WS Chronicle

By: Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

Do you remember Chicken Little and the phrase “The sky is falling!”? This cautionary tale was about scaring people and getting them anxious about the future.

We have all experienced the Chicken Little effect in our lifetime that could have been brought on by our family, friends or co-workers. At points, negative attitudes surrounded us and they zapped our strength.

Now in our midst since the last presidential election comes Chicken Little and his doom-and-gloom forecast. Throughout the president’s time in office, he has provided dire straits about a variety of issues. His denials are sweeping, and his wrongdoing has no end.

He has not denounced racism in any way. All that he does is fan the flames of racism and fuel his target audience with lies and misstatements. Sadly, they believe him. Protestors are called rioters and hoodlums. In his words, there are good people on both sides. How can a white supremacist be a good person?

We now have over 193,000 people in the United States of America who have passed away from the coronavirus. These six-plus months have been like no other, at least in my lifetime. Masks are now a part of our everyday apparel. It is like that popular credit card, as we do not leave home without them.

Strangely, masks have become fashion statements. I have seen many kinds that have a variety of phrases on them. I wear my “good trouble” mask in honor of our late Congressman John Lewis.

Dr. Johnathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, estimates that 150,000 people would be alive today had we used masks much earlier in this pandemic.

With the pandemic on the prowl and nearly1,000 people dying each day, according to some reports, the president says we have turned the corner on this illness. He made this assessment at a political rally held recently in Minnesota. How can that be? A recent Pew research poll says that 68% of Americans see healthcare as their top priority.

The president is devious, deceptive and demon-like.

One of his current rants is to scare people about voting in this year’s election. He believes that mail-in voting is bogus and that the post office will not be able to handle it. That is nonsense! A recent report says that Postmaster General Louis De Joy pressured some of his staff to make campaign contributions for Mr. T’s re-election. Are you surprised? I am not.

The president’s cronies are crooked and corrupt.

I am sick of Mr. T! Come on, November, get here so that we can vote him out of office. America needs a new voice and a new vision. We have had no voice and no vision for four years. A change must come and will come if we vote in record numbers in the upcoming election.

Professional sports teams are trying to do their part. Since being in the bubble in Orlando, Fla., NBA players have placed phrases and names of victims on their jerseys and shoes. Minnesota Wild forward Matt Dumba said, “The world woke up to the existence of systemic racism and how deeply rooted it is.” We see it and feel it every day. I believe at long last that a change is coming.

So now is the time for each of us to make a concerted and intentional effort to stand up for what is right in America. Our votes will allow us to take the necessary stand. Fear will not stop us.

Our votes will stop him. 

James B. Ewers Jr. is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator and can be reached at overtimefergie.2020@yahoo.com,