Utah Gives Business, a Get Out of Jail Free Card

Utah Gives Business, a Get Out of Jail Free Card

I’ve got it.

It is vitally important for the country to get back to the business of doing business.

We must get the economic wheels turning, we must stoke the flames of capitalism, we must put people back to work.

But, not until we are ready.

There is still too much we don’t know about COVID-19 and how it spreads; too much that we don’t know about lingering effects; too much we don’t know about the possibility of other strains mutating out of this wretched disease that even the most positive soothsayers are telling us will remain a part of our lives for a year or more.

That’s why it seems to me that we are making a huge mistake by reopening the economy and, as part of that, granting immunity for what could be many new cases and deaths from COVID-19.

I mean, whether you are 16 or 60, is it worth gambling your life on unproven science and a handful of dreams?

And, what about the folks who are rushed back into the daily grind?

What happens if, as Grandma would say, should, God forbid, they get COVID-19 from their co-workers?

Utah is one of 15 states that has made it clear that successful business supersedes life by enacting a law that would protect businesses from litigation resulting from an individual contracting coronavirus on their property.

Let’s say it all together: “Class action lawsuit.”

The law makes businesses “immune from civil liability for damages or an injury resulting from exposure of an individual to COVID-19 that happens at their premises.” The law, it must be noted, does not protect businesses if they display “willful misconduct, reckless infliction of harm, or intentional inflictions of harm.” So, in other words, put a bottle of hand sanitizer at the door and you’re probably good to go.

Except, you probably are not.

Can you tell me of many businesses that would allow the six feet of social distancing we are still supposed to keep? Will those businesses undergo thorough cleansing at the conclusion of each workday by professional crews with expertise in eradicating germy death cocktails? Will those businesses monitor employees by checking their temperatures on a daily basis or having them take, at minimum, weekly tests to check for who may or may not have the virus? Will others, doing business at these places, come from medically safe offices, factories, or shops?

I am going to guess the answer is a resounding no.

I admit that I am very lucky. I write from home. I haven’t seen the inside of an office in nearly a decade, so this is pretty much academic for me.

Except, I do have children in the daily workplace.

I do have grandchildren who are of school age.

I do have family and friends who must go out into that world whenever the wheels start moving again.

So, yeah, I do have a dog in this fight. We all do.

I worked in the corporate world, I know that every corner that can be cut will be cut, every loophole that can be found will be used, just to get those profits back to investors in double time.

I have also been a student of politics long enough to realize that the first one back, the first one making money again, will have a dominant position among the world players, a position, even though probably only temporary, of dominance. And, we know that the United States has been on this faux nationalism kick for a couple of years now, spurred on by a failed reality television host whose fame and riches are from the accident of birth rather than good, sound, fair business practices.

It all goes back to the numbers game.

We went into this pandemic with an economy propped up by false supports. Even the most ardent supporters were wary, late last fall, about the economy, which was not, despite the false claims to the contrary, built on a solid foundation and was teetering on the verge of collapse.

One of the basics of a good economic foundation is to have stability in the workforce. That means not only having a well-educated population of workers but a healthy one.

We have seen how COVID-19 has decimated meat processing plants because of the close proximity in which the employees work. What about manufacturing, where factory workers are shoulder to shoulder? What can we expect?

This misery began with an isolated case on the West Coast.

Then, apparently, another that landed in New York City.

How did it spread from one coast to another so rapidly?

Because it is a highly contagious disease that hides until it develops, meanwhile contaminating countless others.

And, now, because we want to get the wheels of the economy churning again, we are willing to sacrifice how many lives?

Not only that, we are also offering a get out of jail free card to businesses that place revenue above common sense by telling the workforce that they have no recourse should they get infected at their jobs.

As I said, I’m lucky. I don’t punch a clock anymore and do not have to deal with it. But my concerns are much broader than any selfish notion that it does not matter because it won’t impact me personally.

I care about you, and you, and you, and that guy over there. I don’t want to see you ill or suffering. I don’t want you to have to make the decision between life and livelihood.

The stakes are high, perhaps higher than at any other time of our lives.

And, I don’t want to see lives put in jeopardy just so some fat cat can get fatter.

Life is too fleeting, too fragile to allow for that sort of thing.

Right now all that matters is that we get through this as quickly as possible, that we remain vigilant in protecting ourselves and others because we are all in this together, like it or not, whether we wear a MAGA hat or Biden for President button.