Now is the time to display our patriotism
JAYBEE'S CORNER
As a nation we must come together in a unified fashion.
The virus is rampant in our country.
We in Mayo were holding our own but figures for the dreaded disease have risen in a drastic fashion.
We are blessed in our county in having Mayo University Hospital and other institutions with dedicated staff who have worked day and night to combat coronavirus.
I have experience of having been a patient in Mayo University Hospital and the Mater Hospital, Dublin, and the care, compassion and courtesy I have received were all of the highest order.
However, our doctors, nurses and other staff cannot beat the virus on their own.
The secret of success lies with ourselves.
There is one way of beating the virus and that is by obeying the rules and regulations.
No ifs or buts, the responsibility firmly lies with the people of our nation.
This is not the time for political bickering or playing to the gallery.
Teamwork is an absolute necessity in our hour of need.
In many ways we are a great little country and in the past, when faced with various crises, this nation of ours showed resilience and determination.
I welcome the fact that Councillor Brendan Mulroy from Westport has called for an end to the blame game, which has been in full flow on social media.
Pointing the finger and taking the high moral ground serves no purpose, he says.
What we are being asked by the government and the health authorities to observe is demanding and makes life difficult for the people of our nation.
However, now is the time for our people to show genuine patriotism, and patriotism is what we need on a large scale.
This is a different patriotism than we were asked to display in the past when our country was under siege. We had an obvious enemy in those times.
Today’s enemy is silent, deadly dangerous and a real killer.
In former times this country had to battle with the Great Famine, a disastrous era which killed one million of our population and hundreds of thousands more were forced to emigrate to America, Australia and other countries.
Today we live in better times with vastly improved health facilities and other amenities.
It is now time to show the same commitment and sacrifice as Michael Davitt and James Daly showed when they founded the Land League in the Imperial Hotel, Castlebar.
I am confident the people of our country will rise to the occasion.
The words written above are not intended to worry or create panic amongst our people.
They are written merely to convey the seriousness of the current coronavirus situation in our country.
Spring is a time for hope and rejuvenation with the promise of better days ahead.