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By PAUL DeMARCO | Guest Columnist

Note: This is an opinion column.

In just mere weeks the pandemic has changed every American’s life. From students unable to complete kindergarten to elderly unable to visit with family, each of us has seen our lives changed in various ways.

As we focus each day on protecting our families from the virus, we also have seen an outpouring of the American spirit as neighbors take care of each other.

Yet, it has also laid bare the side of politics which is intertwined with public policy.

We saw this last week as Alabama state leaders have openly and strongly disagreed on how to address this public health crisis.

While Governor Kay Ivey approach has been to move more slowly to restrict activities in the state, others leaders have pushed for the Governor to be more expeditious in her actions to contain the spread of the virus.

Some local governments have tightened even more restrictions on which businesses can stay open and which outdoor activities citizens can participate. We have seen even more partisan divide at the federal level in response to the pandemic.

The public will have plenty of time to look back at who was right and who was wrong when reacting to the health crisis.

But for now just as Alabama has survived past hurricanes and tornadoes that have devastated our communities, we should all focus together on moving our state successfully towards the future. History will and should reward those who chose life and helped to protect the lives of their fellow Alabamians.

The health and safety of all Alabamians, young and old, must be the first priority of state leaders. Together they can lead us through this time.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives.