I’m a small business owner. Please try to see virus restrictions from my perspective.

Protesters’ view

Some people think the protesters are out of line. But what would you do if you had to close your business while you see hundreds of people going to home improvement stores, grocery stores, post offices, and ABC stores?

What would you do when employees cry as you lay them off because the banks are out of Paycheck Protection Program money and you didn’t get a stimulus check?

What would you do when you can’t even put in an unemployment claim because the system is overwhelmed? What would you do when you are facing bankruptcy and possible foreclosure?

So please look at things from a different perspective. If North Carolina is allowed to reopen, I will consider your perspective as I social distance employees and customers. I’ll take temperatures. I’ll clean nightly, and I will go into quarantine if I test positive. It is true, we are all in this together.

Cindy Baldwin, Raleigh

How an RN sees it

I’ve been in health care since 2011. As a registered nurse, I’ve watched people die with no one but nurses by their side. I’ve zipped dozens of body bags. Those deaths live with me but don’t break me.

To those of you shouting for massive re-openings of society, who question the legality of shutdowns, and who really need a haircut - I hear you. Everyone in health care hears you.

For once, the health care industry is being bluntly transparent - we can’t handle a massive surge of extremely sick patients. At best, we want the people we care for to return to their families and live long and healthy lives. At minimum, we want them to have a pain-free death with loved ones by their side. It breaks us when we can’t give our patients enough.

Please consider how broken we will collectively be if a large group of people all become gravely ill and we can’t save every one. Imagine that we are so overrun we can’t treat your pain quickly or we have to prioritize the life of another over keeping you comfortable in your moments of suffering. Please help keep us from breaking.

Laura Shaw, Thomasville

Putting lives at risk

I cannot believe that a small group of people thought putting the health and lives of Wake County residents and first responders at risk made any kind of sense. Their actions fly in the face of public health, science, medicine and common sense. The common enemy around which we should all be uniting is an invisible one. Our only defense against it right now is staying at home. The Nguni Bantu concept of Ubuntu means, “I am because we are.” Who takes care of us? We take care of us. Who keeps us safe? We keep each other safe. Stay home.

Lynne Walter, Raleigh

Greenway cyclists

As a result of the virus, many more people are on the Raleigh greenways. Many of the cyclists have become a danger to themselves and others.

The greenways have a 10 mph speed limit and common courtesy says cyclists should warn those they pass, well in advance. Many people are listening to music so warnings should be clearly audible. And, many seniors are hard of hearing.

Over the past two weeks, 75-90% of the cyclists passing me gave no warning. While most keep to a reasonable speed, a number seem to think there is no limit. I see three or four a day who seem to believe they’re on a racetrack.

Chuck Fyfe, Raleigh

NC legislature

For years, state agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Environmental Quality have been grossly underfunded by our state legislature. COVID-19 is a perfect example of why they need proper funding - from providing testing to quicker crisis response. Crises like this can happen at any moment; we must be proactive. We cannot continue the pattern of cutting funding to health and environmental agencies. I ask the Cooper administration and all N.C. legislators to prioritize state agency funding. Without these agencies, all our lives are at risk. Here’s to health and protection for us all.

Lubana Lanewala, Raleigh

Cancer patients

As N.C.’s lead ambassador for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, I want to thank the N.C. General Assembly for its leadership in implementing the COVID-19 Health Care Working Group within the House Select Committee. We recently submitted a list of evidence-based policy recommendations to the committee to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect access to health care for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and their families. They include expanding eligibility for Medicaid, passing N.C. Oral Chemotherapy Fairness legislation, ensuring access to essential medications and medical products, and protecting patients from surprise medical bills. I urge members of the working group to adopt our recommendations. Please help us ensure these protections are added to the committee’s final report.

John Tramontin, Cary