To the editor:
The stay-at-home order being lifted, gradually with restrictions, means too many of the possibly infected will come to Brown County/Nashville.
All across the country there are reports that COVID-19 is on the rise. This makes lifting the order a dangerous and irresponsible move on the part of our governor.
Regardless of their influence, local or otherwise, it is clear that business owners have the final say in deciding whether or not to open. In my estimation, we should caution ourselves against reopening. To do otherwise would attract folk from all over Indiana, from heavily populated areas, such as Indianapolis, where there are the most infected.
Putting our population at risk so that outsiders can fulfill their desire for leisure is not a careful consideration — on our part or theirs.
Furthermore, this is not an issue of hillbilly or creature territorialism. Most strictly, I believe it to be a moral/clinical one.
Let us not mistake ourselves here; we have enough resources to take care of ourselves and one another for a few weeks without reopening our non-essential-to-life economy, which, if we recall, benefits a relatively small number of our population.
Instead of courting danger, we should stay home and continue to enjoy certain economic pressures being lifted (quite suddenly!) which results in having more monies and debt forgiveness, to not having to deal with terrible customers, to doing whatever we like — minus close contact, of course!
When it is safe to come out again, well, that will be a fine time, filled with tremendous relief. However, let us not enjoy such an experience only to have it discolored in our memory by more tragedy, because we moved too fast to reopen.
Be healthy, stay safe!
John Douglas, Nashville
