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Opinion

Hinchman: Looking for compassion within the social divide COVID-19 chiseled

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When asked to write an op-ed on COVID-19 as not only a medical provider, but a parent of an SUSD child, my first thought was to gather all the data and facts I could surrounding the pandemic in Scottsdale.

But then, who’s listening to facts these days anyway, right? So, I’ve decided to go with a subjective piece instead.

As a parent of a child who is not yet eligible to be vaccinated, starting middle school this year has me keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

Most patients at my office are vaccinated and those who aren’t are encouraged to do so. I’ve heard every kind of excuse one could possibly imagine from complete misinformation to religious freedoms, to implanted tracking devices. What baffles me is that these same people want their child going to school.

They want schools to stay open and life to return to normal, but they don’t want to bear the responsibility and obligation to the community to work together to achieve that.

We all want things to go back to normal, don’t we? There is not one person that loves donning a mask, making sure there is always plenty of hand sanitizer, or watching their child “attend” school through a computer screen.

The last 17 months has been like a long paper cut and those who continue to deny the science and the facts are pouring lemon juice all over it and then complaining that it stings. They’re the ones that will show us how tough they are by not wearing masks or denying the vaccine yet will be the first in line to ask us for an antibiotic after two days of a simple cold.

Medical professionals are now walking a fine line between continued passion for the job and utter frustration.

I’ve stated before, humanity has gone out the window these last few years. We don’t care about each other anymore. It’s all about ME, MY beliefs, MY “freedoms”, MY life! How did we become so selfish? And why should our children suffer because of it?

If we all want this to go away, then shouldn’t we find a way to come together as a community and make it happen? Sooner rather than later? When we took our babies in for their well-checks, did we not cry with them as they got poked with four different needles, only to soothe them and know we were being responsible parents, ensuring the safety and health of our tiny loves?

Where was the utter disdain for vaccines then? It’s obvious to everyone that polio, measles, and diphtheria, have been pretty much eradicated and we’re all good with that.

So, what’s the difference? Why would the COVID vaccine suddenly impinge upon a person’s freedoms? Just like polio, COVID kills. Since 2019, my husband and I have taken care of over 60 patients with COVID, some did just fine, some had to be hospitalized, and yes, several have died.

We attended back-to-school night this past week and weren’t there 10 minutes when a parent walked into one of our classes wearing a “No Mask No Fear” shirt. To back-to-school night. This was the attire he chose to meet his child’s teachers, the very teachers who are taking risks every day in the classroom by teaching in-person during a pandemic.

Instead of choosing to address this social dilemma, people like him are abdicating themselves from the problem through anger, hate, and defiance. It is the simple coward’s way out.

I wonder if back in the 90s during the AIDS epidemic, this “man” would’ve worn a shirt that said, “No Condoms No Fear.” After all, he’s letting us know how tough he is, right? Am I comparing AIDS to COVID? Of course not. But we listened to the medical experts, researchers, and public health officials back then, to keep us and our families safe. Why can’t we do that now?

Maybe it’s time to stop blaming China and Mexico and do a little critique on the person in the mirror.

I’ve always felt that the difference between love and compassion is that love is caring deeply for those that are close to us and compassion is caring for strangers. Both are needed for humanity to survive. But compassion is getting harder and harder to see these days and I alone, certainly don’t have the answer on how to get it back.

Therefore, I will continue to take care of my own until society decides to take care of our own. My kid will continue to wear a mask and will get vaccinated as soon as possible. But until our community can come together and realize that we can avoid going back to virtual school, avoid canceling sports, and avoid living in a terminal quarantine, I guess I will continue to keep my finger crossed and hope for the best.

Editor’s Note: Emily Hinchman is a longtime Scottsdale resident and co-owner and nurse practitioner at Scottsdale Adult Medicine, LLC. Hinchman also serves on Scottsdale’s Human Relations Commission.