May 12, 2020 2 min read

As we are in the midst of one of the most unusual, unprecedented, and troubling times of our lives and our existence, there has been a lot of back and forth on these pages and with these letters. Democrat versus Republican, left versus right, reopening our counties and our country and our businesses versus staying at home for more days, weeks, and perhaps even months. No question we are all at the ends of our collective ropes. Businesses are closed, schools are shut down, and we have to wear masks every time we are out in a public setting and around others. And there are far more questions than there are answers. I, for one, wish we could just respect one another, be Americans as opposed to political parties, and try and ride this thing out.

There is a post on Facebook that says in part, “There is no right way to feel right now.” And I completely concur. I work for a public school, and I am hurting because I miss my work, my coworkers, and my kids. But Gov. Wolf shut us down, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve had good days and bad.

Please, let us try and be civil throughout all of this. Right now there are people in danger of losing their businesses, their jobs. They are struggling to feed their families and pay their bills. It is a very sad and unfortunate situation to be sure. Let’s show some compassion and understand that there are people hurting out there and not just because of the dangers of the virus but as a result of the stay-at-home order. Let’s try and keep it real. God bless!

Rich Briggs

Houston