Over the last several months, our way of life has changed drastically. What were once common activities we took for granted are now scarce and vastly different tasks. I, like many of you, am frustrated. We have been challenged in many ways recently, but I am hopeful our community, state and country can still come together during these trying times.
Since the start of the pandemic, I have had many conference calls with my fellow legislators, the governor and the vice president. In March, many decisions had to be made with little knowledge of what we were dealing with, but as time went on and we learned more about this virus, we have been able to make better-informed decisions.
There are complaints we are not doing enough or we are doing too much. One thing is for certain, this disease is real and we must deal with it. We had to shut down business and travel for a period of time, but this is going on longer than expected. The government must step in to support those in need.
Both parties in Washington, D.C. need to put aside their special projects and do what is right for Americans. Unfortunately, instead of providing relief to those struggling, both sides of the aisle are working for their party. They have lost sight of their objective. When they play these games, they cheat the American people. This is wrong. I hope Congress will follow Indiana’s example, where we work together to do what is right for Hoosiers.
While we navigate this pandemic, we should not lose sight of what makes our country so great: religious freedom and separation of church and state. Like so many, my faith is incredibly important to me, and it frustrates me to hear COVID-19 being used as a reason to arrest those practicing their faith. I’ve read stories of pastors holding small services in their private residence being arrested. To me, this is wrong and a clear violation of religious freedom.
My wife and I have been praying for every individual infected and impacted by COVID-19. We’ve seen recently how quickly this virus can spread, and I pray we find a way to stop it in its tracks.
Outside the pandemic, I am very concerned about the violence occurring in communities across our country. Many are upset about some of the actions some police officers have taken, and I respect and agree with them. Every profession has good and bad actors. There are good politicians, good doctors, good teachers, good mechanics and more. But on the flipside, there are bad politicians, bad doctors, bad teachers, bad mechanics and more. While there are bad police officers, I believe most are good, honest people trying to keep us safe. To attack them the way we have seen is creating more chaos.
It’s a known fact there are organizations like ANTIFA with very wealthy people financing destruction across the country. The end result is damaging to our communities. Law enforcement officers are afraid to do their jobs, and they enter situations fearful of being treated unfairly for no other reason than the uniform they wear. There are changes needed, but we cannot begin to move forward without giving each side an opportunity to be heard and respected.
I’m a true believer the United States was founded on the principles of right and wrong. Everyone should be treated this same no matter their race, their religion or their political viewpoints. For the future of our country, I hope we can all put our differences aside and work to find common ground.
