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Respect.
More than 50 years ago, the word came to be a symbol of female empowerment, and of black women in particular.
More recently, the word was used by Dr. Anthony Fauci in encouraging the use of masks when out in public.
Wearing a mask is a sign of respect for other people, he said.
"I want to protect myself and protect others," he said. "I want to make it be a symbol for people to see that that's the kind of thing you should be doing,"
We have admiration for the type of leadership Dr. Fauci is demonstrating as we don't just navigate the public health crisis of COVID-19, but as we survive it.
With communities across the nation, including here, on the verge of reopening, Dr. Fauci reminded people that it is not over, that another wave is coming, that the best way to protect our communities as they reopen is to continue to practice the protocol that has been established in the past two months.
It's not time to throw it all away.
Yet some people, including those in positions of authority here and across the nation, flaunt the fact that they do not believe they need to wear a mask in public.
Not wearing a mask while out in public not only sends the wrong message, it disrespects people who may be more concerned about their individual health than those who feel strong and healthy and immune. It's as if some people think -- wrongly, we believe -- that they are invincible.
All we can say to that is that we really do not wish for the day when a person in a position of authority gets reckless and ends up sick because of this terrible virus. Or that that person leads others down a dangerous path.
As we see it, they're just playing with fire.