I was disappointed to read the Aug. 5th story in which the local Enumclaw Chamber representative urged businesses to break the law. This idea would allow a few businesses to make some quick cash to, “stay alive” by violating orders that have been put in place to protect us from being statistics in a pandemic to which we have lost over 172,000 Americans, but it would also kill our senior citizens and our local economy.

My wife and I own three businesses in Enumclaw. We have been willing to do our part and comply with the orders to keep our community and our senior citizens safe. It has not been easy, and we lost a lot of money during the shutdown, but as Americans, we are all in this together, and each of us needs to do our part. That is what patriotic Americans have always done when faced by a national crisis or tough times.

Following the rules and guidelines is the only way to keep the virus in check until there is a vaccine. Failing to abide by the rules will kill our seniors and local businesses. I have always shopped locally but will never again shop at any business who violates these rules. It is us year-round local shoppers who will be the ones that make the difference in the long run. Tourism season will be over soon. There are many in our community who are making a list of responsible businesses to support as we get through this together. Those who fail to understand this are making an error. Any business willing to kill our seniors just to make some quick cash should re-think their strategy, and their place in our community.

In our businesses, we would not take the life of a single senior citizen in Enumclaw to make any amount of money. If you are thinking of following the directives of the local Chamber representative and kill our senior citizens just to make a quick buck, please, first go to the obituaries and take a look at the faces, lives and families of those who are dying daily from this pandemic. Taking money in violation of the rules is blood money, paid for by the lives of our most vulnerable senior citizens, and it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Don’t do it.

Help our local community and businesses by diligently wearing a mask and following all precautions to keep our community safe. Most of us will get through this, but not all. Better times are ahead, as long as we do not trade our morality and humanity for short term profits. When this passes, make sure that you can still look yourself in the mirror and not see just the faces of those senior citizens you will have a hand in killing if you do not follow the rules, and I will leave you with this, “For what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, but lose his soul?”

Chris Hurst

Enumclaw