June 29, 2020 … Monday
We are still in the midst of this pandemic. We are going on month five of issues/escalating cases, hospitalizations and deaths, resurgences, steps backwards and chaos. I have four friends who have lost parents to this virus. It is real. It is scary. And, as things are going, there is not an end in sight.
I’ve been reading a lot (as in a LOT) during this “down time” (aka: Covid quarantine/stay home/stay healthy/stay alive time). Months of time. Months of reading.
Every once in a while I’ll come across something that brings me to tears. Today was such a day.
You know what I think of our President. This pandemic is not a political problem. It is a health problem and we are in crisis. Our President thinks it’s based on partisan politics and he is the problem.
Instead of simply wearing a mask – as has been found by other countries and our own – to quell the spread of this disease along with physical/social distancing – he refuses. And in doing so tells his pro-Trump base to do the same … undermining that which those of us wearing the masks are trying to do. Stop this virus, save lives, get the economy back up and get our lives back to some semblance of normalcy.
Instead of mandating that the country wear masks in public – he shames those who do. He criticizes and makes a mockery of science, health leaders and the media who share this info. Instead of wearing a mask and getting this country on the same team … he is divisive and deadly. Because of him people are and will continue to die.
Today I read an article about the end of WWII. The war ended nearly 15 years before I was born … and by the time I would even think of asking anyone in my family about it – another 15 years had gone by. In home nor at school did we really go over much of the every day life of how the war affected Americans during those years. But my parents, friends, their families all lived during that time.
And during that time, the country came together. Men who were at work – went off to war. Women, who otherwise had been home, went off to work. Kids pitched in doing everything from cooking meals, babysitting, working and saving scraps. People organized local rubber, scrap metal and paper drives. Everyone collected. Women gave up their hosiery. Rations of all kinds pervaded the entire country. Shortages and outages were not uncommon.
And what did all these people do … who had loved ones gone … or worse/killed in action? They rallied around their neighbors, communities and country. They grew gardens. They shared. They protected others. They sang songs. They worshipped. And they gave.
That war lasted five years. They were called on to be better … and they stepped up and were not just better but extraordinary.
I got an email notification recently as a reminder to wear face masks due to the statewide mandate put in place on Friday. There was one comment attached to it and it simply said, “No.”
I broke into tears. No????? WTF is wrong with people!?!
Why is this country so selfish? What happened to us? My parents and their parents were called to war and did what they had to do for the betterment of their communities and country – without grumbling. Without saying no.
We’re not talking about going to war for five years here … we’re talking about wearing a mask for a few weeks or months – staying in and watching TV.
We need a President who will lead us. One who will bring us together and guide us through difficult times like this by example, reason and intelligence. A President who is compassionate and understanding but also no-nonsense. One who is backed by science and experience and trusted advisors. One who loves America and her people and who holds decency at the core.
We do NOT need a President: who grabs pussy, is an egocentric lying POS, who retweets videos chanting “White Power” and praising violence, who violently removes peaceful protestors away for a photo op, who tries to kill affordable health care for millions during this crisis, who down-plays this virus and the strain on our country’s healthcare systems and providers, who is misogynistic and racist, who is a hate monger, who deepens his own pockets through taxpayer monies … nor who has zero response when told that our troops were handed over to bounty hunters by his Russian pal.
What we need is for our President to wear the mask and to call on the people of this country to come together. We don’t have to go off to war. We don’t have to worry about shortages (talking to you – TP hoarders). We don’t have to do anything but stay home and if we must go out – wear a mask. How hard is that? Compared to what people did 80 years ago … it’s embarrassing. It’s pathetic. And, it’s shameful.
So, if our President isn’t going to call the American public up to be better – it’s up to us. Make sure you tell every one you know to wear the damn mask and keep their distance. And please remind them to vote in November. We need decency back, we need true leadership for this country and we need everyone pulling together to make that happen.