Republicans taken to task over letter

In reference to a letter to the Gazette (May 5-7) from 16 Republican representatives of Delaware to Gov. Carney, I am dismayed that these people have obviously taken a “political” stance in their remarks. Doing so makes me suspicious of their intent.

If one or more of them had written their opinions individually to the paper, I would have taken them more seriously. Or if a group of store owners and business owners had stated their request, I would have taken them more seriously.

But as a group of Republicans, how else am I to take their views than as something that will benefit them politically? The COVID-19 virus is not political, cares nothing about that, and is not listening to you. As Dr. Anthony Fauci has said, “The virus will dictate the timing of this,” and I add, not Republicans.

You miss the point that everyone wants our economy to recover. Democrats, independents, grass-rooters, children of no persuasion, young people, older people and those in between wish that everyone could go back to work to save the financial status of their family and others. And I know that most people wish that they could save the lives of their family and friends.

This does not need to become a political situation. You are pitting yourselves against the “other.” And I am sure that Gov. Carney, even though he is a Democrat, wishes everyone would be safe both fiscally and physically. You do him a disservice in your diatribe. And I am sure that he is in closer touch with national health professionals than you. If I may ask, what does any one of you know about medicine, epidemiology, physiology or virology?

But coming across as a particular party first, no doubt makes many of us wonder about your priorities. One doesn’t see Democrats, Independents or Tea Partiers, or any other kind of partiers coming together as a group to venture an opinion about something that really, most of us don’t know anything about. Your hubris is regrettable.

You state that 90 percent of those afflicted are older or immune compromised. As if they don’t vote. Or count as people. Your parents and children’s grandparents, after all, don’t matter. And the fact that the majority of Delawareans are probably over 60 dilutes your reasoning.

I can understand that as you stated, “all of you have been in contact with many anxious citizens and business owners,” and you are nothing special in that regard. I have also. I hurt, I grieve for all who are affected by this calamity. I am also a small business owner, and I rarely know where my next meal will come from. I ache and lose sleep over the many thousands who have become food insecure. I do what I can to help. And I am also a grandmother who votes with older folks to make up the majority of voters nationwide, and who doesn’t want to deprive her grandchildren of the wisdom that elders can pass down to the younger generation. They will certainly need it. And you as a group will also need our vote, if we are alive.

I am sure that re-engaging Delaware’s economy is a top priority for all of us. As is saving the lives of all of us. However, when you act as a political party in denigrating others’ intent for this, I find that reprehensible. Your group states that the governor “has prioritized increased testing, especially in hot spot areas.” I am fairly certain that he has more than one priority, and that along with keeping his family safe, he is also concerned about his family’s financial health. Your group seems to be doing black-and-white thinking, which as any mental health care professional will tell you, is a hallmark of unhealthy thinking.

And I can see that, as you state, “Some business owners will never reopen their doors, with the jobs they provided permanently lost.” Some of these owners will never reopen because they have died of the virus. And some of their employees may not return either, due to death. Many of us will reap both the financial and physical deaths from this time. Hardly anyone will be spared, and the rest of us of all persuasions don’t need a particular party to remind us of that.

I agree that protocols need to be put into place in order to reopen, but as we have seen, people are not always good at honoring protocols.

But mostly I am grieved by your writing as a political group about something that we are all doing our best to deal with. Person, to person, to person, without regard to a political stance.

Stop being political...just be human beings like the rest of us.

Kath Johnson
Lewes