May 17, 2020 5 min read

I’m wearing my favorite and most comfortable T-shirt as I write this. It’s a super-soft, bright blue short-sleever with red letters that say “Reagan/Bush 1984” on the front. Rarely in my 50 years have I looked back upon past eras or administrations and wished we could return to the “good old days.” But the way I’m feeling right now about how quickly We The People have given away our freedoms – and for what – leaves me more than just a little nostalgic.

I wonder what Ronald Reagan would think about the America he so deeply loved if he was alive today to see what we’ve done to it.

We’re so sorry, Mr. President.

The concept of freedom shouldn’t be a political one. Freedom is an American thing. It’s why people walk thousands of miles with just the clothes on their backs, dragging their children across dangerous terrain in scorching temperatures for a nibble of the feast we too often take for granted. It’s why other countries envy us. Why foreign leaders try to manipulate us. Why people living in other lands want to be us.

Here in America, we can say what we want, vote how we want, work where and do whatever we want. We can criticize our government, criticize each other, and do all these things freely, without danger of retribution. We get to sink or swim on our own, buoyed by our own self-determinism. And – through hard work and tireless dedication – comes American Exceptionalism. The God-given ability of every single one of us to reach for the stars and actually grab hold of them.

Then came COVID-19.

Oh, how quickly we’ve given away our freedom.

We’re so sorry, Mr. President.

In just eight short weeks, this virus has unraveled so many of the threads of our breathtaking American tapestry. And we have no one to blame but ourselves.

We stayed home because we were told to. Because we wanted to be safe. To do our part. Our schools closed, local businesses locked their doors, and 320 million Americans stopped living a free life so the virus wouldn’t overrun our hospitals. We washed our hands, coughed into our elbows, and started looking at our neighbors with suspicion. People who dared to venture outside were ratted out by friends. Those who questioned the ever-changing “data” were labeled greedy capitalists who cared more about their 401ks than life. Virtue signalers shamed healthy people into wearing masks and gloves and forced a guilty public to cower in their homes in fear.

Look at us.

We cross streets to avoid neighbors we used to enjoy chatting with. We greedily stockpile nonsensical supplies, “just in case.” We’re told our elective surgeries will have to wait while abortion clinics continue their horrors. We’re told some workers are essential while others are not. We can’t get haircuts. See the dentist. Go out for a beer. Or hug our aged parents. Our supply chain has broken. Playgrounds look like crime scenes. And our children live like prisoners, trapped inside their homes like house cats.

And that’s just the beginning.

Our health experts now tell us we need contact tracing. It’s necessary, they say, before America can safely reopen. And look at you! So quick to fall for it! “It’s for the good of ALL America!” swear the left’s foot soldiers. We need testing! Electronic surveillance! Mandatory adult inoculations! Roll up your sleeves and succumb, we’re told, while millions of small businesses that make America great swirl in a free-fall down the toilet bowl of economic insanity.

We’re so sorry, Mr. President.

My, gosh. Look at what we’ve done.

But wait. This story doesn’t have to end this way.

It’s time to awaken, my friends. It’s time to do what you know is best for you, your family, your business, and your community. It’s time to emerge from the darkness and speak up! Get educated. Ask questions. Listen to your doctor, not to politicians or people parading as experts. Use common sense and resist. This madness has to end.

This virus is dangerous to people who are sick and to our elderly, yes. But the way to survive it isn’t to stay locked inside, worried about the what-ifs. Go out and live your life! Reclaim your joy! Be the American generations of men and women before us died to let us be.

To quote you, Mr. President: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

Message heard, sir.

Loud and clear.

Wendy Bell can be heard on 1020AM KDKA, Weekdays from 3-6pm. KDKA Radio can also be heard through the RADIO.COM App. Follow Wendy on Facebook and Instagram @WendyBellRadio and on Twitter @WendyBellPgh.