We are less than a week from a partial opening of some businesses here in New Jersey. As of next Monday, June 15, restaurants will be able to offer limited outdoor dining to their customers.

Many in the restaurant and hospitality business pleaded with the governor to make it this Friday the 12th, in order to salvage a very important summer weekend of business, especially at the Shore.

Many restaurants can't offer outdoor dining and some are scrambling at great expense to try and do so. This make no sense, and the continued shutdown hasn't made sense for a long while now. But the government and "experts" have sufficiently scared enough people into believing their power grabbing, un-American orders to stay put.

Many people were afraid that this new coronavirus was more lethal and threatening than anything we had seen in modern times. Well, it turned out not to be, for most. Of course, it goes without saying that for the people who lost loved ones, it was tragic. But the prolonged shutdown was an unmitigated disaster, economically, socially and medically, as millions went without work, and needed socialization and medical care.

For the record, my mother contracted the virus in a nursing home, which was operating under the directives from the state, and recovered quickly. Then, the isolation and confinement started taking its toll. We were lucky. We got her out before she cracked. So many others continue to languish in lonely isolation as we speak. It's time to end this and let us take care of ourselves and our families as we see fit. The hospitals were not overwhelmed as they feared. The curve was flattened, probably by nature, not government. Let our people go, Pharaoh Murphy!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis' own.

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