Op-Ed Piece by Jaylen Brown

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/19/jaylen-brown-coronavirus-covid-19-nba-basketball-boston-celtics?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1587296455



Covid-19 has cruelly exposed America's inequalities. Now we need to come together



By Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtic





As an NBA player, I am proud the league has put the safety of players and fans first. During the downtime we can work on making a more just society

Sun 19 Apr 2020 07.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 19 Apr 2020 10.22 EDT



Jaylen Brown: ‘My intention in writing this editorial is to hopefully inspire our society to come together rather than drift farther and farther apart’

Greetings to all who have come across this message. I wish this interaction was on better terms. A lot has changed within the US over the past few weeks and unfortunately it’s uncertain how much more will be essential to “flatten the curve” or lessen this vile pandemic.

Misinformation is at a peak, and I can feel the collective restlessness increase as the days pass. You are not alone. It seems like the people responsible for conveying information all have different messages with separate agendas. From our local media to our governing officials all the way up to the man in the suit. In this most dire of times, there have been displays of dissidence, and controversy from our political elites, causing confusion among the public. If that last sentence applies to you, our frustrations are shared. With that being said, it is paramount that everyone remains calm. An outbreak of turmoil and chaos that matches the pandemic would be further detrimental to not just the economy, but to us as a society, and community, as a whole.


America’s lack of medical resources is barefaced, and the number of unemployment claims is at an all-time high. I understand the urge to protect your closest loved ones,. However, if you have the means, I urge you to extend a hand to a neighbor or friend who may be less fortunate. As I write this more than 30,000 people have lost their lives in the US alone. Of those heart-wrenching numbers, the percentage of African Americans and people of color is both alarming and disproportionate. Our healthcare system could be potentially highlighting injustices this beautiful nation has composed and suppressed since its establishment.


My intention in writing this editorial is to hopefully inspire our society to come together rather than drift farther and farther apart. In the midst of social distancing it is easy to segregate ourselves and our families from the outside world. I challenge you to do the opposite. Donate to your local food banks, homeless shelters and to those less fortunate in general. Allocate resources to healthcare workers, and other extraordinary workers and unsung heroes during this time. Lend a hand to the families and family members of healthcare workers and those who have lost someone, and are in need of economic support. The slightest display of compassion may save someone’s life. I am looking to match these efforts and align with people who are inclined to do something.


After being personally affected by this outbreak and its impact on the NBA, there is no way that I can look away after seeing how friends, family and teammates have been affected by this virus. I am proud to be a member of the Boston Celtics and of the NBA for ceasing to continue the season at this time. Sports have an influential position in our society, and I’m grateful the NBA uses its platform considerately.

My deepest condolences go out to Karl-Anthony Towns, and his family, for the recent loss of his beautiful mother Jackie from Covid-19; the entire NBA mourns with you. I also extend my condolences to anyone with a similar experience or shared communal pain. As we all suffer from being torn apart, from news of heartbreak and anguish, my greatest hope is that during this isolation we become more unified than ever.

As I stare at the walls of my confinement, due to the implementation of social distancing, I hope that our nation not only consolidates over the next few weeks but also heals. Ponder the suffrage from other epidemics that have plagued this nation and our planet. Social inequality, gender inequality, inequality in education, poverty, lack of resources, cultural biases, and other various societal imbalances that have yet to be vaccinated. Let’s use this time to look for solution based answers and cooperative efforts for those problems.

It’s Game 7 and how we perform down the stretch is going to determine our outcome. Let’s lean in and get this done together as a team.


bob


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I thought it was very interesting when I was looking for the drug Ivermectin. I could only find it in a very Urban area. It was sold out in the towns near me. The Pharmacist had no Idea why I wanted the drug and had to call the doctor to confirm dosage. He also said he would call the next day! I told him I was not leaving without the drug..

Jalen Brown is quite the young man which is far better than even being quite the young basketball player.

wideclyde wrote:Jalen Brown is quite the young man which is far better than even being quite the young basketball player.

+1

No doubt.  Jaylen is a thoughtful young man.  

I cannot wait to see the Boston Celtics play again.  Yet he has clearly put basketball behind life.  Our focus is about the pandemic.  But as he points out it has revealed to some people the inequities that are baked into our country.

Continue to stay safe.

We are all captives in our own enviornment. Day in and Day out, I am here waiting for a sign of a light at the end of the tunnel. Here in Boston, it seems like we have a way to go, not peaking yet and seeing more and more people pass away alone. Believe it or not, that is one of the things that keeps me in place, the fear that if I ever got this thing, I would be fighting it without my Husband, Son and Daughter there to help me through. God knows, they have seen me through three different induced coma's at times not knowing how I would come out. I don't think I fear the virus as much as the loneliness. My heart goes out to all of those who have gone through this and come out the other side, and the families who are going through it right now.
Yesterday, The Boston Globe printed 16 pages of death notices. Talk about reality, there it was.

Be safe everyone, do what they are asking of us, and listen to the doctors and scientists, forget the rhetoric that goes on day in and day out at press conferences as this is being used as a political football. God Bless those going thru this, and those that come out the other side.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:
Be safe everyone, do what they are asking of us, and listen to the doctors and scientists, forget the rhetoric that goes on day in and day out at press conferences as this is being used as a political football.  God Bless those going thru this, and those that come out the other side.

I think we need more people who think like you Rosalie.

Too much posturing and BS from all corners.

I hope you continue to stay healthy, and can soon get that procedure you've been waiting for. You've earned the title of toughest board member here over the years, and we all benefit from your insight and experience.

Thanks to all of you, you keep my spirits up!!!! I will be around to preach to all of you for a long time. Thank God for wonderful doctors I will tell you that. My Cardiologist checks on me weekly. This too shall pass!!!