28/01/2020
Why don’t we change:
“Stay away from Wuhan” to “Stay strong Wuhan”?
“They deserve it” to “They deserve more love”?
“They are Bat eating monsters” to “They are Human beings with a different culture”?
“Send all Chinese Nationals back to where they belong!” to “Let’s see what we can do to help them here. They must be worried too”?
Spreading animosity to spreading love?
Signing petitions banning Chinese from travelling to your country to praying for those in quarantine and wishing for their good health?
Because in times of crisis we don’t need people spreading fear and selfishness. We need more acceptance and love for others. Yes we are all afraid, but that does not give us the right to judge others based on where they are from. A few bad eggs don’t represent the community. We all have them. Some media and people like to use these people to spread their agenda. Understand that this is just a small minority, the vast majority are just like you and I, we all want to be safe and healthy.
Understand that a lockdown of a city as huge as Wuhan has never been done in the history of mankind, and that mistakes are bound to happen when there is nothing for them to learn from. People, not just from Wuhan, are volunteering their time and sacrificing their safety to help, from medical professionals to builders of new hospitals to cleaners on the streets, all in order to make it happen and to help find a solution.
Also understand that a lockdown means that nobody from Wuhan has been able to travel out of the city already. Not by plane, not by train, even public transport is not available within the city. With a population of 11 million it is inevitable that thousands had travelled out before the lockdown. And with the virus showing no signs and symptoms in the initial stage, many of those currently infected had thought they were safe. Try to empathise with what they are feeling right now instead of blaming them for carrying the virus to your country.
A little more understanding, a little less blame. A little more empathy, a little less hate. A little more love, a little less judgement. We are all in this together. We have survived worse. We will survive this.