Kay Hively: To reopen or not

To reopen or not? That has been the big question for the last few weeks.

The “open” crowd believed that most people want to get out of their shelters and get to work or school. Many of those had closed their businesses or thought the overall economy needed to be geared up, lest it never comes back.

The “no open” crowd pointed to predictions of a rise in the cases of the virus, saying it would explode as restaurants, factories, schools, and other busy places opened their doors. They spoke for the health and safety of the public.

We probably will never know the real answer to that problem. No matter what, there will always be different conclusions. Who will win the argument?

Those who scream the loudest and have the most media coverage will probably be called the winner.

As I was thinking about this, my thoughts turned to Harry Truman’s decision about dropping the atomic bomb in 1945.

Many claim that dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan actually saved lives. Though many died when the bombs fell, (estimated at about 250,000) but some pointed out that dropping the bombs quickly put an end to the war and saved many more lives. The real question is, had the war continued for several months or a year, would more have been killed in prolonged fighting in the Pacific. At the time, the fighting there was a naval battle on the seas and on the many small islands as the Allied Forces worked its way to take Japan.

Would there be more deaths if the fighting on the beaches continued?

I believer everyone agrees that the bomb saved many American lives because our armed forces did not have to fight longer on the beaches to try and take Japan.

That was probably one of the factors that President Truman had to consider.

Does opening up our economy cause a spike in virus cases, and sadly, more deaths? On the other hand, would remaining in shelter just prolong the problem.Would more people die sooner if we open up or would more die in a prolonged wait? Actually the thought of any one’s death is hard to accept so we must pray for researchers who are working to create a medicine to treat the disease or hopefully a vaccine. Let’s pray something comes soon.

Questions like these weigh heavy on our leaders at the local, state and national levels. I do not envy them. They must not only manage this great problem, but they must keep their hands on the throttle of all the other issues that come across their desks.

Many times, decision makers are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

I just hope the decisions they make are what they truly believe are the right ones. Sometimes decision fly back in your face, and sometimes what may seem to be a questionable decision become a winner.

Just between you and me, I believe only time will answer most of our questions.

(Kay Hively is a historian, author, and former reporter, editor and columnist for the Neosho Daily News and Neosho Post.)