how many human lives.

The decision has been made to err—if errors are to be made—on the side of human life. That’s proper.

There’s been an increasing tendency in recent days for some to become restless and want to know answers for questions to which there are not yet answers.

That’s understandable. There’s certainly a justifiable amount of cabin fever in the air, hopefully more cabin fever than virus.

If this sounds like we are building up to commending our local officials for the way they have approached this crisis, particularly County Judge Steve Young, it’s because that’s exactly what we’re doing.

Young has been forthright, honest and totally transparent in making decisions—some of them unpopular with some segments of the community—to combat a situation that doesn’t have any real answers. Yet.

We expect a lot from our leaders and, of course, this is one of those times.

In this situation their absolute best is all we can hope for and we are getting it here whether or not it’s being done the way we would have done it.

Or, as Edmund Burke put it, far more eloquently:

“Your representative owes you, not their industry only, but also their judgment; and they betray it, instead of serving you, if they sacrifice it to your opinion.” —M.B.