Campbell's Commentary - COVID 19. ANOTHER OF THE DANGEROUS DISEASES…

By Aubrey Campbell

NEW YORK, NY. Wednesday, May 27, 2020 – Folks, first and foremost. Welcome to the summer season, however unofficial it may be at this time. This pandemic is serious and must be treated as such.

Let me also hope that whatever you did yesterday, you found the time, the energy and reason to pause for the cause and say a prayer for those brave souls who fought on the frontlines, to secure the freedoms that we now enjoy, while making these United States our home.

How ironic that we are observing the Memorial Day holiday at a time when this pandemic has introduced us to a whole, new world of brave men and women, fighting on the frontlines of our healthcare facilities and institutions, to save lives.

We salute them, every one of them, past and present, for their selflessness and bravery at this time. There’s is a special calling!

Welcome to our changed and changing world, where summer will be reimagined from 

indoors, out!

Can you imagine..?

I know that the pandemic is causing havoc on our psycho-social sensibilities, you just have to look at the change in behavior of those around you.

Having to hibernate during the winter months is the kind of ‘conditioned reflex’ that we have grown to accept as standard and normal, so this summer will require some adjusting, and that’s why it is crucial that we pay very careful attention while outside.

Consider this for a moment.

It got so bad last week that the Governor (Cuomo) and the Mayor (DeBlasio) had to call off the ‘attack dogs’ in blue after it was found out that a disproportionate 90 percent of summons and tickets related to the COVID 19 pandemic, were issued to minorities.

In other words, ‘enforcement’ gave them sweeping powers to further terrorize a community, already decimated by the pandemic.

It is a conversation that we must have. We are going to the polls on June 23, and some of us will vote blindly, if never before!

Ask yourself this question.

How can you be working so hard and not being rewarded?

Part of the answer. You are not paying enough attention. Two and three jobs, fine, but the billions that you are remitting home means that others are living ‘higher’ than you.

How many persons have died in Jamaica and across the Caribbean region from the pandemic?

Less than 600!

How many persons have died from the virus in just one zip code alone, in one small 

part of the city?

Do the math!

Good to see that Caribbean economies are reopening for business to the level that folks in St. Kitts and Nevis, will vote for a new government on June 5.

Some Jamaicans are finally home after being stranded on the high seas for more than two months but that is just half of the story, as the government and the opposition spar over what is and should be the right approach at this time.

And on a more encouraging note is the fact that those who were stranded on land due to the border closing, will not be penalized by US Immigration but they will have to prove their case when next they go to the embassy to apply for permission to travel.

As one lawyer explained to me, persons will need to have documented proof, including ticket stubs, receipt, and any other paperwork, relevant to the trip at the time and during the pandemic, to cause them to ‘overstay’ their visa.

It would be unfair of me and unbalanced, to not mention the parties involved in the negotiations and yes, commendations are in order, even as I acknowledge that more is still to be done.

I have no problem giving Caesar his/her due, what I have a problem with, is not understanding that at the end of the day, you are accountable to a community and that accountability comes with transparency.

So, after it was revealed that the Jamaica Diaspora Education Task Force, collected funds to benefit education in Jamaica, we are now being told that the funds collected, was used to pay for room and board for persons attending an education summit in Miramar, South Florida, in 2018.

The list of participants included; the Lasco Foundation, UJAA (USA), Inc, (then) Minister of Education, Ruel Reid, and Leo Gilling, among others.

Since the newspaper story of last week, the Education Task Force has changed hands and head (lol), from Leo Gilling to Dwight Dyce, and even with the change, it just doesn’t seem and smell right to me.

I will, however, await a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the communication sent by the new Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, relative to the matter, before any further ranting.

Folks, we have to pay attention!

COVID 19 is another one of those dangerous diseases that will be around for quite some time!

Don’t’ despair or be deceived. We have to fight it!

You have the floor!

--00—

Editor’s note: Aubrey Campbell is producer/host of CARIBBEAN CONVERSATION, a magazine program airing on Sundays, from 2 – 4 pm., on WVIP, 93.5 FM, and streaming on the Wee Radio Network at; www.WeeRadioOnline.com.