We face arrest if we go to the wrong place, do the wrong thing or talk to the wrong people. 

We are unable to buy liquid soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper or paper towels whenever we want. 

We can’t visit our elderly parents in the nursing home. 

If our spouse goes into the hospital, we are not allowed to be there with him or her. 

We have to call ahead to businesses to make sure they are open, ask if we are allowed in the store and have to figure out what we need to buy over the phone without having a list of what they sell. 

We can’t go to churches or synagogues to worship. 

We aren’t being educated by schools because they are too incompetent to come up with a plan to teach students remotely. 

We can’t fish, boat, dine out, get our glasses fixed, fix our hearing aids, get the surgery we need, or get our hair cut. 

We are not always allowed to buy guns and ammo to protect our family. 

We can’t get in airplanes to visit family or go on vacations. 

We can’t attend funerals, weddings, proms, graduations, anniversary or retirement parties. 

We can’t go to AA meetings to maintain our sobriety. 

The government is deciding what products we are allowed to buy. 

We can’t celebrate holidays with family and friends. 

Our pets can’t get some of veterinarian services they need. 

We can’t play or watch sports with others. 

We can’t volunteer at the animal shelter, homeless shelter or anywhere else. 

We can’t continue to plan our future because we don’t know what the government will allow us to do, if we’ll have a job or if our hometown businesses will survive. 

Construction is not being done. 

We can’t protest out government in person. 

We are being tracked and monitored by the government and private businesses. 

We can’t go to our own property in another part of the state. 

The government and the media has turned everyone and everything into an enemy, proclaiming them possible carriers of the virus. Your neighbor, the gas pump, the cardboard box of your cereal, the beach, the fast food bag… 

Are we really living in America right now? 

And what are we willing to continue to accept? 

We are not able to live our normal life. We are grieving the life that most of us have lived since birth. Yes, we’d had adversities and horrors like Pearl Harbor and September 11th, but most of the time we’ve still had our freedoms. We have never felt like we live in a communist country. Until now. 

Ben Franklin’s quote, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety” has taken on a new meaning in the era of COVID-19. However, no safety is guaranteed in this situation, temporary or otherwise. It’s just a promise of safety from ignorant and inept fearmongers in the government. 

They drag it out in increments so it doesn’t sound so oppressive. Two more weeks…two more weeks…one more month… 

We are living in “what if” world with politicians peddling fear. Our every day actions are are currently being dictated by the government so no, we don’t currently “live” in America.