This Is America’s Virus

For context, and for reasons that should be apparent, I’m irritated with people calling COVID-19 the #ChinaVirus. I’m also irritated with people not wearing masks and putting the lives of their neighbors at risk.

Here’s my rant: This virus may have started in China, but it has truly become America’s virus. We’ve enabled it. It has been made manifest through our arrogance, our sense of entitlement, our denial of science, and our lack of caring for our neighbors. A huge percentage of us are willing to have our cities and towns ravaged by this virus as long as it’s not ravaging our neighborhoods. For many, having the elderly and people of color die disproportionately from this illness has been a price they’ve been willing to pay if it means getting back to work sooner. We are a spoiled, self-centered, undisciplined people; and this virus is rooted in everything that we have become. Where is our compassion for others? Where is our sense of community and love for our neighbors?

My belief is that the characteristics that define us today don’t have to define us tomorrow. We are better than this. We can rise to this challenge.