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Has the pandemic affected your political views in any way? If so, how?
I’m not sure the pandemic has changed my political views as much as the president’s handling of it, and the way with which information and misinformation and disinformation is perpetuated. It’s like people are walking on the beach and picking up shells like this and reading some oracle of truth to get their information. I understand people are afraid, and in many cases they should be. I understand the country was founded on certain principles like “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. However, that does not mean you get to do whatever you want. There is an implied caveat here...”life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness BUT NOT at the expense of others,” I understand it’s nearly impossible to change someone’s beliefs, so I’ve tried to look for the shred of truth. For example, if you trace back the conspiracy theory that certain leaders are cannibals you can trace back and find that It stems from their partaking of a communion service (which is purported to be the blood and body of Christ) In Africa at the request of a community leader, See cannibals! How silly and desperate to perpetuate this to create this huge divide that’s pitting us against each other. In the middle of a pandemic! I don’t understand wanting to hate that much? It scares me to think what the next few months might become. I want to believe my fellow Americans are smart enough to know we need to heal and find ways to work together if we have any hope for future generations. Or what happens when the next virus comes? Or the one after that? Or the one after that?
October 21, 2020
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We know that COVID-19 is hitting some racial/ethnic communities harder than others. Is this something you think about? If so, share some of your thoughts.
If you spend any time in Hawaii, you'll most likely pick up a few words here and there, like aloha, mahalo, and ohana Kuleana is an important concept in Hawaiian culture. It roughly correlates to responsibility, and is also tied to land rights in specific historic ways In any case I was glad to see the term used to communicate to local people, especially since Native Hawaiians, like other Native Americans, had high per capita death rates from Covid The state government is ending Covid prevention measures in March 2022. Next week the tests, proof of vaccination, and quarantines for U.S. visitors will end. Indoor mask mandates are also ending next week, on the 25th. It's been almost two years since the mask mandates were put in place, in April 2020 If, as some people predict, we have future variants of concern, hope that Hawaii can continue to use what we've learned about prevention. Don't throw out the banners and flyers just yet!
March 13, 2022