The Ethical Differences of the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic & quarantine that has taken over the entire world has blindsided us all.  Our typical way of life has stopped suddenly without warning and we weren't truly given a chance to plan or prepare.  It is as if a large machine was operating with no interruptions, some slight upgrades but work continued to get done.  Then in March, depending on the day, life ceased; schools were closed, jobs were closed, people were laid off, hospitals were beyond packed, countrywide travel was frowned upon, sports and concerts became a thing of the past and all this happened within the blink of an eye.

In our quarantine, without much to distract us from the reality and severity of the situation, the news and reports about what was really going on in the world forced us to pay attention.  Seeing how this virus has ravaged the entire world, people formed their own opinions of what has been going on.  Feelings range from we all need to be inside until there is a vaccine to going outside and living everyday life is fine as long as you are safe to this virus doesn't even exist at all. 

There are two main topics that always stoak the fire inside of us and those are politics and religion (don't worry, those will not be discussed here).  How to live during this pandemic has become a hot button topic in of itself over the last couple of months.  There are some that, based off the information they have received, believe that everyone needs to be locked inside all day, every day and only leave the house for essential things.  There are those that, based off the information they have received, believe that it's okay to go outside and live your life within the city and safety guidelines.  There are those that, based off the information they have received, believe that they contract the virus in any way that death is imminent.  There are those that, based off the information they have received, don't fear this virus at all because they have seen how many people have recovered from it.

Information about this pandemic, quarantine, the number of positive cases and deaths have come fast and furious from any and every news outlet.  People are well informed about all this from so many different types of perspective, it's truly hard to know who knows what anymore.  What is really setting off the emotions is social media where all of us can let our thoughts about all this be known unabashedly.   People feel much more encouraged to let their opinions fly behind a keyboard than they would if they were talking in person.  Before social media, a topic as heavy as this would be water cooler talk or something you would discuss with your family and close friends.  

But what is really important that is that we all agree to disagree when it comes views on how we should live during this pandemic.  The people that feel that this virus is an immediate death sentence if had, let them be.  The people that feel that they can't leave their house without a mask or else they will get sick, let them be.  The people that feel that it is possible to still be be outside and live while adhering to safety precautions and being safe and mindful, let them be.  As long as anyone's actions during this time does not cause harm to anyone else, let them be. 

This is a scary time for all of us because this is uncharted territory.  Having our normal, everyday way of life stopped abruptly with no say is difficult for all of us and there's no wrong or right way to react to this.  So if you find yourself debating with someone over how they are dealing with this pandemic and it's something you don't agree with, it is okay to disagree silently, hear them out and just say, "I hear where you're coming from."  It should not be about proving someone wrong so that they see your point of view, it should be about understanding each other better and maybe we see something in a different light.  That is a great way to build community as we continue to work to getting back to some sense of normalcy. 

photos courtesy of beehivestartups.com & billprickett.com