Opinion: We should forgive Murphy but not forget what he’s done

The social, emotional and economic impact of Gov. Phil Murphy's executive orders shutting down and limiting businesses in this state has been devastating. Forgiveness is healthy for the soul when it comes to moving forward in our lives.

Murphy made a fatal mistake by forcing seniors and others living in long-term care facilities back into those places early on in the novel coronavirus pandemic. He thought he was doing it for the greater good, by not overwhelming our medical facilities and hospitals at a time when very little was known about the novel coronavirus. He may have relied on other "progressive" governors in the region who did the same thing, like New York and Pennsylvania. That's where part of the problem lies. People like Murphy live in their progressive bubble and rarely socialize, listen to, or respect anyone with a point of view different point of view.

Their goal is not to uphold the Constitution, but rather to gain as much power and influence as they can. We can assume that he was honestly trying to preserve life with the information that he had at the time, but now seven months later, it's all about his image and power. We continue to hold the top spot as the state with the highest death rate. He's holding onto any measure possible to keep the numbers from growing and to hopefully drop in the rankings of deadliest COVID-19 state.

We can forgive him for his human errors and faults, but we cannot forget what his mistakes have done to this state's economy and the lives of so many trying to make a living here. While this year's elections are critical for our country, next year's gubernatorial election is even more important for those of us who want to continue to live here. Forgive, if you will, but never forget!