As summer approaches and the tourists are coming back to our beautiful state, I would like to ask Alaskans to remember a couple of things.
We Alaskans were very blessed through COVID-19 in that we didn’t have the substantial deaths and COVID-19 long-haul patients that the states outside did. More than 500,000 Americans have died and thousands more have suffered side effects and damage that hasn’t or might not stop.
Recently, in my small town, I have heard one lady customer at the Safeway store in town tell me that she had COVID-19 and it was no big deal. Don’t worry about it or proximity to her as she wipes her sniffles from her maskless face at the meat counter. She had no clue whether I or my family had suffered any loss. Yesterday, a guy mouthed out about “Fake COVID, and now they want us to line up for fake shots for some moronic reason.” Once again, he has no idea what the people around him have suffered from this.
It would help our tourists and our state’s reputation if we could show some semblance of compassion, empathy, knowledge and acknowledgement of the horrific pain and loss that our country has endured in the last year. During it all, we Alaskans were able to socially distance fairly easily and keep our stress down. We have no understanding of people being trapped in the homes to the level a lot were because of this contagion.
We can believe what we want, not get a shot or not wear a mask if we choose, but I hope that we will also choose to watch our mouths in public in respect and empathy of our fellow countrymen trying to recover from a devastating year as they tour our beautiful state.
— Cindy Butherus
Valdez
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