In my state of Minnesota a black man
died at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. There was no
reason for his death. He had done nothing to deserve that. Since
then our streets and many others around the country have erupted in a
paroxysm of rage and grief. Many, either in the streets or in the
halls of government, have tried to make this about themselves,
inciting a violence that only further hurts the Floyd family and the
community where they live. Those people only disrespect the memory
of a man who died so tragically.
I would like to honor Mr. Floyd's
memory with one of the most beautiful renditions of this song that I
have heard.
For all of the peaceful
demonstrators who have come out to honor Mr. Floyd and to seek a
justice that has been so scarce in the past.
It is Memorial Day today. A day where
we remember all of those who sacrificed so much to keep our country
free and strong. But we need to remember that it is not only our
duty to remember, but to aid and uphold the very ideals they fought
so hard for. It is our duty to maintain a country for them to come
back to. It is our responsibility to bring into government men and
women who will match their sense of responsibility and care for our
country. Charlatans should not be welcome.
The world has been dealing with
Covid-19 for around two months now. We have seen a complete shutdown
in China and shutdowns of varying depths in the rest of the world.
None of us know for sure which response to the crisis will be the
least damaging to our lives long term. We have seen a virus that
takes a toll on the elderly and those with underlying health
conditions. It has struck younger people with complications that can
lead to strokes. It has led to complications in children that
resemble toxic shock. And it has been devastating to economies
around the world.
How do we balance health and jobs?
Both are of critical importance to our well being. Here in the US
our reaction has been haphazard at best, with a White House that is
incapable of leading intelligently. Critical decisions are having to
be made by each state. People are running out of patience even as
they run out of money and food. Long lines form for food giveaways
and people are protesting the lock downs.
So I thought I would post a video I ran
across about Sweden which gives insight into their decision on how
they handled the crisis. It's an interview that was conducted at the
end of April. He makes some very good points. Some of which appear
very prescient. But one thing he says seemed to resonate. It
probably won't make any difference in the end.
Here is a link to a live update of the Covid-19 cases around the world.
I was contemplating writing another
post about the Covid-19 pandemic, but I changed my mind. It is what
we are living with daily, so I figured it might be time to take a bit
of a break. I am sure it will still be there when we get back.
The world has been through many trials
and tribulations. I cannot think of anything more devastating than
WWII. Perhaps revisiting that era will take our minds off this one.
Strange as that may seem, it has worked for me.
Recently they have been airing a fiction series
called World on Fire on channel 2 (TPT) under the Masterpiece showcase which was originally
aired on the BBC. It moves fairly slowly so you haven't missed much
if you pick it up now. It is on Sunday nights at 8:00. I have also
seen it out on DVD. Or if you can stream from YouTube you can watch
the full series through there. The following is a trailer.
If you haven't seen it already it's
worth a look. Hard times pass and we will survive.
It is Easter Sunday today. Normally we
would all be going to places of worship, getting together with family
or friends for a nice meal and just hanging out. But this year is a
little different. For much of the world is keeping their distance,
going out only when necessary. This is the year of the Covid-19
Pandemic.
Was this not foreseen? Of course it
was. It was foreseen by those who took the time to look.
History has seen this:
Those who forget history are doomed to
repeat it. There were preparations that could have been made, and
indeed were. Unfortunately, in the case of the United States a lot
of that was dismantled by Donald Trump.
Yes, we will get through this, but I
fear that the new normal will not look like the old.
How we choose to respond will make a
difference in each of our countries.
This morning the Governor of New York
spoke to the citizens of his state. It's long, but I thought it was
worth posting for anyone to listen to.
Life is a series of choices. How we
make those choices matters, to us and to others. I know many of you
have probably noticed the missing items in your grocery store, like
toilet paper or bottled water. Hoarding is a horrible byproduct of
this crisis. Filling your basement with a truckload of toilet paper
at the expense of others is not a good choice.
But we are not all like that. Tough
times can also bring out the best in many people and businesses. We
have those who are converting their Little Free Libraries to Little
Free Pantries, stocking them with food for whoever needs it. We have restaurants in downtown Minneapolis that are donating food
they can't use to anyone who can. We have
the volunteers who are reaching out via the internet to senior
citizens who are shut in. We have people working on making their
own ventilators, not waiting for supplies from outside. And we have some very intelligent scientists from various nations and states working on drugs that may help.
This restaurant in St. Paul is providing free meals and hope to those who are now unemployed.
This crisis will pass. We will
survive.
How do you want to remember your behavior during it?
A couple posts ago I wrote about three
events that I believed in some way shape or form were going to be
important, not just in the present, but in the future. I also felt
that they were going to be connected in a way that will impact all of
us.
As you are all aware the coronavirus,
or Covid-19, has now spread over much of the planet, touching many
countries and the people who live there. For most who are infected
it will be a mild version, but for some it will mean hospitalization
and, sadly, death. Whether you want to call it a pandemic or not it
is a very serious happening that will take a serious effort to
control.
We have seen how the Chinese government
responded to the outbreak of Covid-19 in their country, the mass
quarantine of millions of people. An extreme measure that we might
have thought would be out of the question for those in the West to
emulate. However, just overnight Italy has imposed a partial
quarantine of their own.
Obviously, we don't want to overreact,
but as is demonstrated by the Italian government official, as well as the Pope himself, it is up to those of us who have
limited health risks to try to protect others who will be more
seriously affected by Covid-19. Because we could be carriers.
Contrast these responses to the
response of Donald Trump, the current President of the United States.
Just in case that link disappears, it was pertaining to Trump's response to a reporter's question about a person who attended a CPAC rally for Trump who tested positive for coronavirus. While I may disagree with the people who attend those rallies, unlike Donald Trump I certainly would not encourage them to expose themselves to an illness like Covid-19.
An overview of what is happening and
what we can do ourselves to fight the coronavirus.
And, lastly, a prediction of what could
be. I stress could, because perhaps if we all work together we can
mitigate some of the seriousness of this outbreak.