COVID Culture—It’s Not the New Normal

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Robert Brescia
April 18, 2020 

Shortly after the COVID-19 coronavirus exploded on our national scene, many people tried to quickly learn how to do their jobs from home. For the most part, they referred to this new phenomenon as, “Working from home.” While this may be true, the onslaught of this sinister virus has caused a culture change in this country, extending well beyond the simple change of, “Doing one’s work from home.”

In the West Texas Permian Basin area, where we are blessed to live, professionals and families experienced a double-whammy—oil prices tanked (pun intended) at about the same time that the coronavirus was approaching its peak. Families are suffering as the breadwinners are losing their jobs and they are living in constant apprehension that the virus somehow made its way into their household.

There have been, however, positive episodes and anecdotes related to this stay-at-home lifestyle. These would include:

• Parents gaining an understanding and an appreciation of what schoolteachers go through in their classrooms every day prior to COVID Culture. Parents have shifted into the role of primary teachers—they are experiencing this in addition to everything else they must do during this crisis. They are meeting the challenge!
• School teachers have quickly learned new skills and techniques for teaching remotely. They’re discovering ways to teach that they might continue using post-COVID Culture.
• Civility and friendliness have taken a definite leap forward. I’ve observed many acts of kindness as people try and help one another through. For example, one city’s code enforcement cited a small closed business for some weeds out front of his store. Well, his store has been closed since April 2^nd by state mandate and there is no one there to do anything about some weeds. I noticed on social media that several people offered to go take care of the situation. Shame on city officials for letting this even become an issue.
• Small businesses in our area are producing masks and hand sanitizer liquid. No one told them to do this—they are doing it from a sense of civic pride and love for community. In many cases they are giving these products away, primarily to first responders in the hospitals and city employees such as the police and fire departments.

Now let’s discuss about this supposed new normal. The way we are conducting ourselves given the constraints of COVID Culture has been exemplary—we should continue these increased levels of civility and mutual support. Closing businesses by government mandate is not at all normal and should be eliminated as soon as possible. There are really two facets of COVID Culture, which include: 1) Government overreach into private companies, business and operations and, 2) Personal behaviors of citizens in an open and free society. The latter continues to be a bright light and a beacon for stellar Americanism while the former is abnormal and dangerous to true Americanism.

My own state of Texas is adopting a commonsense approach to return the state to full economic operation and restore well-being to families, schools, small businesses and organizations of all kinds. This may be the result of a task force designed to review risk-benefit ratios and factors regarding re-opening each part of our state’s economy. Positive messaging is essential to this approach and is becoming more prevalent statewide.

Closing small businesses by widespread mandate, either from a state or from the federal government, resembles actions taken under martial law conditions. If people line up and shop at large retail stores, they ought to be allowed to shop at smaller ones, taking the same precautions they would at the larger stores. Again, a measured and studied approach should be adopted as part of a state or preferably a local task force that can make such determinations.

Summary

I am raising my voice in opposition to those who are saying that our present situation is, “The new normal.” It’s anything but normal—it’s an aberration of the role of government. Private businesses are just that—private. To prescribe whether they are open or closed, or how they should operate, is just abnormal and flies in the face of freedom. COVID Culture will not last. With respect to our increased behaviors of civility, unity and mutual support, I sincerely hope they continue well past COVID Culture.

Poet Dylan Thomas penned his famous prose, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.” In like manner, we should not and cannot wither in the face of this virus. We must not accept what some are calling the new normal as how things will be now and in the future. There is a light at the end of this COVID-19 tunnel, and it is getting brighter all the time. Our nation has been through many other crises successfully. We will defeat this insidious enemy and restore our true American normal across the land—stay the course!

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Author: Dr. Robert Brescia is a senior executive with service to the nation in military, business, and education sectors. He respects the wisdom of generations and promotes the thrill of learning. Bob’s latest book is Destination Greatness – Creating a New Americanism. Bob has a doctoral degree with distinction in Executive Leadership from The George Washington University. Please contact him at [email protected].

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