As a life-long Republican. I have voted along party lines for 40 years. I did not vote for Gov. Janet Mills; however, I support her prudent pace for re-opening the state’s economy. She wants to save lives first; protecting the economy second.

The question each of us needs to ask is: “How do I/we stay alive”? Not, “How do I keep my business open”?

Wearing a mask protects you a bit, but it protects the people near you more — the people in the grocery store or the pharmacy, the people in line at a take-out restaurant and the people you pass when walking. You may not care whether you get COVID-19, but it is not your right to give it to others. In fact, you are under a moral, if not a legal, obligation to do what you reasonably can to prevent spreading COVID-19 from yourself to others. After all, you could be an asymptomatic carrier.

I get it. Businesses/restaurants are going under. If you wait too long, you may not be able to open again. However, by opening too soon, your actions may inadvertently spread the virus to others and to my mother and my family and me. How will you feel if someone dies and the spread of the virus is traced back to you or your business that opened too soon?

I urge all business owners and individuals — follow the governor’s plan for re-opening. Practice safe distancing. Wear a mask. Save lives first.

David Allen, Auburn