I’ve worked in downtown Salt Lake City for more than 45 years (until the pandemic hit). And my wife and I have loved living in the heart of downtown for many years. However, we’ve also loved living in rural Utah, in fact in one of the most remote and isolated corners of the state, in the far northwest part of Box Elder County.
I can attest that the tiny towns and small cities in rural Utah are nothing like Salt Lake City. That’s not to say one is better than the other. They are very different, but the differences are to be celebrated. Each has things that could be improved, but they each have far more things to love.
The diversity and differences are clear evidence that leaders from the president, to the state, and even to county levels have been wise in not imposing one-size-fits-all mandates with regard to COVID-19 – or for many other things, for that matter.
The situations are dramatically different, and what makes sense for the big city often doesn’t make sense for rural areas. In our downtown condo, our neighbors are literally through the wall. At Hawk Ridge Ranch, our nearest neighbor is a mile away.
I’m a big believer in following proper pandemic protocols, including wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing. When we’re in the city we wear masks everywhere and stay six feet apart from other people. We use hand sanitizer and wash hands frequently.
We also wear masks when we shop for groceries at Kent’s in Tremonton or when we go to the hardware store or lumber yard (after driving an hour from our farm). But few other people do. And I don’t criticize them for that. COVID-19 can certainly spread to rural communities, but infections have been very rare in our area.
It’s also a cultural thing. Mask mandates, business shutdowns and sports cancellations don’t go over well in rural Utah. Folks just don’t see the need. Voluntary suggestions are fine. But the use of government coercion in telling people how to live their lives would be met with resistance and would generally be ignored.
So calls for national or statewide mask mandates or forced business shutdowns just don’t make sense. Let local leaders in local jurisdictions do what fits their circumstances. Governance closest to home is still the best governance.
