Not racist to acknowledge origin of COVID-19
It’s very gratifying to see Canadians, on both a local and national level, doing their best to fight the coronavirus. An astonishing and unprecedented emergency has engulfed the world in recent weeks and we have responded well on every level, both here in the Cowichan Valley and beyond. None of us could have guessed that an event of this magnitude would occur, or that it would effect us in so many ways, but here we are.
Virtually every aspect of our lives has been impacted, but there is one element of this crisis that may have slipped by most people in the frantic atmosphere of global emergency we are all experiencing. That element is the suppression of truth regarding the origin of COVID-19 and the implications of that suppression. The COVID-19 virus, currently a worldwide pandemic, began in Wuhan, China. Why are people hesitating to acknowledge this, and even suggesting that the virus originated with the U.S. military or that it should not be directly connected with China?
The implication that someone is “racist” because they correctly identify China as the source and negligent party in the spread of this disease is a dangerous precedent. As stated above, it began in China and the initial response of the authorities was to suppress information, imprison doctors warning of the disease and continue public events despite knowing of the disease’s potential. Avoidance of this truth in the name of political correctness is the height of folly. Once again extremist liberal progressivism and “woke culture” are suppressing the truth. But it is a truth we all need to hear.
We are hardly racists if we tell the truth regarding this disease and its origins. Although it has become common to accuse the West of racism, both abroad and at home, it doesn’t justify doing so when the facts are clear.
As someone who lived for years in Asia, including some time in China, I can attest to the implications of and disease spreading possibilities of “wet markets” some of which I was forced to visit at the behest of my Chinese hosts. While we should never judge individuals by the policies their repressive governments indulge in, we should also not turn our eyes away from truth.
There are likely to be more victims of this pandemic and more suffering to come. Let’s hope the first and most tragic victim of this crisis is not the truth.
Perry Foster
Duncan
