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1/13 Our daughter is an #ICU #nurse on a #COVID19 unit at a suburban #Atlanta hospital. Since March on every shift she is facing disease and death on a massive constant scale, more in her young life than my wife and I—both physicians—ever had to cope with. We pray for her daily.
2/13 She is not particularly political, so when she called this week with a combination of fear, distress and anger about our #Georgia Governor’s position on masks we listened. And we had no answers. When she rhetorically asked what he was thinking we couldn’t say.
3/13 When she asked if he understood how many people are so ill from #coronavirus we had no idea. Then we realized our daughter is putting her life on the line daily like so many others and asked what would we do if God forbid we lost her as a result of her service.
4/13 In times of national distress there are many who step forward and put their own lives at risk to save others. They do it out of duty and valor. They do it out of pride and commitment. They do it because it is the right thing to do. They serve with honor, purpose and faith.
5/13 Our daughter is one of those people. She goes back again and again to serve others she has never met before and will never see again. She does it to care and to comfort. She does it to save lives. She tries to be safe herself however she knows there is always serious risk.
6/13 We pray she won’t pay the ultimate price for her service. What could explain such an incredible sacrifice if she did? Would it be that she was in the front lines of the #pandemic? Would it be that she served mankind in some small way? What could justify such courage?
7/13 Then think how it felt when we read this in the @ajc from our governor: “I refuse to sit back and watch as disastrous policies threaten the lives and livelihoods of our citizens," he said. "We will fight to stop these reckless actions and put people over pandemic politics."
8/13 The “reckless action” the Governor is trying to stop? Requiring people to wear masks in #Atlanta . His “putting people over #pandemic politics” is actually putting the life of our daughter and so many other courageous #HealthcareHeroes at risk of severe illness and death.
9/13 Right now many are putting themselves forward in so many ways to save lives and get us to a better place. They do it because they care and it is the right thing to do. We will remember their bravery the rest of our lives. But sadly for some, young lives will be cut short.
10/13 So I ask: Governor, just whose actions are reckless? Whose #pandemic politics are the politics that save lives? Whose interests should be paramount: those who want freedom to infect others or those who value the role of freedom to protect others? Why do we even have to ask?
11/13 When we look back at this tragedy we will reflect on who stood tall in the value of saving lives and who did not. No question that our nurses, our doctors, our health care team members will be heroes. We won’t have to question that for a moment.
12/13 On the other hand, some of our political leaders will be remembered for their leadership saving our lives through thoughtful responses and making difficult decisions while others will be remembered for playing with our lives through pandemic politics and divisive rhetoric.
13/13 Health care workers, first responders, essential workers all need to know their lives are valued, their efforts respected. Governor: Honor their commitment. Show our daughter you understand. Care about us in our time of need. Yes, it is time to put pandemics above politics.
