In the midst of the anger, and explosiveness of the anger, tied in with protests, sometimes with guns on state-owned property, is the reality that people have lost jobs, businesses have closed, especially those "mom and pop" businesses that do not have a huge amount of capital to pull them through, and, still, people are dying.On the one hand, we have an economy that is limping at best, the worst since the Great Depression, so we read, and unemployment is at its highest point since the Great Depression. This is not the best of times of times, and it could be the worst of times.
Still, people are dying.
In the White House and many of our states, governors are pushing hard, well past CDC guidelines, for states to re-open. Many of our churches are pushing to re-open, though some of our churches never actually closed. People just voted with their feet. We will continue to vote with our feet.
Still, people are dying.
One headline says that the president cared about people dying until he realized who was dying. I hope that that opinion piece is wrong. The president of All of the United States begins not to care when he realizes who is actually dying? It is obvious that people of color are dying at a higher rate than white people. A Black population could be 30% of an area but has 72% of the deaths. There are other numbers and contexts out there that explain the same thing. Some of us see government conspiracies to take our freedoms away. Or a conspiracy that says that this COVID-19 gig is not any worse than car accidents or the flu. I venture to say that we wouldn't be saying that if our grandmother was intubated for three weeks before dying alone.
Still, people are dying.
Not only are people of color dying, but people with pre-existing conditions are dying. People like me. I could be one of those statistics. And, the battle is not over. I could become one of those statistics.
Still, people are dying.
People like me are everywhere. We just don't know it because we do not walk around, with our masks on, with signs around our necks that say, "Renal Cell Carcinoma Survivor" or "Small Cell Lymphocytic Lymphoma Survivor." Those are my diagnoses. I don't wear such a sign. Only good friends know the real deal. If I were to stop and think about it, my wife and I have many friends, young and old, with immune system issues or other hidden conditions. I'll actually ponder that later today.
Still, people are dying.
When I do venture out, I wear a mask. My wife wears a mask. We see many, many people wearing masks. We see more and more these days people not wearing masks and venturing into dangerous territory that goes against the recommendations of the CDC. I think we are being lulled into complacency, a complacency that is dangerous.
Still, people are dying.
I wear a mask because I have some sensitivities about those around me. Others wear masks because they have sensitivities about people around them. Others don't wear masks because they do not carry these sensitivities. Some care. Some don't.
Still, people are dying.
Wearing masks of any kind protects against the deadly COVID-19. It may save someone else's life from the virus that resides within you. It may save you from the virus that resides within the body of someone else, family, stranger, or casual friend.
Generosity of spirit governs much of this land. We want people to live, thrive, be successful, to live long and prosper, and for those generations coming after them.
That means, I think, that we surrender "my rights" not to mask-up in favor of loving our neighbor and masking up.
So, if you see me walking down the street and I look like this with my Texas Rangers baseball cap, my large-rimmed glasses, and a zebra design on my mask, you'll know that I care about me and that I care about you.
I hope you are masked up, too.
That way, people don't have to die.
People can live.
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