"China" Did What?

"Ask China"

“China” Did What?

Every day in the news today we see rhetoric, led by our President, that associates the Coronavirus with “China:”

• “The Plague From China”
• “China sent the virus here”
• “Ask China”

I need to know exactly who “China” is. China is a country; it can’t do anything. Do we mean that the 1.3 billion citizens of China got together and all agreed to send the virus? So do we mean “Chinese?”

And, do we mean the millions of Chinese and Chinese-Americans that live here, and are equally affected by the virus as non-Chinese? That EXACTLY is how people who are prone to prejudice and looking for someone to blame are taking it. 

Worse than the finger pointing, are we proud to live in a country that calls the Pandemic “Kung-Flu?” And someone who says the virus is “Chinese Communist Propaganda?”

Chinese built the infrastructure of California during the 1800’s. Americans who happen to be ethnic Chinese (or any other ethnic group) are just as American as anyone. 

Chinese in America are already being confronted by random prejudice, and, if it is not stopped by we, Americans, it will only get worse, and maybe even tragic. 

Isn’t this “a nation of immigrants?” Is this “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?” Who is that lady standing in the Hudson River? Mr. Trump, do you want to tear down that statue?

So even if the virus did originate in China (there is significant evidence that there was an origin in Europe and even here), it is not proven at all that it came from a Chinese lab in Wuhan (we have those labs too), and even less proven that it was let out purposely. 

Damn, there goes another American principle: Innocent until proven guilty.

China started its quarantine on January 24th. As I heard Governor Cuomo ask, “where were the authority figures then?” The PAUSE In New York didn’t start until March 16th. 

History shows us that any time a group, without regard for its membership, behavior, or participation, is singled out, history is stained with heinous acts and attitudes. As a reminder, German Jews were citizens of Germany.

Is that the road we want to go down as a nation? Anybody who says or thinks yes is a travesty to our heritage. Myself and my father served in the US Military to PROTECT our freedoms against those who would do harm based on mass prejudice; It would be a crime against humanity if those freedoms were damaged because of this inane and senseless rhetoric. As such, I am beyond embarrassed about what is going on.

We can’t do anything about our leadership until November; I can personally tell you that, even if I was inclined to NOT vote, I would get my ass out to vote AGAINST anyone, local or national, who promoted attitudes and rhetoric like that.

Finally, it is really bad statesmanship and bad for our country to espouse, as Trump is doing, an antagonistic relationship with a country whose citizens had nothing to do with the Coronavirus, and whose people consume our goods, work to keep our Walmarts going, and who send their children here for education because of the example we set for the world.

I would hope that you speak out against this blatant prejudice; only that can change the direction, since politicians generally have no principles except what gets them elected. We, the People, do. 

That’s how I see it. You?