OP-ED: What Will We Learn from COVID-19?

By Gary Peterson, PCP, Washington County

Will we learn that our local elected officials actually have more impact on our daily lives? What would happen if everyone voted in all the elections?
Will we learn that keeping in touch with family and friends is important even if they live far away? What would happen if everyone used technology to regularly contact distant loved ones?
Will we learn the value of people we depend on every day? What would happen if all the essential workers we depended on earned a living wage?
Will we learn how important #HealthCare is? What would happen if everyone had access to health care?

What would if the food industry did not use unhealthy ingredients?
What would happen if all businesses gave and encouraged unrestricted paid sick time?
What would happen if all of us wore a mask if we thought we might be coming down with something or sick?

Will we learn how easy it is to reverse #GlobalWarming?
What would happen if business leaders would cut all business travel by 50%?
What would happen if business leaders would have 50% of their employees work from home?
What would happen if business leaders instituted a Local Sourcing initiative?

Will we learn how easy it is to reverse #GlobalWarming?
What would happen if we went to town shopping 50% less?
What would happen if we took vacations that required air travel 50% less?
What would happen if we took local vacations 50% more of the time?

What would happen if government changed the import tax to be based on distance traveled?
What would happen if government had a business taxes based on U.S. content?
What would happen if government instituted incentives to go green for individuals & businesses?

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