It is now September 2020 and we are many months into Coronavirus.  As I survey the general populace, I witness individual responsibility as well as businesses taking many steps to protect the vulnerable and most at risk.

For instance, people are taking precautionary steps to wear masks and disinfect surfaces.  When you walk into a business-like Costco, there are shields between the staff and the shopper.  If hungry, you encounter the waiter, cashier and receptionist at restaurants taking many precautionary steps like wearing masks and thoroughly cleaning surfaces. 

Even though the CDC posted conclusions which are less alarming than originally feared (only 6% of the 180,000 deaths were specifically related to COVID), what I observe is the general society pitching in to get through this time.  This is encouraging and speaks highly of our people.  We took the high road and took responsibility. For this we can be proud.

However, it is alarming and a disgrace to think individuals or employers could be sued for “causing” someone to get the virus.  This is insanity.  It is a very fast spreading virus.  In our entire history as a country, there has never been a time where such public and private steps have been taken to guard against a virus spreading.  These steps came at a tremendous personal and business cost.   This was compassionate to suffer for other people’s good.  And yet many people took this path.  This is beautiful.

But a virus spreads even with extraordinary efforts to contain it.

After taking such painful steps to protect their staff, how can someone then turn around and sue their employer?  Are they suggesting the solution was for everyone to stay home in order to not be at risk at work?  If you follow this to the logical end, there would be no doctors and nurses to treat you.  There wouldn’t even be staff at the grocery store and the grocery store would close.   Would people prefer to not have a job, not have food, and not have an economy?

What does a commercial real estate expert know anyway?  What right do I have to speak on a medical issue such as this?   It is true, I’m not an infectious disease expert but I am willing to stop and ask questions, observe our culture, and take notice of the big picture.

This much I know, if the fear of Coronavirus became any more all-consuming, we would all be destitute without food, living in the Great Depression Two, and have much more horrifying problems than Coronavirus.

Perhaps 2020 is a wakeup call to modern 2020 western societies.  When we have such material abundance, perhaps we are more easily consumed by fear.  And fear was certainly abundant on this Coronavirus topic.  Simply look at the first year of the flu compared to year one of Coronavirus and an entirely different perspective will take root.

Acquisition Consultants aims to be more than just a real estate firm. We want to encourage thoughtful living and to impact the most vulnerable. We welcome conversations about this article and any other subject today. While we go about our commercial real estate work, we hope to engage in more than just real estate. We want to engage with society.

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