Let’s concentrate on beating the virus without the vitriol

Serving as an elected leader in any level of government is never easy even in the best of times. It’s particularly tough during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those governing at the local level face some of the biggest challenges. They have to work within the dictates posed by higher levels of government while weighing competing voices within their own community.

The examples of our own counties come to mind.

In Montgomery County, Commissioners Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh provides thoughtful and science-inspired updates every day to the public, detailing not only the latest statistics on new cases of COVID-19 but also offering her perspective of medical expertise. Montgomery County is fortunate to have its own Department of Health and to have a knowledgable physician at the head of county government to lead during this pandemic.

Last week, the path of precautions, testing and following of the coronavirus took an unusual turn when Commissioner Ken Lawrence tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no symptoms. Immediately, the commissioners reacted appropriately as Lawrence went into isolation at his home and the briefings were changed to a virtual format.

The troubling aspect was the refusal of Commissioner Joe Gale to get tested, a public statement that defies the orderly approach of seeking and tracing cases. It sets a poor example in a county where others have worked hard to lessen community spread and flatten the curve.

In neighboring Berks County, the debate over reopening businesses has eclipsed the trends in cases and deaths. County commissioners have struggled to explain the meaning of their decision to pursue their own fact-finding mission on the risks and rewards of starting to reopen the county, even though Berks has yet to meet state benchmarks for doing so.

It’s becoming clear that they’re trying to hear out the people of their community, not thumbing their noses at the governor as it initially seemed.

The commissioners delivered an important message at their most recent Thursday meeting. They acknowledged that everyone is hurting right now but said it’s necessary to lower the temperature of the rhetoric surrounding the issue of reopening so there can be a reasoned discussion.

“There are two words that come to mind when I look back over the last two months: virus and vitriol,” Commissioner Kevin S. Barnhardt said. “I think we need to start caring about each other and just stop all the name-calling while we’re struggling to deal with this situation.”

Commissioners Chairman Christian Y. Leinbach said he appreciates the passion on both sides of the argument over whether the county should reopen for business. But he encouraged people to avoid hyperbole and make their points based on facts.

“Let’s start listening to each other instead of screaming past each other,” he said.

We could not agree more. There are no easy answers here as leaders try to get the economy moving without seriously worsening the public health crisis. No one should pretend otherwise.

Remember too that the lines aren’t as neatly drawn as many might believe. For example, some workers are demanding a reopening so they can start earning wages again. But there are others who worry about having to put themselves in harm’s way by returning to work prematurely.

By engaging in this discussion, Berks could serve as a role model for other places. The county is something of a microcosm of Pennsylvania — a mixture of urban, suburban and rural. It’s not dominated by one political party. The board of commissioners is a bipartisan body, and its members have been trying to act that way.

We applaud the county’s leaders for their efforts to hear from different segments of the community. It certainly won’t be easy, but if they can help develop any kind of consensus here, it would be an occasion well worth celebrating. That goes for Montgomery County as well where we urge all three commissioners to demonstrate the leadership of sound judgment.

In the meantime, we urge people with strong feelings on these issues to tone down their rhetoric and try listening to one another more.