“Self-preservation is the first law of nature.”
I can hear those words that my father said to me as a child. I thought it was just a witty quote daddy would say, well into my adulthood. They have become words to live by, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My experiences have demonstrated to me that privilege can cloud judgement even when it comes to sustaining life,” Gooch said.
“My experiences have demonstrated to me that privilege can cloud judgement even when it comes to sustaining life,” Gooch said.
Ironically, he retired from a career that has a goal of preserving life. He was a St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer. Rules are set in place with a goal of aiming to protect. Unfortunately, many people feel they are there to simply cause inconvenience.
Their focus is on social hinderance, rather than sustaining existence. I have travelled from south St. Louis County to mid-county to west county for employment and have had very different experiences than those encountered in my own back yard of north St. Louis and north St. Louis County.
I have travelled to Arnold and been forced to work in proximity with people who refuse to wear masks. Some often feel the need to give me uneducated reasons why masks will not help reduce transmission of COVID-19.
I have been asked to not wear a mask, which risks my safety and the safety of others, when doing political campaigning in Ballwin to make residents whose homes I approach, feel comfortable. As if my Blackness was not already an issue with some of them.
I have been viewed with suspicion and often looked at the floor to avoid cold stares when I travelled to St. Peters. I am inconveniencing them simply because I choose to wear a mask, which is frowned upon within their community. I often find myself concluding that if we had a disaster, such as exposure to radiation from a nuclear war, many people would risk being burned to a crisp simply because they do not want to be socially inconvenienced.
It was a relief to return to work with Metropolitan Strategies and Solutions, where my boss Kiara Lewis is stringent about wearing masks and slowing the spread of COVID-19.
She has offered extensive training on how to properly wear the masks and teaches how to properly utilize the wire in surgical masks to ensure the proper snug fit. She emphasizes the importance of covering your nose to ensure proper protection.
It is our culture and vast knowledge that has kept us alive during slavery, under the most inhumane conditions.
Basic sanitation practices have inspired and transformed the health care field. Gone are the days that one of two surgical patients would die simply because doctors would not practice hand washing and sterilization techniques before performing these surgeries.
As the pandemic continues, I urge you to hold fast to your culture and the things that have been instilled in us for centuries, even when we were deemed unintelligent. Hold fast to these obvious evidence-based practices to safely bring us through this pandemic
Please wear a mask and avoid abandoning this practice to make others comfortable. In the words of John Bowman, president of the NAACP St. Louis County chapter, “It’s not political—It’s critical!”
Stephanie Gooch is a political researcher with Metropolitan Strategies & Solutions and Pristine Strategies.
