America has changed very quickly.
In only a matter of days, what was once a generally stable, prosperous, independent nation filled with everyday people just grinding it out on a daily basis to raise their family and have a little fun in the process has turned into something much different, writes LABI President Stephen Waguespack in a new opinion piece.
Everyday people like you and me are now known as “potential carriers” and are being told to stay home. Everyday people are now educating their own children at home and avoiding contact with their neighbors, families, and friends. They are no longer visiting local restaurants, retailers, offices, governments, churches, or entertainment venues by governmental request and/or mandate. This could go on for two weeks, two months or even longer, and we are all now trained to keep hitting refresh on Twitter to find out the new rules we’ll be living under for the moment … until they all change again in the next moment.
Will there be any small businesses left when this is done? I know it sounds alarmist, but the question is absolutely legitimate. Talk to any mom-and-pop restaurant or store owner and they will tell you we are in a crisis. The festivals and cultural events that drove their markets have been canceled.
It’s our turn to have our local businesses’ backs after they’ve had ours time and time again, Waguespack writes. Read his full column here.
