Our Congressman Jim Jordan said on Fox TV this Sunday morning that his and President Trump’s most important and urgent goal is to open up everything instantly — all schools, jobs, entertainment, etc. — never mind the virus.

Jordan and Trump’s policy would result in the deaths of millions, mostly senior citizens and people who suffer from illness. In the end, their policy would devastate our economy. Biden and Harris’ approach is more moderate by comparison; they strive to keep people safe, but they do not want to shut down everything.

Republicans must join Democrats in unanimously favoring a national policy of all Americans wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands. There can be no ‘ifs, ands, or buts’ about this policy. No matter who wins in November, the virus won’t automatically go away. Yet Trump is unashamedly defiant of this policy, as evidenced by him rarely wearing a mask, mocking those who do, repudiating Dr. Fauci and other outstanding scientists, and especially delighting in holding those superspreader campaign events.

Both parties need to agree on a plan of moderation between entirely opening up — the Republican policy — and that of the Democrats, with the goal being to do what is required to solve the problem as soon as possible. The federal government must provide sufficient funds for our nation to get us through this challenge.

To find out what degree of opening up and shutting down is required to end the crisis, and what the cost is in terms of trillions of dollars, many millions of lives lost, etc., are extremely daunting challenges — but not impossible. A blue-ribbon committee of experts in science, economics, etc., armed with state-of-the-art computers, could eventually present some choices to Americans. However high the financial costs are, if any country can recover, America can. What can never be recovered are the lives lost to the virus.

Jordan and Trump may not want to see millions more die, but they do not make any effort to demonstrate much concern about the impending deaths. The Biden-Harris ticket is superior to the Trump-Pence ticket as far as uniting our country and making the compromises needed to get us all across the finish line. No matter the length of the voting lines, we have to stand in them to vote for a more rational approach to the virus than letting millions perish, particularly people over 60.