Get your priorities straight

I may get some backlash for this, but in our country’s current situation with COVID-19, football is the last thing we need to be complaining about. Yes, we live in Nebraska—football is basically a religion around here, I get that.
    But when America has 5.23 million confirmed cases—the most in the world—along with 167,000 deaths, I think sports is the last thing that should be on our minds.
    New Zealand, on the other hand, reported its first case after a month of none. The country implemented a country-wide lockdown on March 26. Before this week, the last positive case was in early May—with the patient placed in isolation, the country had ended its community spread.
    After 103 days, they had declared the pandemic over in the country.
    Tuesday, four new cases were reported in New Zealand, all within one family.
    “This case is a wake-up call against any complacency that may have set in. We cannot afford to let this virus spread,” said New Zealand’s director-general of health, Dr. Ashley Bloomfield. “We are working to not let that happen here. We’ve done this before and we can do it again.”
    New Zealand’s total case number sits at 1,579 as of Wednesday.
    Granted, their population is a measly 4.886 million compared to our 328.2 million, but look how quickly they controlled it.
    Back to football. NFL players considered high risk for COVID-19 can earn $350,000 and an accrued NFL season if they choose to opt out of the season for their own health and safety. Players without risk can earn $150,000 for opting out.
    You think our teachers can receive a stipend for opting out of the school year when they are much more at risk than NFL players? Of course not!
    We need to get a better perspective. Do we want this disease to run rampant just so we can have our beloved football? Or do we want to care about our loved ones who are at a higher risk of having severe complications from COVID-19?
    I opt for caring. I hope you do, too.