A House Divided

To the Editor:
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln understood it then. Why don’t we now?
We talk about “this matters” and “that matters.” If this nation falls, nothing will matter.
We need to take some responsibility for our actions. This “I’ll do what I want” routine is getting old.
When we were kids, and you pulled that stunt, you got a hand across your “luggage,” and were sent to your room. Why can’t we stop thinking of just ourselves and think about this nation as a whole? Everyone lives here, so why can’t we respect each other?
The “do as I say, not as I do” also has to stop. People talk about their rights, yet have no problem trying to take the rights of others away.
We need to stop listening with deaf ears, seeing with blind eyes and thinking with a closed mind.
In case you’re interested, this nation does not revolve around a certain party, religious belief, or how much money is in your wallet. It revolves around all of us.
There are people out there every day, doing their best to provide for the rest of us. What are you going to do when they get burned out? When there is no one else to replace them?
Will you go to your neighbor, a friend, or a family member? No. You’ll want someone who knows what to do for you, but not doing the right thing makes it harder on them.
I have heard so many stories: “I just wanted to go out, now I have the virus. Maybe I should have listened and worn a mask.” It’s a shame, all because you didn’t listen. This contributes to our downfall.
If people don’t use masks, then there is a chance of infection. That slows the reopenings of businesses.
Then people can’t go back to work. Then there is no revenue for the state, let alone for the businesses. Then the state has to pay out unemployment. It’s a domino effect.
What will it take for people to realize they can do so much for this nation just by wearing a mask and doing the distance thing? OK, so it’s inconvenient, but I’d rather everyone do that for a little while, then end up in the emergency room, because someone else thought their rights were more important than everyone else’s.