Joyce Krawiec serves in the North Carolina Senate. She represents Davie County and Forsyth County, NC. Christian, wife, mother, small business owner, and conservative.
Do you ever remember a time like this? Reducing the spread of COVID-19 is the challenge of our lifetimes in North Carolina. Business has slowed to a crawl as restaurants and shops sit idle. Hospitals and medical facilities are overwhelmed by the prospect of too many new cases. We are living in a special moment in history. The people of North Carolina must put politics behind us and work to defeat this invisible enemy within our borders.
I know about the good and bad of politics because I have spent many years of my life involved in it. Before getting elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2014 I worked as a conservative activist and unpaid citizen lobbyist for causes that I support.
The double-edged sword of politics is that it is rooted in conflict. Coalitions form, shift, and compete with one-another based on the strengths of weaknesses of their ideas. Competition between ideas is a good thing when the best ideas float to the top. Democracy and freedom have endured for centuries. And for all the ire directed at talking heads and members of Congress, the system has self-corrected over time. We do not have many Loyalists to British monarchy or supporters of eugenics in America today. There is always some waxing and waning, but bad ideas almost always die in the face of competition.
But why should we forget politics for now? We are living in some of the most divisive political times in history. It is election season. And North Carolina is a swing state that could shift the balance of power in Washington.
The reason why we should forget politics is simple. Politics is not applicable in this situation because there is no “coalition” or “conflict” when it comes to COVID-19. The virus will harm or kill anyone that it encounters. It does not care if you are rich or poor, black or white, or a Republican or a Democrat. It will overwhelm any nation’s healthcare system with no regard for whether it has universal healthcare or private insurance. It also feeds on people’s livelihoods. Based on the calls that I am getting, COVID-19 seems to especially enjoy the taste of small businesses in North Carolina. The pandemic is eating small businesses alive.
One big ray of hope is our state’s flexibility and resilience. Liquor makers at Broad Branch Distillery in Winston-Salem are now using their skills to churn out and donate hand sanitizer. LabCorp in Burlington is making national news for its leadership in developing tools to test and kill the virus. Other professionals are rising to the challenge outside of the spotlight. Professors are quickly adapting their courses to teach online, and truck drivers are working extra shifts to distribute life-saving supplies across the nation. The bright side is that we are all in this together.
We must fight harder and sacrifice more over the coming weeks and months. Stay indoors and follow all guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Buy gift cards for your favorite local restaurants to support small businesses. And if you are a business, continue to pay your employees for as long as you possibly can. This too, shall pass, and North Carolina will be back stronger than ever before.
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Joyce Krawiec serves in the North Carolina Senate. She represents Davie County and Forsyth County, NC. Christian, wife, mother, small business owner, and conservative.