Coronavirus exposes intrinsic goods in America
My girlfriend and I have been giving social distancing – avoiding unnecessary contact with others – a try in an effort to do our part to contain the coronavirus.
So long as she doesn’t tire of me, we should be fine. But the more time we spend at home, the more we peruse different social media platforms, which during a pandemic can try anyone’s soul. Nevertheless, despite the doom and gloom, the coronavirus has actually exposed some intrinsic goods and advantages in society, which is cause for optimism.
Just before my better half and I began our self-imposed period of social distancing, we decided to stock up on a few last-minute items at the grocery store and deliver some food to loved ones as well – just in case. I had already been trying to avoid superfluous trips, which meant that I hadn’t been to a grocery store in a few days; I only knew what I had read on the internet.
As a result, my expectation of post-COVID-19 grocery stores was barren shelves, chaos, and surging prices. To my surprise, I found the opposite. The aisles were mostly filled with provisions – except meat and toilet paper were somewhat scarce. However, even in the face of the bizarre run on toilet paper, I’ve come to learn that it is being restocked regularly at least at my local grocery store, which is a true testament to American capitalism.
What’s more, there wasn’t even the slightest whiff of price gouging. Yes, I know that price gouging controls have already been enacted, but my grocery store actually had numerous sales, including buy-one-get-one-frees, which I gladly took advantage of. Beyond this, the grocery store employees were working and offering the same calm, exemplary customer service as always. If they believe that COVID-19 is as scary as social media presents it, then this shows great courage and selflessness on their part as they provide these vital services. I should mention that while I am not a medical professional, we should take the proper precautions, but I believe the widespread fears are greatly outpacing the virus’ actual risks.
And even though I grouse about people’s reactions on social media, there have been bright spots here too. I periodically see stories of individuals going above and beyond to ensure that the most at-risk Americans are well-provisioned with necessities. Meanwhile, others have put out calls on social media asking for the elderly and immunocompromised to contact them if they need anything from transportation to food delivery. Several charities for the underprivileged are still in full-force too.
From my vantage point, compassion, courage, and kindness are widespread, and while this goes a long way, we are also empowered to control our own destiny in many ways – thanks in part to American innovation and capitalism.
Until our state-of-the-art medical community gets ahead of the coronavirus, which they will, social distancing is one of the best tools to combat it. Because of American insistence on convenience and efficiency, which only capitalist competition can best provide, we have the ability to more easily eschew crowds. App-based services like Uber Eats, Grub Hub, Instacart, and even Amazon allow us to have food, toiletries, and sundry other necessities cheaply delivered straight to our doorstep in less than an hour in some cases. The emergence of telemedicine and pharmacy delivery permits us to avoid doctor’s offices and pharmacies for less than serious issues, and thanks to email, cell phones, and video conferencing, many of us can even work from home – helping to ensure that the economy will plow forward. Of course, not everyone has a job that can be done from home, but many of us do, which helps us withdraw temporarily.
Just because many Americans can retreat and essentially self-quarantine doesn’t mean that we should forget about others. Many of us know elderly and immunocompromised people. Perhaps, check in with them and see if they need anything, and don’t forget the industries that are taking a hit right now either. I presume brick and mortar retailers and restaurants are especially feeling the pressure. To help keep these merchants afloat, you can easily place an online order or buy a gift card to use when normalcy again reigns supreme. And it will return.
Until then, distancing yourself from crowds and exhibiting the same compassion and generosity that many have already been showing will go far.