In memory of Beverly Reep By Mackenzie Selby October 23, 2020
The Reep family traveled to Europe on vacation in early March before the pandemic had reached their home state. While there, Beverly Reep, long-time history teacher and resident of Bradley County, contracted COVID-19.
Arkansas Covid has reported 71,614 positive cases of Covid-19 in Arkansas alone as of September 17, 2020, but the state of Arkansas wasn’t initially a hotspot for the virus. Arkansas’ first case wasn’t until March 11, 2020.
For some, it can be difficult to understand the severity of COVID-19 and its effects until they or a loved one experience it for themselves. For many residents of Warren, Arkansas, Beverly Reep was the first personal connection to COVID-19.
Even while Reep was on a ventilator at St. Vincent’s Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock, residents of the community took to Facebook to publicly shame the Reep family for potentially exposing the town to COVID-19.
Mike Nichols, used his business’ Facebook page to say, “Never done this but here you go! People run around bashing Trump like he’s the devil, then go around town exposing innocent people to this Chinese Virus!! Shame on you!! I want to say a hell of a lot more but I’ll stop there!!! Shameful!!”
Despite Reep’s condition in the hospital, the post received several shares, over a hundred likes, and even a supportive comment from the brother of the area’s current Republican state representative.
This post could be a reference to the Reep family’s known political party affiliation, as Gregg Reep, Beverly Reep’s husband, was a Democratic state representative for the area from 2005-2009.
Nichols also commented on his post, “BTW if I lose business over this post, GOOD!!! Don’t do business with me!!!! I back up my comments!! I don’t want to do business with Democrats!!!!”
Nichols has since deleted his posts but has not issued an apology for his comments regarding the Reep family.
Reliable media coverage has been crucial in order to ensure Americans stay up to date with the progression of the virus. The @ArkansasCovid Twitter account provides timely information and statistics on COVID-19 in the state of Arkansas specifically. Social media has also been used for negative purposes, such as to divide people and to create a stigma around those who contract the virus.
Beverly Reep died in St. Vincent’s on April 18 due to complications of COVID-19, according to THV11, who interviewed Reep’s son. He warned people about the danger COVID-19 after seeing people in the Warren area not taking the pandemic seriously. He said the virus “ripped his family to pieces.”
As a person who was personally affected by the pandemic when I lost Mrs. Reep on April 18, 2020, a longtime family friend and mentor, and as someone who has since had several friends contract the disease, I pose two questions for the public: During a pandemic that has caused almost a million deaths worldwide, why do politics overshadow the health and safety in our nation?
There are times differences can and should be set aside, and I would argue a pandemic is one of those times. If political conflict and ill-use of social media could be stripped away, we’d be left sympathetic and supportive to others in need.