Drowning on Main Street

by Friendly Bear

Among my favorite TV shows are those that feature ordinary restaurants which offer wonderful food. Often, they are small capacity restaurants found all over America, in big cities and micro towns, with a memorable culinary twist.

Maybe they are renowned for fun and tasty hot dogs. Maybe their barbecue or dry rub ribs are worth an hour drive. Maybe their seafood brings forth the best the ocean has to offer. America’s restaurants do more than feed a nation, they make our mouths water in anticipation and bring our diets to an untimely end, as we dine with those whom we so care about.

Lockdowns have morphed from a virus fighting tool into the “group time out” of tyrant Governors. Aside from their annoying limitations, they might be compared to drowning. Just as drowning in water can happen quickly and silently, so can a restaurant “drown” in a lockdown.

But, restaurants are not alone in their suffering. Retail stores, businesses that train or teach, all businesses that interact with people, are quietly and quickly drowning in lockdowns.

Please, don’t take my word for it, and certainly don’t bother with a useless business statistic.

Go get in the car and drive around. Look at the strip malls growing dark and empty. Drive past the brightly painted hamburger shack and the premier steakhouse. They are now equal in death, having failed when a law forbade them to earn a living.

Then, drive past the store that taught music lessons, and drive past the hair salon. Did you see the "closed sign" on the used office furniture outlet? How about the hotel your friend manages? Not many cars there, huh? Your business might feel safe, until the ripple of business failure reaches your customers.

Work in government or for a university, do you? Might you receive less tax money during a lockdown? But, of course you’re safe from layoffs! Go read about what happened during the Great Depression during your break. Since that was before you were born, maybe you should go read about what happened during the depressions in other countries in recent years. 

I’m not advocating that we throw caution to the wind, but if our economy dies what have we gained? Wear a mask, wear a face shield, wear a gas mask if you feel it will make you safer. Please wash your hands and sanitize surfaces. Clean is good, especially when it makes keeping businesses open more viable.

Lockdowns are now being hailed as the solution to a myriad of woes...by people who have never run a business. I’ve read comments by some of these people where they claim everyone should be a government employee. Yeah, that’s working real well in North Korea.

Businesses are essential, particularly small businesses. Shoe stores and tow trucks and plumbers and pet supply stores and so many others keep our day flowing smoothly.

Lifeguards must be vigilant to even have a chance of saving a drowning swimmer. Likewise, we all should seek to save the businesses drowning on Main Street - and, even more important now, to stop the governments that are holding their heads under water.