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The True Citizen, Wednesday, February 17, 2021 — Page 5A
Michael N. Searles
The United States is the
wealthiest nation in the world,
and we have great intellec
tual, technological, medical,
and social-cultural capacities.
Americans have been awarded
308 Nobel Prizes - nearly three
times as many as the United
Kingdom with 133. The Unit
ed States is often cited as the
most technologically devel
oped nation in the world. The
United States leads the world
in medical innovations. The
United States’ cultural impact
spans the world reflected in its
popular culture impact through
music, movies, and television.
A case in point is the spread
and deadly effects of CO-
VID-19. The number of cases
of COVID-19 world-wide
is 98,954,912 (1/24/21) ac
cording to the Johns Hopkins
University Center for Systems
Science and Engineering. Of
that number, 25,031,463 cases
have been reported in the
United States with 417,902
deaths. While our population
is greater than many advanced
western countries, our per capi
ta rates of death is significantly
higher. The United Kingdom
has 3,679,247 cases and 97.030
deaths; France; 3,026,320
cases and 72,497; Germany;
2,146,030 cases and 52,154
deaths; Canada; 749,761 cases
and 18,716 deaths; and South
Korea; 75,084 cases and 1,349
deaths. It is interesting that the
United States and South Korea
reported their first COVID-19
cases on the same day. How is
it possible for the United States
to lead the world in intellectual,
technological, medical, and
cultural enterprises and do so
poorly at preserving the health
and life of its citizens?
The answer may partly he
in our values. No other society
believes in the power of the
individual more than we do.
Individualism has stressed hard
work and optimism as critical
factors in American progress.
Many of us would agree that
these are important if not es
sential values. This belief in
individualism has been a factor
in crippling inequalities in the
area of race, class, gender, and
sexuality. In the other major
advance countries, there is
an emphasis on the good of
WHY CAN'T WE GET THINGS DONE?
society. In South Korea when
COVID-19 struck, there was
no uprising among its citizens
saying they would not wear a
“damn mask” or that the air
was free and no one could
deprive them from breathing
it freely.
While we cherish our free
dom, it costs thousands of
lives. It is likely before the
epidemic is over, as many as
600,000 Americans will die.
While there is an increasing
concern about the hospital
izations and deaths, there are
many Americans who accept
these deaths as the price of
liberty. For some, if the figure
increased to 2,000,000 dead,
they would still refuse to accept
the notion of the greater good.
The question in reality is not
why we can’t get things done;
it is why won’t we.
Many American values have
remained constant, but our trust
in the federal government has
diminished. We have less trust
in government, elected officials
and the news media. Distrust
stoked by politicians, media
outlets, and conspiracy groups
in concert with our natural
suspicion.
President Biden has issued
an Executive Order requiring
those entering federal build
ings or flying on commercial
airlines to wear facial masks.
He has asked the public to
wear masks for the next 100
days. He and members of the
scientific community believe
that this single act will signifi
cantly decrease the spread of
COVID-19 and allow us to re
turn to a more normal life. This
will be a challenge because of
people’s nature and political
opposition.
Governor Brian Kemp
thinks that wearing a mask is
a good idea, but does not want
to require people to wear one.
This issue was raised by the
Burke County Board Commis
sion as to whether it served the
interest of employees and pub
lic to have masks worn by those
entering county buildings. The
proposition could only get two
votes even though one person
in Burke County dies each day
from COVID-19. We seem to
be afraid of angering our fel
low citizens even when lives
could be saved. We, like the
proverbial ostrich, prefer to
stick our heads in the sand and
hope for the best.
Diana Royal
THE PROBLEM IS
It’s 2021. Why are we still
judging an individual by large
groups? Why are adults speak
ing down about and/or to chil
dren?
This is still a huge problem
in America, but unless we can
turn around that mindset and
fix the issue here in our own
community, we won’t even
begin to make a dent on a larger
scale.
What do I mean by large
groups? Obviously this could
take a turn into race and cul
ture, which people continue
to allow to create unnecessary
division and hatefulness, but
this week I’m steering from
that. Not to take away from the
important work that needs to
be done, but to focus on what
others may consider smaller
scale issues but in my opinion
have a large impact and should
be addressed.
For starters, you cannot
blame a school or a school
system for the actions taken by
parents, teachers and staff or
students. While you can (and
should) pay close attention and
form opinions based on how a
situation is handled, the initial
problem is likely not the fault
of the system.
Have employees of the
Burke County Public School
System been arrested for
charges against students, most
often sex crimes? Yes, this is a
fact. Is it the school system’s
fault? Do they purposely hire
staff whom they know may
potentially harm a student? Of
course not, so why insinuate
such? If there were a more
in-depth screening process for
such, I’m sure they’d be first in
line to try it. I for one am sad
dened to see social media posts
where people continue to bash
the system. “Do better Burke
County.” “I wouldn’t want to
work there.” “No surprise.”
Those comments are det
rimental and quite frankly
uncalled for. When there is a
situation or an arrest, in my
experience dealing with the
school system, the staff person
has immediately been termi
nated and the administration
is open about what’s happened
and complies with law enforce
ment.
Speaking of law enforce
ment, do you know how many
of those “bad apple” cops you
hear about have prior records,
how many are allowed to re
sign rather than get bred for
breaking the law themselves?
They jump from agency to
agency, oftentimes avoiding
background or POST checks
and wind up serving on the
very streets of our community.
This is something that is avoid
able but happens often; in the
same breath, we should not use
our opinions of them to judge
other officers nor should we do
so with our teachers. Why not
commend the school system
for stepping up and taking
care of a situation rather than
tearing down those who are not
involved? Asking questions
doesn’t have to include nega
tive connotations.
When it comes to our chil
dren, let’s also remember we
set the example; we are to
be encouragers. A few days
ago, Coach Parker shared a
Facebook post commending
his football players and call
ing attention to the ones who
finished the first semester with
a 4.0. He also said the overall
team average was an 81. The
school system then shared
the post, and a parent was ex
tremely upset, lashing out in
the comments section. I won’t
repeat the idiotic statement
here because I don’t want to
give those words any sort of
clout, but I will say any op
portunity to brag on a child for
doing well is an opportunity
that should be taken. Students
excel on different levels; some
test well while others may be
great public speakers or artists.
Their abilities make them who
they are and do not determine
where they fit on a totem pole.
What you say about them,
however, shows a lot about
your own character.
Please let’s continue to build
up our community by celebrat
ing the good and not finding
fault in everything. There are
silver linings everywhere if
you’re not solely worried about
yourself and focused on how
you can chip away at a crack.
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