By Roger Caldwell
Most of the time in America, when you break a record, you are congratulated for a job well done. During the reality of Covid-19, breaking a record generally means that the numbers are going in the wrong direction. In the last week over 56,000 Americans on a daily level are being infected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Everyone can speculate, and all the experts can give their educated advice, but the numbers continue to rise in almost every state in America. President Trump keeps talking about a magical mystical solution, that one day everyone will wake up and the virus will be gone. The other position that our president is supporting with the crisis is just learning to live with it, and understand that people will die.
With over 130,000 Americans who have died, and over 2.9 million infected with Covid-19, Trump and his team believe they have done a good job controlling the virus. On July 3, 2020, President Trump gave a speech at Mount Rushmore, where he focused on the great history of presidents, and the need for law and order in the country. During this speech, he vowed to create a park with statues of American heroes.
At this 7,000 people event, there was no social distancing, and very few attendees wearing masks. The event that took place on Lakota Sioux land was never given permission from the tribes that owned the land.
“We’re at a time in this country where there is a reckoning and a realization that the country has to get right with its history,” says Nick Tilsen, – a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation and president of NDN collective told NPR. “That’s why this is not just a historical injustice that has happened – it’s illuminating the current injustices that exist today in society.”
It is extremely ironic that the event took place on Lakota Sioux sacred land, and there were protests and demonstrations from the tribes. The truth is being exposed about the terror and violence of the history of the country, and it is time for a change.
When Americans critically examine the condition of the tribal nations, they see violence and racism as public health problems, along with covid-19.
“Racial health disparities have been with us since the beginning of this great nation. Deaths in America from Covid-19 among Blacks and other minorities are disproportionately higher than the numbers in the general population. Disabling racism has left many Blacks and other minorities in a state of social helplessness and desperation,” explains Niche Zama MD PhD.
During this holiday weekend, there was very little information at these different events, where President Trump talked about the coronavirus pandemic crisis. The president’s new position on the coronavirus is that American’s must learn to live with the virus, and death is a part of living.
The virus has now reached into the deep-red regions of the country and at many of their events, there is not a mask in sight. In one of the small Trump towns in Texas, Tamera Stewart says, “This is the first time we’ve met each other and we don’t care – we’ve done with all that.” In solidly Republican areas such attitudes present a daunting challenge for local leaders, and the virus is getting worst.
But in Orange County Florida, Mayor Jerry Deming, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, both Democrats with a collective coalition of political, business, and church leaders are working to educate the community with a new campaign entitled “MaskUp –Stop the Spread” – created by Rich Black, Publisher/CEO of the Onyx Magazine.
“Onyx Magazine’s ‘MaskUp – Stop the Spread’ campaign comes at a time of resurgence of coronavirus cases in Florida. ‘MaskUp – Stop the Spread’ is a grassroots initiative born out of the need to encourage African Americans, people of the African Diaspora, and mitigate the transmission of Covid-19,”says Richard Black, Publisher/CEO. For more information contact Rich Black at (407) 451-2891, or rblack@onyxmagazine.com.