ARGUMENT: Injurious lockdownsThe Closing of Book Revue and America's Misguided Lockdowns

Published 12 September 2021

Book Revue, a 20-yer old cultural and social institution in downtown Huntington on Long Island’s north shore, will be closing its doors in a few days. It is yet another victim of the policy if business lockdowns, which was a misguided and unnecessary response to the Covid. Other countries chose a different, and more effective, path.

A north shore institution, Book Revue, will be closing in a few days, leaving a jagged hole - both physical and spiritual - in downtown Huntington and the whole north shore community.

The closing of one local business should not mean so much - but it does - and it was so unnecessary.

Book Revue was opened in 1977 by two local brothers, to buy and sell quality new and used books.  The store expanded 20 years ago to include a cafe, and to host authors for book readings and book signings.

And they came:  Presidents, House Speakers, movie stars, scientists, business leaders, poets, dreamers, and some local talent not ready for prime time.  All had a stage and an outlet. Liberals, conservatives - and the truly apolitical. And we were all much the better for it.  Where else could you bring your kids to meet Bill Clinton, then Newt Gingrich a few months later, and then Charlton Heston a few months after that ?  And sit and listen to them discuss their experiences and ideas.

But like 25% of all small businesses in America, Book Revue was destroyed by the erratic Covid lock-downs, imposed by an overly-politicized and utterly mediocre (or worse) set of governments in America.

It didn’t have to be that way:  When Covid struck in March, 2020, some countries like America took the highly-destructive “lockdown” model - shutting business; shutting schools; declaring “non-essential” shops must be closed (and the definition of “essential” was so often tied to the size of one’s political contributions).

Other countries - like Sweden - took the opposite approach.  A “no lock-downs” model, with a focus on healthy living, and protecting the elderly and immuno-compromised.  Eat healthy.  Take your vitamins.  Exercise. No business lock-downs. Breathe. No mandatory masking.

After 18 months, the results could not be more clear:  Sweden lost 14,000 dead to Covid; America lost 650,000 dead.  Accounting for the population difference, Sweden only had 2/3 as many deaths as America per capita.  America had 50% more deaths - and destroyed 25% of our small businesses.

What a disgrace. What an indictment of America’s incompetent politicians. And what a waste.

This Editorial is published courtesy of the North Shore Leader.