TGIF Feature: This is your PSA for this Fourth of July weekend

Medical professionals, people who know the best way to slow the spread of Covid-19, wear masks.

The video was created by Asian American doctors to combat the growing hate against AAPI because of the pandemic.

The coronavirus is not a joke!

We featured this video earlier this year. Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic has gotten worse. For the lack of a national policy, many states are pausing or setting back their reopening plans because of the surge of new cases of the coronavirus.

The California Department of Health issued this caution:

"Traditionally, Fourth of July is a time of gathering to celebrate the freedoms this country offers us.

"This year, however, family gatherings are playing a significant role in the spread of COVID-19. Any time two households mix together, we risk getting each other sick. For some people, especially adults who are older and people with health issues, COVID-19 can have serious and even deadly consequences.
"Any public or private events this weekend that include people who do not live together in the same household should not happen. This includes family get-togethers.

I know its cumbersome. I get it. Human beings are by nature social animals. I, too, want to go out to restaurants, go to the theater or concerts, enjoy the beaches and parks.

New Zealand beat coronavirus. So did Italy and China, the Philippines France, South Korea and a host of other countries. They're returning to "normal."

Because of the patchwork policies among the 50 states and hundreds of counties, the US is the "bad boy" among nations. 

If you opt to not stay at home (still the best practice) this July 4th, wear your damn mask!

A July Fourth message of hope and inspiration

As we celebrate Independence Day of the United States, it may seem like we are becoming, more and more, a divided nation. It is always good to take a deep breath and remind ourselves what our nation can be. 

Today, tanks will roll in our nation's capitol and an orange-haired man will claim to be the ultimate patriot. Look pass that individual to the Lincoln Memorial and heed the words of the nation's greatest president who guided a divided nation through times more turbulent than this Trumpian era.

America is constantly changing. It is not static, staid, or self-satisfied. More than just a geographical place, it is a dream, a state of mind, a state of being and a nation of endless possibilities.

The United States is far from perfect. It's flaws are too evident and obvious for us to stand by. It is not enough to just exist within it's borders. America's form of democracy demands your participation, needs you to be informed and to raise your voice and to listen to your conscience. And, when the time comes, vote.

Enjoy our country's Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman as she performs with the Boston Pops on July 4th. She reminds us what we aspire to be as we continue to work towards a "more perfect union."

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