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2022-03-15
Passionate and (mostly) respectful recent debate in the waning pandemic
While the all-encompassing strength of the COVID-19 Pandemic is waning, it still persists and lingers. This is a critical time where countries can either dreamily and abruptly attempt to return to idealized pre-pandemic existence or continue to return to their visions of normalcy through steps found in scientific methodology. Debates that focused on safety, health, and personal freedoms (especially about masks and vaccines) were constantly in the news the last two years, with some deteriorating into disheartening and embarrassing public displays. Surely, these debates will continue indefinitely, and all perspectives will be important to history. While browsing this archive, many of the stories are of those who subscribe to the reality of the pandemic, who trust and listen to science, and who have highlighted the way their lives have changed during the pandemic. I am from Arizona, born and raised. I often find myself to be the lone liberal or democrat, particularly at work, in a state formerly known as a red state, now perhaps purple. While Arizona is well represented in this archive regarding life during a pandemic, it has many people living in it who dispute the pandemic's origin, virulence, and the government's attempt to control personal freedoms, as much as I personally disagree. The attached YouTube video shows a meeting of the Kyrene School District Governing Board from January 25th, 2022. The relevant background is that before the 2021 Winter Holiday break this district emailed parents that masks would no longer be mandatory after the new year. By the end of the break, Omicron infections had increased, and the district regressed back to mandatory masks after the holidays. Please watch, specifically from minutes 20:35 through 38:28. To me, a person who reads a diverse group of news sites daily, this clip has brought me hope. Of all the ugly comments I have read on far right or left news sites, debate like the one in this video is instead mostly constructive, passionate, and respectful. I may not agree with everything discussed in this sample, but I respect people's right to debate their beliefs. I believe studying other perspectives is useful for future generations. Historians one hundred years from now may wonder why certain people thought masks were useless in schools. Hopefully, between this J.O.T.P.Y. archive and the articles that exist on the internet, a thoughtful sample of diverse perspectives can be researched. Additionally, I hope this video adds to material in this archive that demonstrates the anti-mask perspective to historians who could research and educate future generations on state and federal authority during health crises to hopefully prevent conflicts as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. This video is owned and uploaded by the Kyrene School District to YouTube. -
2021-08-11
If it isn't one thing its another
I have never realized how different my friends on social media are. Growing up in Los Angeles I have many friends who are all politically and socially like-minded. My husband joined the military and then my social media was flooded with the opposite from my "liberal" friends. The differences of opinions never bothered me and hardly ever showed themselves until Trump became president. It's funny how Trump ignited a flame in so many people. Today with politics fueling everything I still see that clear distinction between my friend groups. The saddest part about the pandemic is seeing how science has been "canceled" and political views have somehow replaced common sense. Because so many Democrats are urging people to get vaccinated it seems like Republicans must refuse. I see posts like the one pictured all the time. There's always a reason to refuse common sense. First, it was because COVID wasn't real, then it was because their right to contract covid was being infringed on. I heard some say robots were being implanted, that the government was running experiments on willing democrats. When the death rate continued to rise, they said the numbers were made up. Today it seems like most covid deniers are claiming that if COVID was real essential workers would not be required to be protected against it. I will never understand their reasoning. -
2020-12-09
Covid-19 Statistics for Western Washington Counties (Olympic Peninsula)
I live in a rural part western Washington about one hundred miles from the initial outbreak of the Covid-19 in Seattle. Even though I live in a county that voted Republican in 2016 and 2020 (the first time Grays Harbor County voted Republican for the first time since 1928 when Herbert Hoover was elected) people took the restrictions seriously. As we hear about the supposed difference in Covid-19 outbreaks between Red and Blue parts of the country I thought it would be interesting to show the county-by-county numbers for Covid-19. The file attached shows the health department web pages for each county. This shows how serious this region took the outbreak. The file is static, so anyone interested should follow the web addresses to see current numbers for active contact tracing, active Covid-19 cases and Covid-19 deaths. -
2020-12-09
Covid-19 Statistics for Western Washington Native Tribes (Olympic Peninsula)
This is a collection of all of the western Washington Native American tribe’s Covid-19 information. Unlike other parts of the country, western Washington tribes have a low Covid-19 rate. -
2020-04-22
AOC Tweet 4/22/2020
This tweet is by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and reads: “GOP is seriously arguing that it’s worth sacrificing the lives of hourly workers so they can get a spray tan again. If they really wanted to reopen the economy, they’d fund mass testing, contact tracing, & healthcare for people. Instead they’re fighting against hospital funding.” This tweet briefly brings up the not-scientifically-founded idea of “re-opening” in order to boost the economy. And the lack of funding for mass covid testing/tracing, and general healthcare is also mentioned. -
2020-08-26
Middle of the Road
Growing up as a middle class white female, being one who fights for the under dog (social justice) has always made me stand out. One of the reasons I was attracted to my current college, Antioch was that the school fights for social justice. The pandemic has shined a light on all the inequalities in our nation and globally. Initially, when the protesting began it felt needed and I was in full support. As time has passed, the protests have become violent and I have seen people from the left and the right become narrow minded and clouded by anger. Today, I still stand for social justice and support many of the protests but what I have learned from seeing political arguments in the media is that I don't know a whole lot about our nations history, government processes, and the history of racism in the world. I no longer trust the news and today's journalist. Before the pandemic, I knew exactly who I wanted to vote for during this years presidential election and now I don't know. I find myself in the middle between the Democratic and Republican party. I don't want to not vote because I lose my voice. What the pandemic and protests have shown me is that I need to educate myself so I can make an informed opinion before I vote instead of voting blindly like I have in the past. Where I find myself now is in the middle of the road, a place I ner thought I would find myself and a position that is extremely uncomfortable.