EDITORIAL
COVID-19 Exposed a Nation Divided
Since COVID-19 took over the world more than two years ago, the impact on lives and the government’s response have been nothing short of conflicting. With hundreds of thousands of deaths all across the country, the demand for a government response grew louder. But it was former president Donald Trump who threw caution to the wind and set the stage for a pandemic that swept the country like wildfire and continues to inflame the attitudes of Americans today. “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine,” he told Americans back in February 2020. His optimism or stubbornness to deal with the deadly problem allowed him to speak more untruths, including “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle; it will disappear.” In the meantime, federal and local governments issued mandates to close non-essential businesses and require masks. At the same time, health organizations worked feverishly to create vaccines to stop the virus's spread and save lives. It appeared to be working until the virus mutated, resulting in a milder case of the Delta variant but a more contagious case of the Omicron variant. As a result, Americans still live with mask mandates, social distancing, more vaccinations, booster shots and a growing hostile climate. No one can adequately predict when the pandemic will be over or “disappear.” Its longevity has given rise to an aggressive movement among anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers and anti-government officials protestors who oppose efforts to keep people safe. While the virus is more severe in adults than in children, COVID-19 is causing preventable suffering among youngsters, with about 1.9 million children ages 5 to 11 diagnosed with COVID-19, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths. Too many children are suffering from depression, aggression and suicide. Meanwhile, parents' mean-spirited responses to COVID-19 restrictions and virulent attacks, even against teachers, exacerbate the suffering children are experiencing. Some would have believed that a pandemic would bring people together, not tear them apart. This virus has shown just how divided the nation is, and no vaccine will fix it nor a mask that will disguise it. There’s much work to be done. WI
Suicide of Regina King’s Son May Bring Critical Attention to a Rising Problem among Young Blacks The recent news confirming the death of Ian Alexander, Jr., the only child of award-winning actor Regina King, was met with expressions of condolence throughout the entertainment industry and across social media. But the cause of his death, suicide, and his age, just 26, have only added to her grief. The family has asked for “respectful consideration during this private time,” choosing not to elaborate on the details behind his tragic and untimely death. However, it does underline a significant and disturbing trend among Black youth – one which reveals an increase for Black girls that stands at twice that for Black boys. Suicide now represents a devastating problem among Black youth with researchers and mental health professionals anxious to understand why and how to best address it. In a paper published on September 8, 2021 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, researchers extracted disturbing information from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] databases. The numbers are shocking: 1,810 Blacks between the ages of five and 17 died by suicide between 2003 and 2017. Janelle Goodwill, a psychologist and social worker at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, while not involved in the research, said the numbers counter the long-held assumption that suicide rates among young white individuals are higher than those among young Black people. Further, because the paper only analyzed data through 2017, it does not include figures for the COVID-19 pandemic. A CDC study published in August 2020 reported that in late June of that year, more than one quarter of young adults had contemplated suicide within the past 30 days.
TO THE EDITOR Through the Editor’s Eyes I must say every week; I thoroughly enjoy the editor’s column, “The World According to Dominic.” Last week’s “My Neighbor Murders His Wife Due to Finances, Reminding Me to Cherish Everyday Life” was no different. What a take on such a heinous act. I really felt as if I was there with you when you saw the story on the news, Mr. McNeir. I look forward to your book/writings in the future.
Flying High Rest well to Tuskegee Airmen General Charles McGee, who lived a long and fruitful life going on to glory at 102 years old. As many of our elders from the days of civil rights and Jim Crow continue to cross over to the other side, we must remember them and hold their legacy up like it’s our duty because it is. B. Morgan Scott Silver Spring, Md.
Danny Baldwin Washington, D.C. Clearly, King’s son Ian needed help – help that either he never received or that no one recognized he needed. But one thing is certain: we must find a way to reduce, if not eliminate, the stigma related to mental health treatment that has long persisted in Black communities and families. In addition, we must be willing to encourage our youth to share their concerns without fear of what or how we may feel.
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Then, we must get them the professional help they need. Collectively, we can eradicate the pernicious message of “worthlessness” that has been drummed into the heads of Black youth so that young Blacks in America will know that “their lives are full of meaning and purpose.” That’s a message that should undergird the Black Lives Matter movement. WI
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