While the circumstances surrounding this recent association of foreigners and danger are new, the rhetoric itself (sadly) is deeply ingrained in the nation’s history. From Ben Franklin’s characterization of Pennsylvania Germans as “stupid” and “swarthy” to Prescott Hall’s (a founder of the Anti-Immigration League) early 20th century lamentations that, “You cannot make bad stock into good by changing its meridian, any more than you can turn a cart horse into a hunter by putting it into a fine stable, or make a mongrel into a fine dog by teaching it tricks,” to the aforementioned comments of our current president, the stereotype of an immigrant horde imperiling the United States has been a constant and is one that jeopardizes the very values that this nation was founded upon.
If my experience on this campus has taught me anything, it is that a diverse and inclusive community is a far stronger one than one that is homogeneous and exclusive. I am encouraged by the university’s thoughtful planning and embrace of this ideal and encourage all of us not to forget the lessons of history and/or to allow ourselves to be swayed by the nativist thinking that has so long defined our nation’s history and that is now re-emerging during this time of stress.
Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this important article. It needs to be published in many leading newspapers.
Another important point to remember - ignorance is correlated with affordability of education.
So very true. Always loved that the campus stands together during these times however. Thanks for the read.
ReplyDeleteNicely stated. I am so proud of the campus community and response to meeting the core missions while ensuring the health of everyone. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteRecent articles and statements linking worldwide attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, to racism and xenophobia caught my attention, and I feel there is a need for clarification and detailed analysis of what caused the spread and our efforts to prevent this happening in the future.
ReplyDelete1. COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China. The origin of the virus is thought to be the so-called "Wet Market," which processes and sells wild and domestic animals. Wet markets in China, in the same Wuhan region, are also linked to the spread of the SARS virus, which killed scores of people across the globe.
2. Wet markets in China are notorious for torturing, killing, and selling wild and domestic animals; the practice Chinese government has ignored for decades and is currently trying to cover up. The abhorrent treatment of chickens in China has also caused deadly H5N1 bird flu in the Hunan province of China, which borders the Wuhan region, underlining the importance of holding the Chinese government responsible for spreading pathogenic viruses by mistreating animals.
3. The rapid spread of viruses from wild and domestic animals in China as well as in other countries represents an urgent and vital call for action to limit and prevent mistreatment of livestock because kept in tight and enclosed spaces, animals represent reservoirs of pathogenic viruses that transmit to humans.
4. The rapid spread of the virus also underlines the importance of border security and measured control of human population movements in and out of the country, which has nothing to do with racism. As an example, Italy, which did not implement rapid and early control of tourists' flow from China, now suffers one of the highest numbers of fatalities.
5. This pandemic exposed tremendous US vulnerabilities in health and economic sectors, which depend on a foreign country, and this needs to be addressed now, or we destroy our economy and healthcare sector if this type of epidemic happens again.
6. Wuhan virus pandemic also represents a huge wake-up call for all of us, because if this virus had the same fatality rate as SARS, roughly half of the world would die within a year. There is no guarantee that this will not happen in the future unless appropriate actions are taken.
No matter what nationality we are, we are all Americans. Instead of hiding our heads in the sand of political correctness, we have to take an unbiased and firm stand on how to implement specific measures to protect animal welfare through international agreements and sanctions and to hold those who abuse animals and initiate viral pandemics accountable. This includes not only China but other countries as well including our own. Our future depends on it.