For the Daily Mining Gazette Editorial Board, the last several days have been extremely difficult to navigate, both on the national stage and here in the Copper Country.

On the one hand, we understand that there are members of the community who want businesses to reopen fully and reopen now. On the other, we also understand that there are many such businesses who are working very hard to make the best of a bad situation. For instance, a number of restaurants are offering takeout as a solution to keep serving their customers as best they can.

While the Coronavirus pandemic has made mincemeat out of the finanes of individuals and business owners alike, attacking entities like the Western UP Health Department is not the answer. The Daily Mining Gazette does not endorse threats against the WUPHD or any other organization or company of any sort, verbal or written.

Verbal accosting of mask-wearers and business owners who have put in place mask mandates in their stores is not the solution. They do not deserve to be treated like lepers or pariahs either.

In the past 48 hours, the DMG has been approached by a number of individuals who were everything from angry to dismayed that their names were included in an ad that ran in our Saturday edition.

We humbly ask that, if you feel you have been wrongly associated with the individuals involved, you speak up. Now is the time to be heard.