ALYSSA BUMP
Staff Writer
Almost the entire population of the United States is bored out of their minds, but stuck in their house. It’s a strange occurrence for everyone; the coronavirus seemed to pop out of nowhere.
But here we are. Most people have either been laid off, sent home from college, are working from home or had to make modifications in some way.
No matter where you look, everyone has been affected.
Cuba, N.Y. is a small town that feels as though it was meant to be put in the middle of Arkansas. Most people are Republican, Trump-supporting hillbillies. If you drive by 10 houses, one is almost guaranteed to have a Confederate flag outside of it.
Unfortunately, Cuba, N.Y. happens to be my hometown.
When you look past all the racist, small-minded people, this town is kinda cute in a lousy sort of way. But, looking past what is wrong here happens all too often.
There is a small Chinese restaurant in this town called China Sea. It has a 4.5-star rating on Google, and I personally think they have great food.
Because of this virus and where it is thought to have originated, they had to close for two weeks. They were not getting nearly as much business because many of the residents in this town are xenophobic.
They reopened at the beginning of April, but have since temporarily closed again. The sign on the door of the empty business says in all caps, “The decrease in customers, China Sea will be closing temporarily.”
It’s a shame that during hard times, people let down one another. Everyone seems to be stressed in one way or another.
My mom is trying to teach kindergartners how to read through a Facebook page, and my dad is paranoid he has been infected with the coronavirus. He watches “Coronavirus conspiracy theories” on YouTube for hours on end.
I’m stressed, too. I went to college to get an education, but I also went to escape this town. I used it to get away from all the harassment I used to face, but now I’m back here.
The worst part is that I am not the only one.
For many children, school is an escape from a chaotic home life. But unfortunately, school has been cancelled, and kids now spend all day at home.
This is a problem for several reasons. Based on data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, about one in eight children live in households with at least one parent who had a substance use disorder. Parents with substance abuse disorders can often lash out on their spouse and children, either verbally or physically.
Because of self-isolation, there is now no escape for children that have dangerous parents. Not to mention that the parents are most likely stressed about finances during this pandemic.
Parents that abuse substances are not the only issue. One in three girls are sexually abused before the age of 18 according to The Advocacy Center. For boys, one in five are sexually abused before the age of 18, but statistically, boys are less likely to report abuse. This means that the number could be potentially higher.
This time spent in self-isolation has given me a lot of time to think, and it has resulted in me being concerned for those at risk in my community. It has resulted in me being concerned for the owners of China Sea and for the kids who don’t get enough to eat unless they are being given a free school lunch.