When ending my local Fishers news blog, I wrote that commentaries might be on the way. It didn’t take long for me to have something to say, and it should not surprise you that the novel coronavirus is the subject.
Governor Eric Holcomb provided an update Wednesday and it was not good news. Indiana had its deadliest day of COVID-19 with 16 deaths and 400 new positive tests. Let’s remind ourselves that testing kits and equipment remain scarce.
President Trump clearly provided a very different tone in his Tuesday news conference, warning us that April will be a tough month. The numbers in the best case scenario nationally are in the 6 figures and, if we as a nation do not heed the advice of experts, can see deaths exceed one million.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness issued an open letter Wednesday to those living in the city. He told me in a couple of conversations about this issue before I ended the news blog that there is no other place he would rather be than in the mayor’s office. He said essentially the same thing to the IndyStar’s John Tuohy.
The Fadness open letter is a document that reveals much about the man. He admits how this pandemic has impacted him personally in his responsibilities and how being with his sons in the evening is an important respite for the mayor.
For a man building an entrepreneurial spirit throughout his city and developing Fishers in his vision, the mayor likes to be in control. He admits we are not in control of this health crisis, but we are required to deal with it.
As the fourth or fifth largest city in the state, Fadness prepares us for what is to come…Fishers will get its share of fatalities as a result of this pandemic, and holding down that number is up to us and our behavior as individuals.
Scott Fadness is asking all of us living in this city to take the normal human emotions of anger and fear, and direct that energy into helping others as we can under the circumstances. If there ever was a time to look out for your neighbors, this is it.
Here is the end of the mayor’s open letter:
“The next thirty days will test our resiliency and character. Let us commit ourselves to compassionate action that will have us reflect on this unprecedented time with a quiet sense of pride about the true character and resolve of our Fishers community.”
Mayor Fadness and I have differed on a few issues but agree on many others. I could not agree more with the sentiments expressed in his letter. Everyone in Fishers should read the letter and take it to heart. I did.
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Here is the full text of the open letter:
Continue reading COVID-19 has spurred my first commentary – the mayor’s open letter