Weekly Columns
While the coronavirus crisis has caused unthinkable disruptions and challenges nationwide, this is not the first time in history that Congress has navigated extraordinary circumstances and still preserved the longstanding traditions imagined by our Founding Fathers.
As the school year comes to a close and graduation season begins, I am thinking of the many high school and college seniors who will be celebrating their achievements differently than they expected. Although the coronavirus crisis has canceled and postponed many traditional commencement ceremonies, that should not lessen the sense of great pride and joy felt by this year’s graduates.
Oklahomans are no strangers to severe weather and the terrible destruction that can result from it. Our past experiences serve as a sobering reminder that we must be ready at a moment’s notice to face tornadoes and other unpredictable weather patterns. In Oklahoma, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” that time will come.
Due to its massive scale and severity, the COVID-19 pandemic is a natural disaster unlike any other our nation has encountered in modern history. While the unprecedented disruptions have been felt across the whole of society, small businesses have undoubtedly taken some of the hardest, fastest and most damaging economic hits.
It is an extraordinarily somber time for Oklahomans when we remember the despicable act of domestic terror that took place in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 – and doubly so this year as the anniversary of that day occurs amid a global pandemic.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of uncertainty, one thing is certain when it comes to Americans. We always come together in times of crisis. When faced with unimaginable difficulty and loss, you can count on Americans to step up and pitch in to help.
The natural disaster caused by COVID-19 is unlike any other our nation has encountered in modern history. Its impact is severely felt across the whole of society – causing an unprecedented strain on our public health defenders and medical providers as well as sharp economic losses and unexpected disruptions for Americans of all stripes.
Unlike the traditional enemies our nation has faced throughout history, COVID-19 is one that can dangerously hide in plain sight and threaten the health and wellbeing of any American community. Indeed, winning this war requires not only special weapons but our collective effort and commitment.