(Snippets from the frontline)
COVID-19/BLM: Blacklisted
Growing up, I was an athlete going to the Olympics! Never happened.
I read enough to get by, but mostly magazines, newspapers, and mesmerized by O. Henry, the short story guru. Picking up a novel was never my cup of tea, and still isn’t. Now though, I read voraciously.
Every morning, I get the newspapers, and where is the first place I sift to?: Letters to the editor (LTEs). To me, letters are short stories, typically limited in word-number by the newspaper. Some reiterate the news, but most bring a creative interpretation of life, making you mad or even cry. LTEs are opinions representative of those living around us, whether you agree with them or not.
I have always been a whistleblower, even more recently when it came to healthcare and older adults. For fear of truth, I was blacklisted with my writing kept out of local newspapers and magazines.
Still, my “snippets” get posted or published. Why? Because concerned and open-minded citizens realize “free speech” is a stalwart of democracy. So honor this ideal, and respect each other for it.
Getting through this pandemic, and navigating BLM will depend on it.
End of LTE.
Signed: O. Henry surrogate
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