Should North Dakota Small Businesses Take Legal Action For Pandemic Executive Orders?

While North Dakota has not been impacted by the pandemic-related shutdowns/ lockdowns to the extent that other states (and countries) have experienced, people are suffering financially because of COVID-19 mandates. One small town North Dakota bar owner wants to take on the decision makers who are forcing him (and others) out of their livelihoods.

According to KFYR-TV, David Corum, who runs Gunslinger Bar & Grill in Willow City, is raising money to file a federal rights complaint. Corum's establishment was cited five times since Governor Burgum's executive order from March 19, 2020 was enacted. Get the full story from KFYR-TV here.

I am empathetic to those whose lives have been impacted by Coronavirus, but the fact that the government has been forcing the masses into destitution for nearly a year should cause outrage. I have not heard of any mass shutdowns of "Big Box" establishments - in fact, they're making money hand-over-fist... eh-hm Jeff Bezos (Amazon). But I have seen mass permanent shutdowns of local businesses.

Small business people, like David Corum, and their employees should have benefitted enough from the pandemic PPP loans that they would not have to shut down permanently. But a one-time puny check will only take a business (or individual) so far. According to The Dickinson Press, $1.7 billion was given to nearly 20,000 North Dakota small businesses. While some businesses received anywhere from $350,000 to $5 million in aid, 17,500 businesses only got about $150,000 each. Get the full story from The Dickinson Press here.

It is mind-blowing to think that some are complacent with the fact that people have been stripped of their rights to legally earn money, in order to "fight" a virus. But I, like most people, am not in the financial position to sit at home and lose money "for the cause." And the government is clearly not here to help those who are financially crippled by the pandemic-related executive orders. What is more devastating - potential death by virus or certain death by economic wipeout?