Fresno must be united in the fight against COVID-19. It starts by wearing a mask
As I write this, Fresno County public health announced another nine COVID-related deaths in Fresno County, bringing the total deaths to 100. While we all have opinions, I hope we can agree that this virus is a threat to everyone. We may differ in our thoughts about how government should respond, but I hope we are all willing to embrace enough common sense to take preventative measures to stop the spread and get things back on track.
A lot is at stake. Our local economy is being decimated by the closures. Now, some businesses are closing for good and hard-working people are losing their jobs. Because of this, the virus is not only a threat to our lives, it’s also a threat to our livelihoods. I hope a vaccine is discovered soon so this difficult time may pass. But we have to accept that the economic consequences may last for years. Fresno is already an impoverished community. If nothing changes, there’s probably a wave of foreclosures on the horizon. It’ll be 2008 all over again.
But there’s still hope in the fight. All it takes is for us to forget that it’s an election year. We need to turn off cable news and the pundits. We need to embrace our core American values and truly “be in this fight together.” It’s about being a good neighbor. It’s about listening first. There’s no one side of the political aisle that is always right. It is imperative that we be willing to hear one another and choose a balanced path forward.
Furthermore, our very liberties are on the line. I’m not talking about wearing masks. Five months into this fight, I can’t believe we are still debating this simple issue. Are masks annoying? Maybe. Does it really threaten our individual liberty? Heck no. Wearing a mask, in combination with other methods like good hygiene and social distancing, will go a long way to reduce transmission of the virus. It’s not a foolproof method and we shouldn’t deceive folks into thinking it’s the be-all-end-all cure. It’s not. But they help — they also keep our businesses open and protects our jobs.
The liberties I’m thinking about are our constitutional rights, like our freedoms of speech, assembly and religion. We must find a better way to preserve our constitutional rights, safely exercising our freedoms without endangering public health. Higher infection rates will prolong business and school closures.
The national conversation in the wake of George Floyd’s killing resulted in protests across America. Thanks to the joint efforts of our Black community and our Police Chief Andy Hall, the protests in Fresno were peaceful. The result was a real effort on both sides to join together and create tangible reform. If it wasn’t for those peaceful protests, we wouldn’t be here. That’s the power we have when exercising our constitutional rights: it creates real change.
Still, we are in the midst of a pandemic. I believe that large protests where people are locked arm in arm can increase transmission. Most protesters may wear masks but they also share touch-points, like signs. Many are also chanting, spreading vapors which may be infected with the virus if they’re wearing rudimentary masks. Nevertheless, all people have a right to be heard, especially during emergency times when the government has special powers.
There is another fundamental right — the freedom of religion. The courts have repeatedly ruled that Gov. Newsom has the right to close houses of worship in a state of emergency. But I urge him to follow a more balanced path. Last month, he released reasonable safety guidelines requesting accommodations to stop the spread of the virus. This includes limited occupancy, use of face coverings, screening, and disinfecting. Fresno’s houses of worship happily embraced these guidelines to keep their parishioners safe. It is important to note that throughout the pandemic, many churches and other religious groups have sprung into action providing hundreds of thousands of meals to the needy, from Herndon Town in northwest Fresno to the fairgrounds in southeast Fresno.
If our houses of worship are in compliance with the governor’ guidelines, then there’s no reason to shut them down, denying their members the constitutional right to assemble and exercise their faith. This may seem offensive to some, but you don’t have to be orthodox to get this point. Even an agnostic should be willing to understand during this uncertain time, some of our neighbors have special spiritual needs. This is their way of coping with the challenges we all face, and we should respect that.
With COVID-19, we are dealing with a moving target. It hasn’t been an easy fight and it’s hard to know when it will be over. We certainly have a responsibility to each other to act diligently to protect our community’s health. But we also have to understand that we are a functioning democracy that relies on the exercise of fundamental rights.
When making tough decisions, we cannot allow fear to replace reason. Compromise is not the enemy — division is. I firmly believe that we can have both safety and our liberties if we are willing to come together, have tough conversations, and resolve our differences. That’s how America has always been able to overcome its greatest challenges, and I think that’s the way for Fresno to move forward. We can all start by wearing a mask.
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