No one knows for sure exactly how it will play out, but I have a feeling the Spring of 2020 is a society-altering, historic period in global history.

You may notice this edition of the Pulse does not contain many local concerts or events, generally a big part of our publication and mission. Tennessee’s governor, as many other government officials have done, has issued an executive order banning public gatherings of 10 or more people in response to a new virus going around. You may not have heard of the COVID-19, since it hasn’t received very much media coverage yet (ha-ha) . . . but it has succeeded in quickly impacting the world like very few little microscopic things have in quite some time.

Here in Murfreesboro many of the local businesses are doing what they can to survive in the disruption to commerce during the great American pandemic scare and to keep the local economy moving.

I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed, there ain’t nothing in this world for free.

Maybe the worst-case scenarios are true. The virus rapidly spreads to all parts of the globe. Some scientists predict COVID-19 has the potential to kill one to two percent of the world’s population. That’s a small percentage, and the human race will go on, but that’s still millions and millions of lost loved ones over the next few years. Every life matters.

But is a small percentage of lives worth shutting down the lives and livelihoods and freedoms of everyone? Do we destroy the world economy, local economy, life as we know it and American liberty over the possibility of saving the lives of the lowest percentage of the most immunity-compromised?

Yes, in reality, society indeed faces those very real and serious questions as we enter the roaring ’20s.

Maybe a medical team will develop a vaccine. Maybe it saves many lives. Maybe it becomes a part of the cocktail of dozens of other recommended vaccines and this COVID deal was just a little blip, a minor disruption of a few weeks. Maybe the new vaccine has a bunch of side effects that won’t be known for years . . . maybe not.

Maybe a charismatic world leader will emerge, a heroic and beloved figure, seeking to finally unite the people of the world under the banner of a single, global government.

“Microchip us and monitor our health and movement. Give us our food rations. Tell us when we can travel. Use our electronic screens to fill us with your propaganda,” the people will cry out.

Maybe this fizzles out in a couple of weeks on its own and the optimistic theory of herd immunity will come to pass.

There are a lot of maybes right now.

In the midst of all of these most serious matters that could affect the health and interaction of the human race for generations, the American people have spoken with clarity and a unified voice, and they have spoken: the single most important thing, if they are faced with a long-term period of isolation, is . . . toilet paper.

This trial run of doomsday has hit many very hard with the realization of how unprepared they are for anything resembling self-reliance. How many of us have no care or idea of where our food comes from, other than demanding that it be butchered and shrink-wrapped far, far away, loaded onto a truck and shipped to the local supermarket for convenient pickup at any hour of the day? What! The meat case is empty . . . now what?

The orders banning gatherings of 10 or more people, naturally, do not apply to Kroger, Walmart, Publix and Aldi, since, you know, we trust them with our lives and all.

Seriously, Pulse readers know how much this publication applauds and promotes the local entrepreneurs and the message of shopping local and supporting the small business owners in the community.

But this unprecedented period has caused many to gain a sincere appreciation for the big-box stores and the role they play in our community, as employers, as managers of resources within a complex global supply chain that reliably brings products that make modern life convenient and affordable.

Still, the small businesses that give our town personality require support to stay in operation. And many of these local shop owners are operating, chasing their dream, giving their customers personal and unique experiences and services, without the safety net of such things as a “salary” or the possibility of “unemployment” benefits.

What a time.

What have we always been told with a virus? Let it run its course . . . it will pass.

Fear not. Do not worry. Rejoice!

It’s going to take a lot more than this to throw me off of that philosophy.

Fear is the virus. Do not spread fear.

“Fear leads to suffering,” as Master Yoda put it.

Remember, up to this point this corona is killing far, far fewer people than cardiovascular diseases and heart problems. As of press time COVID-19 has killed approximately 35,000 worldwide. The fear, of course, is over what may only hypothetically happen. The World Health Organization says nearly 18 million people die of heart disease each year worldwide.

You can do things to strengthen your heart health. Statistically, you are far more likely to die of something cardiac-related.

Many Americans now have COVID-19 and do not even realize it. The fact that so many who carry the disease remain asymptomatic is one of the dangers of this virus, since they can spread it without knowing, infecting someone who could potentially develop more serious symptoms, or perhaps not survive the effects.

Still, the long-term damage done to the economy by quarantining and staying at home may be very detrimental to many businesses and households. President Trump takes an optimistic approach, maintaining that most of the country should soon return to work, church and school, and cautioning that the response should not be worse than the virus itself.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs seems to share the president’s sentiment that after a few weeks of madness, fear and panic, it’s about time to get back to work. He points out that more people in his county have died of suicide recently than those who have died from the new coronavirus.

“We have to determine how we can respond to COVID-19 in a way that keeps our economy intact, keeps people employed and empowers them with a feeling of hope and optimism—not desperation and despair,” Jacobs said.

There could be some very interesting court battles to come in response to the way other mayors and governors are overstepping their bounds with executive orders controlling travel, gatherings and commerce.

Some patriotic Constitutionalists maintain that the Constitution does not catch a virus, that Americans have a right to peaceably assemble even if a virus is going around.

Once a population loses rights, it can be quite difficult to regain them.

We don’t want the response to be worse than the virus.

I also believe that a free and independent press is going to be quite important over the coming years, as it always is.

Do not believe that you are always getting independent, unbiased, fair and balanced information in your social media feed. It’s becoming well known that Zuckerberg’s platform will put in front of its users the information that fits its agenda and will silence the voices of dissent.

Not to get too deep into conspiracy theories here, but I would recommend watching the Event 201 Pandemic Exercise segments, available on YouTube. These meetings are quite interesting considering the events that unfolded just months after that exercise, which touches on the idea of a centralized global group of elites attempting to exert some control over the flow of information, on social media, on television networks and on smaller-scale community levels during a pandemic. There are no coincidences.

The great Chuck Norris will fight hard for freedom.

“How long can we allow Americans, who are a freedom-loving people and patriots, to be under ‘lockdown’ in their own homes without working?” Norris wrote recently.

He predicts that if “shelter-in-place” orders extend for much longer, if law-abiding masses of U.S. citizens continue to be “placed into liberty-inhibiting shackles,” many will very soon rise up in rebellion against tyranny and elected leaders assuming a bit too much authority and control.

Stay healthy, stay fearless. If you don’t think you could survive this virus, by all means, isolate yourself.

Go along with the quarantining and social distancing for a little while if you feel so led, but I support and acknowledge Americans’ right to peaceably assemble if and when they choose to do so.