Over the past week, we have seen our focus change from the threat of the coronavirus to the threat of racism in America.
Both are real and serious threats, and just because one is in the forefront of the other doesn’t mean that one is a more serious threat in the other. Quite the contrast.
The coronavirus still continues to expand its reach. This week, Gov. Tate Reeves lifted the mandatory mask order from Newton County, but that doesn’t mean the threat doesn’t still exist. We have to take it just as seriously as we did when the mask order was first issued.
Our total number of cases approaches 300. I know some of you don’t think the threat is as serious as it once was, but it might be more dangerous now because we are not taking it as serious as we should.
Before the appalling and senseless killing of George Floyd, the issue of racism was still just as dangerous as it is today. In fact, many of us, myself included, probably ignored the issue of racism. The graphic images caught on a bystander’s smartphone caused outrage like I have not seen in my lifetime.
For right now, everyone understands that we still have a problem with racism. Every major public figure in our country has denounced the killing and have pledged to do their part to help correct the problem that is so apparent right now.
But what will be the impact of this once our focus shifts again? And trust me, our focus will shift again. We still have some other major issues looming, such as our unemployment rates and the impact it is having on the economy. We still have our presidential election ongoing, somewhat was put on hold during the height of the pandemic this spring.
We have gone two months with very little movement in our country. We haven’t been getting out of our homes much since the beginning of March. Some of us have had very little face-to-face interaction with others. There have been no sports.
It’s easy to lose sight of the issues that we’re going to face as our daily lives get back to “normal.”
This killing and the protests, including many unfortunate riots, has brought a lot of the issues that our country is facing back to the forefront.
So as we begin to move forward, how are we going to be different? How do we love each other? How do we protect each other?
The dangers will still be there even if they aren’t always in the spotlight. It doesn’t matter what the top headline is in the main stream media or what’s the latest trends on social media. In the case of the coronavirus and racisim, the Golden Rule seems to apply more than ever: Do unto others as you’d have them to unto you.
That means, we have to keep wearing masks and finding a way to change our society to end racism.
You can contact Brent Maze at bmaze@newtoncountyappeal.com.
