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Months ago this was America! Since than we have been brought to our knees by an unseen enemy, stripped of our civil liberties by power-hungry governors, forced to “shelter in place” in a state of paranoia.

The COVID-19 virus originated in China and spread around the world like a fire storm. By March 16, government medical prognosticators were estimating that the death toll in this country could reach 2.2 million. These figures were grotesquely inflated, but the bureaucrats did not care. They were on a power trip!

At 82, I am a prime candidate for contracting this disease, which focuses on the elderly and those with diminished immune systems. I am careful, but see no reason to shut the entire economy down and destroy the livelihood of millions of small businesses, putting tens of millions of employees out of work just to protect this old man. It is my personal responsibility, not the government’s, to limit my exposure.

If you are over the age of 70, obese, have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, COPD or a compromised immune system, you should take precautions.

Currently 20 to 50% of those testing positive for COVID-19 have no symptoms; therefore, it’s impossible to fully protect the vulnerable.

Let’s look at some pandemics from historical context.

Polio: 1940s to 1960s; in 1952 alone, over 60,000 children were infected, over 3,000 died and thousands more were crippled. I remember the terror, beaches were closed and large gatherings discouraged.

Asian flu: 1956 to 1958; death toll worldwide was over two million, 70,000 in this country.

HIV/AIDS: 1981 and on; 36 million have died worldwide and 700,000 in this country.

Seasonal flu: 2018 to 2019. Over 42 million sick and over 61,200 deaths. That was last year. Was there widespread hysteria? No! Were businesses forced to close? No!

America did not panic, and there were few if any state-mandated quarantines during these pandemics.

It is time for America’s business owners to fight back against a growing tyrannical government that is destroying their livelihood, life savings and lifestyle. It is time for a revolution! It is time to begin fighting in the courts! Hospitals were included as elective surgeries were banned and hospitals are hemorrhaging cash. Is government takeover of medical facilities next?

Let’s defend our civil liberties and property rights. It is time to make tyrannical governors understand America is not a dictatorship. We’re not their serfs and want no part of socialism. Could this disaster be politically motivated?

I am impressed with how smart COVID-19 is. It appears to be the smartest virus of all time. Apparently, it doesn’t infect us at Costco, Walmart, liquor stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, hardware stores or any big business deemed “essential” by government. But it will infect us at hair salons, nail salons, restaurants, bars, clothing stores and any small independent business deemed “nonessential” by government.

Is this virus that smart, or are we that dumb?

Don Sorensen

Albert Lea