My cousin died in April from COVID-19, alone, afraid, and quietly in Waterloo, Iowa. The first of many worker deaths at Tyson packing plant. He was a good man. He complained he felt bad on Thursday. Tyson let him go home due to sickness. He took a Covid-19 test and began self-isolation. On Sunday evening he felt extremely ill and went into the hospital, died on Thursday, and received the result of his test after his death. He had tested positive.
He and fellow workers had repeatedly raised concerns about COVID- 19. The Black Hawk County Sheriff, noting the conditions in the plant and hearing from employees of their concerns, had raised the issue with Tyson, which at that time was not taking steps to protect the workers. The Sheriff raised the concern with the Governor of Iowa who also refused to take any action. He died, voiceless, unheard.
I am asked by some family members “Why do you bother to vote? The government is so dysfunctional, people are losing their jobs and health benefits and the government doesn’t help. Other relatives have decided to cast protest votes or not vote at all as neither candidate fully represents their ideal of a perfect candidate.
No candidate is perfect. But I can figure out which candidate is more likely to understand us, to have our values, and be more likely to make better choices making our world a better place. I will have a voice.
Keith Steva, Cook,
Minnesota
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