Political Historian Heather Cox Richardson offers reasoned, intelligent, and insightful real-time narration of current events on her Facebook page. Her observations from yesterday included this gem:
“If I were looking back at today from the vantage point of a hundred years from now, I would write that the government, whose systems for handling a crisis have been dismantled, is faltering badly as inexperienced officials are trying to respond to a pandemic by relying on the private sector.”
An additional layer of challenge for me in this pandemic is feeling like I am watching an alternative reality. We are told not to be believe what we can see and hear for ourselves. And worse - there are actually people who are/were happy to live in that mirage of disease and death.
Who is missing a screw?
The threat was minimized.
Adequate preparation was not initiated — unless you were one of those politicians who sold off stock because you had the inside scoop this was going to be bad.
This was not a sneak attack.
And what do we do with all that emotion?
How do we respond to people in our social circles when they proudly display their ignorance by posting and saying absurd things. It is no longer eye-rolling ignorance — it is dangerous, malicious, and cruel ignorance.
Poll after poll reflect partisan divide on this pandemic. Republicans were/are less likely to be concerned about the virus — and they have been much slower to adopt safe living practices.
The false prophet is killing off his base.
I care about that.
I care medical staff and first responders who lack protective equipment.
I care about what it means that calls to mental health hotlines are increasing.
I care — about so much.
And all that caring and all that outrage — where does it go when we are in a shelter in place order? When we are just trying to get by?
The November election cannot come soon enough. It is just too bad we will have to step over bodies to get to the ballot box.