Best or Worst? | Crisis brings out both in our fellow citizens

There's an old saying that you find the best and the worst in people during times of adversity.

That's as true today as ever.

For example, some people view the COVID-19 outbreak as less a hardship and more of a business opportunity.

There have been reports of price gouging on items like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bottled water and other items in high demand during these trying times.

Probably the most famous case involved two Tennessee brothers who bought up thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and tried to sell them for inflated prices on Amazon. But then Amazon shut them down and they saw the dollars signs turn into red ink. Plus they were thoroughly shamed online and off. Eventually the state stepped in and their inventory was donated to charity.

Most of the gouging doesn't make the news, though. But officials such as Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge say anyone caught violating laws against the practice will be hauled into court.

And just recently this newspaper reported an email scam targeting the elderly and selling a $37 "course" on how to survive the coronavirus "apocalypse."

But there are also businesses that are going out of their way to help during the crisis. Some chain and local retailers, for example, attuned to the needs of the most vulnerable, are offering special shopping times for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. They can get their items without the crowding that could increase their risk. And hopefully they can find what they need without the hoarders - who need to think of others and rethink their selfishness - getting in the way.

Be the best or the worst. It's a decision we all have to make.

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