COMMENTARY: Do as I say, not as I do

Right now, the world is full of uncertainties, and who is to say what is right or wrong?

Every day and every situation is new, and nobody knows what is to come next, but how can one expect someone else to follow their example when one is not given an example to follow themselves?

Leading a nation cannot be easy and the “right” thing to do is not always clear. What is clear though, is that each person should lead by example.

If one is in a place of leadership over a small team, a city, a state or even a country, chances are one has had to ask a group of people to abide by a few or many rules. If that is the case, leading by example would mean that these leaders also follow those rules.

In order for the people of America to take COVID-19 seriously, our leaders, who are telling us what to do and what not to do, need to be the first ones matching actions with words.

The times we are living in right now are unsettling, and without the straightforward answers that America so desperately needs, nobody knows what to believe. Half of America is doing its best to stay inside, wear masks and gloves, and practice social distancing when out for essential items.

The other half of America thinks that they do not need to listen to the “do as I say, not as I do” attitude coming from government officials and others in the media’s spotlight.

On a daily basis, one hears how everyone should be practicing social distancing when out of the house. Yet, press conferences are still happening where government officials and other speakers present are not staying six feet away from each other and are not wearing protective face masks.

There are also government officials disagreeing with each other on camera, leaving citizens concerned about what to do next. President Donald Trump has recently disagreed with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on the reopening of the state, after the president called for the liberation of states just days prior.

Should one listen to the President of the country or should one listen to their state’s governor? When seeing these types of disagreements, it makes one wonder who is right.

As the world faces this unprecedented pandemic, answers and support are needed.

Reading news articles, scrolling social media and watching press conferences to fulfill the need for information can, unfortunately, lead to one not being able to listen word for word to those in charge.

The truth of the matter is, nobody really knows what to do to solve the problems at hand. Everything must be done on a trial and error bases, leaving people with whiplash, looking every which way for answers.

With that being said, the people on the front lines of COVID-19, such as doctors, other first responders and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), should be in charge of informing the public on what to do. Instead of relying on elected leaders – who cannot seem to agree on anything – for information, one should listen to the organization whose main responsibility is disease control.

Listen to the doctors who have years of medical knowledge and are seeing and fighting the disease firsthand. Do the research in order to know what to believe and what not to believe when it comes to what we see on TV or read online.

In today’s world, the media can be a wonderful tool to alert people of information in the blink of an eye, but the media also provides the platform where many of these mixed messages are being broadcast.

One must practice caution and media literacy to be sure that factual information is received over bias. Listen to the news reports and read the news articles, then fact check them against the many reliable medical sources out there.

In order for people to understand the seriousness of COVID-19, the mere “suggestions” that have been made across the country, need to become mandatory. As an example, Harris County has made it mandatory for people in public to wear a facial covering when coming in contact with another person outside their home for 30 days beginning April 27.

Unfortunately, not everyone can acquire a medical-grade facemask – nor should they, since those should be saved for hospitals and first responders – but everyone probably has some sort of cloth and a couple of rubber bands or string laying around. If people decide to travel out of their home to a grocery store or to pick up food somewhere – which can help support local businesses – then listen to the mandate put in place and keep faces covered while out.

People who do not want to wear a facemask, cannot afford one or do not have any supplies to make one should lean on their neighbors and friends for support.

We cannot take a laid-back approach when it comes to the reopening of our cities. We must continue to practice social distancing to the best of our ability and wear a facemask whenever possible in public.

Nobody knows what will happen when we are finally able to meet in bars, restaurants and stores again, but we must do everything we can to avoid a second wave of the COVID-19.

In a time like this, it is crucial that our country comes together as one to help us all land back on our feet. Life will continue and businesses will reopen. Until then, we need to wash our hands and stay out of people’s personal space. Perhaps we should keep these rules even after there is a vaccine for COVID-19.