My wife, son, and I went to Sweet Tomatoes every Friday night for years. They had great salad and soup bars, reasonably priced. We knew the employees at our local restaurant and they were always friendly and helpful. My son moved to Phoenix earlier this year and found a Sweet Tomatoes there, a link back to home (we live in Albuquerque). He received this announcement in an email today and was shocked and saddened to the point of tears. Now 97 restaurants are closed for good and 4400 employees are unemployed. Because of our fond memories, this one has a special poignancy.
My son said, “I don’t know a single person who’s gotten the coronavirus (he’s 23). But this is personal. Is this the ways things are going to be from now on? What’s the point of going on?”
I didn’t have a good answer.
For all those screeching about staying at home, social distancing, face masks, and the rest of the rigamarole, maybe give at least a thought or two towards those 4400 Sweet Tomatoes people (yes, they’re real humans, although maybe not part of your social milieu) who don’t have jobs, who now join 30+ million who also don’t have the jobs they had two months ago.
STRAIGHT LINE LOGIC 
We often ate at Sweet Tomatoes in Sarasota, Florida while visiting family. Few understand how this impacts families and communities, and Sweet Tomatoes is one of what will be thousands of other small businesses that will not be able to survive the insanity, fear and bad decisions propagated by governments We have survived all kinds of pandemics and tragedies in the past. The jury is still out as to how or if we will survive the mishandling of what should have been a bump in the road.
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Nancy, this is purposeful. The global elite are making their ultimate power grab. They will keep us locked down until there is no economy left to restart. The greatest depression will follow and the sheeple will be willing to accept whatever our overlords cook up in order to keep us “safe”… Chip
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Reblogged this on uwerolandgross.
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For what it’s worth, Bob,, tell your son I don’t know anyone with the virus either.
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I’ve met one person who had it, a business associate. He said it was rough. My heart goes out to all those who have had it, but it also goes out to the millions of unemployed.
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