It's always this time of year when emergency room physicians and ophthalmologists offer the benefit of their wisdom and experience to a public that's spending millions of dollars inside sweltering tents to stock up for an "explosive" Independence Day.
"You'll put your eye out" isn't just a motherly message for young Ralphie about the dangers associated with Red Ryder BB guns. It's the warning eye doctors try to spread in the days leading up to the Fourth of July and the celebrations featuring bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, sparklers and other incendiary instruments.
No, they're not trying to be Debbie Downers. But, really, what can be more of a downer than having to run someone to the emergency room with an injury that will forever change the life of a kid or a careless adult?
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What’s the point?
As Northwest Arkansas heads into the holiday weekend, precautions are vital to protecting everyone.
The Fourth of July can be a dangerous holiday, made even more so this year with the presence of a virus that's wreaking havoc on the health of thousands (and growing) in Arkansas and on the daily lives of everyone. Early this week, Gov. Asa Hutchinson noted that "not everyone behaved well" last weekend, citing social media posts that showed gatherings at bars and other place where thick-headed Arkansans ignored public health advisories and, instead, acted as if there's no pandemic going on at all.
It would be nice if refusing to wear a mask was similar to refusing to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. In the latter instance, one can argue only the one making that decision risks possible harm. The nature of the coronavirus is such that wearing masks protects the person wearing the mask less than it protects those around the person wearing the mask. It's less of a shield to deflect the virus than it is a sponge to absorb it before it spreads from an infected person's nose or mouth to others nearby.
Wearing a mask is an act of self-sacrifice for the good of those around us, but it's also encouragement for others to do the same so that the benefit is amplified.
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Much of the angst over masks is actually a debate over the role of government in our lives. Some believe government ought to be a tool to enforce certain behaviors those advocates have determined to be for the good of all. Others believe the better approach to governing is to provide factual information and leadership, but to respect boundaries of personal choice.
Let's set that political debate aside for a moment: As many Arkansans gather with friends and family for private celebrations and others join strangers at events to mark the nation's birth, the smart move in terms of fireworks and the coronavirus is to take steps to protect one another.
In recent days, medical groups have peppered the Internet and newsrooms with their annual warnings about fireworks and the damage they can do, particularly to eyeballs. Medical professionals, such as the advocacy group Safe Surgery Arkansas, urge the wearing of protective eyewear to prevent the worst kinds of injuries. Stand clear of fireworks after they're lit. Watch children carefully, even with items that might appear safer than explosive fireworks, such as sparklers that can burn eyes and skin. Leave the duds and misfires on the ground, at a distance. Keep a hose and buckets of water on hand for soaking unexploded fireworks.
One never knows when a firework will misfire. And one never knows when someone with the coronavirus is nearby when people are gathering for any reason -- a fireworks display, a concert, going to a bar or going to a church service. Keeping a distance of six feet or more makes it difficult for the virus to reach a new host. When closer, the risk increases. Masks help mitigate that risk. It doesn't eliminate it, but if everyone is wearing them, the virus is highly unlikely to travel very far.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the calm and reasonable national medical adviser on infectious diseases, told federal lawmakers this week he's very concerned and would not be surprised if new cases rise to 100,000 a day if current trends continue. In Arkansas, Thursday marked the highest single-day growth in positive tests reported at 878.
If Americans want their fall to look somewhat closer to normal, Fauci said, residents in every region of the country will have to get serious. On Wednesday, Gov. Hutchinson related a similar warning: If Arkansans want high school and college sports in the fall, he said, that outcome is linked to wearing masks, social distancing and other precautions now.
Unfortunately, some people criticized the linkage, suggesting Hutchinson was unmoved by the state's 279 covid-19 deaths so far. That's ludicrous and callous.
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It's naive to dismiss the power of sports. After all, one could suggest the Southeastern Conference's demands about Mississippi's flag, which has featured a Confederate symbol for decades, helped push lawmakers to the point they voted to change the flag. The SEC's objections overwhelmed the NRA in Arkansas, where lawmakers almost made it possible to carry concealed handguns at sporting events; the SEC said no, and the lawmakers relented.
Sports is important to a lot of people. We credit Hutchinson for pitching another argument for wearing masks, taking a tack that might convince additional Arkansans who haven't yet worn masks to make it part of their routine when they're around others.
Is it possible sports fans might be moved to wear a mask if they believe it's fundamental to the return of sports in Arkansas? You betcha.
Does it matter why people wear masks? It's entirely sufficient, we think, just that they wear them.
So, happy Independence Day. But watch out for yourselves and those around you. Keep safe, whether dealing with fireworks or the spread of a virus. Do whatever it takes to emerge from this holiday weekend with no injuries and no infections.