We are living through the most deadly epidemic of modern times.  A crisis that some had anticipated but none could have imagined the current situation.  COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses in our society that we could have not anticipated. While America has traditionally been known to have the best medical system in the world, we have the sad distinction of having the most cases of COVID-19.  When we once trusted scientists and medical experts, they are now often maligned and threatened for speaking out.

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Make no mistake, COVID-19 is deadly and requires each person to take action to protect not only themselves but also their friends, neighbors, and loved ones. 

Government has two roles to play in any crisis.  First, it is the responsibility of government to coordinate action and bring resources to bear where needed.  Second, and in some respects, more important, is the responsibility of government to communicate a consistent message on the necessity of action.  In our nation, we strive to build collective will rather than force compliance but that requires a strong consistent voice of leadership. A democracy celebrates our individual freedoms, but with those freedoms comes the responsibility to act as a member of a community.  It is the responsibility of government to communicate when those actions are necessary and to rally people to the cause. 

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We have seen what happens when the Federal government fails to rise to its responsibilities in a crisis. We have seen the confusion of messages, the confusion of the response, and ultimately, we have seen the resulting failures to execute a clear response to this deadly pandemic.  Our people, our communities, and our economy have suffered horrendous losses because of this failure.

While we may argue over policies, while we may debate the balance between individual rights versus each person's moral responsibility to their community, when it comes to addressing the safety of our citizens, we must each constantly strive to ensure that these failures never occur again. 

 

It may not be exciting to have sound policies that rely on science that are delivered in a thoughtful, diligent way, but it is one of the building blocks of our society and Andrew is committed to making sure that government is there and ready to support our communities in times of need.