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Page A-4 — Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, March 26, 2020
lmmUnity for the community Open government still
this space, but a line from
last week’s column not only
fills me with regret, it fills me
with rue. Much rue. Here’s the
line: “Trying to demonize China
for being the birthplace‘of this
vims? Irrelevant.”
Turns out, demonizing China
has become painfully relevant_ '
for many people. Turns out,
many in this country, the land of
“It’s time for our nation to unite”
and “We’re all in the same boat,”
have a group of US. resi-
dents they don’t want to
unite with, a group they
don’t want in their boat.
Some people from
China, and some people
of Chinese ancestry, are
reporting being hit and
harassed in the United
States, and around the
Irarely regret what I write in
Tagging a city, a nation or a con-
tinent with COVID-19 endangers
human beings. ’ People shouldn’t
play ignorant with that fact.
«But if it makes people feel
better to attach a location to this
virus, call it “the Earth virus.”
Consider this: Another of our
pandemics, the one caused by
the human immunodeficiency
Virus, is treatable today largely
because of the work of one hu—
man: Dr. David H0, a US. resi-
dent and an immigrant from Tai-'
wan. H0 is now devoting
his brain power, thanks
to a grant from Chinese
billionaire Jack Ma, to
finding a novel coronavi-
rus treatment.
Don’t distract the
future David Hos with
this nonsense. And if we
must insist on stereotyp-
world, solely because of By KIRK ing, let’s stereotype all
the features on their fac- ERICSON Asians as potential Da-
es. In fact, it’s happening vid Hos.
more broadly to many Asians I I I
and people of Asian ancestry.
Maybe the hitters’ and harass-
ers’ thoughts are that their tar;
gets look kind of Chinese, and
that’s close enough.
These attacks have gone vi—
ral since the novel coronavirus
spilled out of China, a fact that
hadn’t fully registered on me. It
should have registered. Hence,
my regret. And rue. Type the
phrase Asians coronavirus into
your computing machine, hit the
“News” tab and you’ll see.
Insisting on calling this novel
coronavirus “the Wuhan virus”
or any similar variation —
doesn’t get us any closer to the
answers this virus requires.
What it likely does is make some
intolerant people focus on the
foreignness of the word “Wu-
han.”
Prejudice has viral qualities.
Prejudice feasts and multiplies
among people who are scared,
powerless and don’t have the
imagination to consider being
born as someone else.
Just because it started in
, Wuhan, China — or near there
— doesn’t mean Wuhan needs
to be there in the name. We un-
derstand polio, herpes, rabies,
scabies, the plague, measles,
HIV, smallpox, influenza, pneu-
monia, tuberculosis, hepatitis
and malaria just fine without a
geographic positioning reminder.
SHELTON-MASON COUNTY
Journal
USPS 492-800
The news that Republican
US. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky
has been infected with the coro-
navirus and is now quarantined
shouldn’t give anyone who’s op-
posed to his political positions or
his political party any pleasure.
Let’s resist schadenfreude —
'the German word for “taking
pleasure in someone else’s pain”
— when people we don’t like or
disagree with contract the novel
coronavirus. Let’s be better. Or:
Be best. Use whichever phrase
your political persuasion desires.
You might defend your grati-
fication over Paul’s condition by
believing that Paul got what he
deserved because his thoughts
and acts violated the concept of
karma, the Buddhist and Hindu
equivalent of “you reap what
you sow.” But using the word
“karma” to hammer someone .
who is suffering is not honoring
the spirit of karma.
We all fall short.
Taking pleasure in someone
else’s pain invites bad karma
for you, and I hope it’s not bad
karma to point that out.
I I I
All of us are descendants of
people who survived the many
v pandemics‘ that have swept
Earth. And so, here we are.
I Contact Kirk Ericson at kirk@
mqsoncountyeom.
nal is a member of the Wash-
ington Newspaper Publishers
Association,
suescnlpnou mass:
The Shelton-Mason County Jour-
POSTMASTEFl: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason
County Journal. P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584.
Published weekly by the Shelton-Mason County Journal
at 227 W. Cota St, Shelton, Washington.
Mailing address: PO. Box 430, Sheiton, WA 98584
Telephone: 360-426-4412
Website: www.masoncounty.com
' Periodicals postage paid in Shelton, Washington.-
$52 per year ($43 for six months)
for Mason County addresses and
$75 per‘year ($55 for six months)
outside of Mason County.
Owned and published by
Shelton-Mason County Journal, inc.
received little, if any, notice amid
the ever—growing concern of the
spread of the coronavirus.
March 15 through 21 was National
Sunshine Week, whiCh celebrates open
government and residents’ access to pub-
lic records, documents, actions and delib-
erations.
The Washington constitution was
written with the guarantee that Wash-
ingtonians could know what their state
and local governments are doing for or to
them.
It is troubling that during the week
that celebrates open government, provi--
sions are being considered that could
limit the public’s access to their govern-
ment. As the spread of the coronavirus in-
creases, we understand the need to limit
public gatherings, but at the same time
have deep concern of the lasting implica-
tions it may have on our guarantee of an
open government. '
Though few attend city council or
county commissioner meetings (unless
a topic directly affects them), the ability
to do so and voice their thoughts is not
something that should be disregarded.
Even though our local government may
limit the topics on their agendas to gen-
eral business items, people still have a
right to knowand participate in both the
mundane meetings as well as the boister-
ous ones. -
We are thankful that both the City of
Shelton and Mason County are aware of
the open meeting laws and are looking at
available options to ensure they do not
Something occurred last week that
important in times of crisis
trespass upon the public’s rights.
But our public servants are uncertain
howto do that while maintaining public
safety.
The spread of the coronavirus presents
a hazard to the public and their open
meetings and there is also the lasting
hazard to be considered.
The loss of open government, even in
the face of a medical crisis, would be a
travesty to all and a loss from which ou
society might never recover. 1
At newspapers across the country, and
no less here at the Shelton-Mason County
Journal, we know that the public’s right
to open government is not on the fore-
front of the public’s mind with the cur-
rent state of the coronavirus.
Nonetheless it remains as a priority to
us. v
We will continue to hold our elected
officials true to their pledge to uphold
the state constitution and open govern-
_ ment, which it promises all citizens of
this state. We will continue to ensure the
people of this city, county and state are
afforded their right to participate and
that this situation does not compromise
those rights for the future and future
generations.
And as always, we will continue to
provide coverage of thelocal governments
, and challenge any means by which they
may willingly or unwittingly bar the
public from participating in their govern-
ment. '
Even in a crisis, this newspaper will
not let the right of open government atro-
phy and become useless.
MAYBE SOME PEOPLE
THINK COVID—19
CAUSES DIARRHEA
AND PANICKED.
Publisher: Tom Mullen Front office:
Dave Pierik, circulation and '
All regular editorial, advertising
and legal deadlines are 5 pm. the
Advertising: classifieds manager Monday prior to publication.
John Lester, general manager
Theresa Murray, ad representative Delivery: To submit a letter to the
editor,
. Jon Garza email adam@masoncounty.com.
Newsroom: 'David Olson
Adam Rudnick. editor in chief Niel Challstrom
Gordon Weeks. reporter
Justin Johnson, sports/outdoors editor
Kirk'Ericson. columnist/ proofreader
Lloyd Mullen, photo editor
Composing room: a , é
William Adams, advertising and 1
technical support