The complete shutdown of the economy save for “essential businesses ” presumes that only those necessary to maintain the indispensable functional needs of society would be permitted to remain open. The reality is , essential businesses are whatever governments say they are.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ,During a recent television interview , was asked how he justified the shuttering of churches, yet permitted liquor stores to continue to operate as an essential business. Governor Murphy’s response was “ the closing of liquor stores would have unintended mental health and addiction crisis”. And when asked to reconcile the needs of alcoholics as superior to church parishioners Gov. Murphy brazenly stated in sum “ they’ll understand.”
Bottomline, the reason liquor stores remain open during the COVID -19 pandemic, and churches aren’t is simple- liquor stores generate tax revenue , churches don’t! When this pandemic is over , and it will be, more people will die from duplicitous coronavirus policies than from the actual disease.