Editor’s note: This commentary is by Bob Stannard, of Manchester, an author, musician and former lobbyist.
The 12th month is upon us. Some, but not all, made it through Thanksgiving, which still holds the title for the best holiday of the year. Thanksgiving is the holiday when families all around America come together to give thanks. OK, so this year the “things to be thankful for” box wasn’t quite as full as in years past, but there must be something that we were grateful for, right?
The fact that I’m here typing this and you’re there reading this should be about enough to make you and me grateful. Two hundred and seventy thousand Americans had died as of Nov. 25. On Thanksgiving Day alone, 1,311 died. In a scant two weeks those numbers will be dwarfed.
The Centers for Disease Control is projecting by the end of 2020 as many as 410,000 might die from Covid-19. That would be roughly two-thirds of all Vermonters. Think about that. Two out of three people dead if the virus was isolated just to Vermont. Do you think it might start to hit home if you had three people in your immediate family and now you were the only one left? Would that be enough to make you wear a mask or stay home?
Maybe not. This past summer we learned some rather depressing news: “Churches in California and Minnesota, backed by a conservative legal group, filed lawsuits this week against the governors of their states challenging restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak that they contend are violations of religious liberty,” wrote David Crary on AP News on Aug. 13.
Churches are suing to be able to act irresponsibly during a pandemic. Apparently for some churches it is more important for people to congregate and worship in person, in a church, sitting side by side with fellow worshipers than it is to curtail the spread of a virus that is about to kill more people than who died in the Civil War, the worst, bloodiest war in our history. So much for the shepherd taking care of the flock. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that one can pray at home, or at a Zoom gathering. In doing so they would be doing their part to help get this hideous virus under control and help to relieve the stress and anguish on our essential workers, our hospitals, our families and our nation. It seems a little selfish to put your family, friends and other Americans at risk just so that you can go to church.
Many people don’t like to be told what to do. I get that. However, if you believe that it’s your right or privilege to not take precautions that may result in you or others getting sick, that’s not being very patriotic. In times of crisis Americans used to come together to help and support each other. What happened to those days? Have you all forgotten how Americans came together on 9/11? It didn’t matter who you were, what color your skin was or what religious beliefs you held, we were all Americans reaching out and supporting those who were so horribly impacted by that attack. The world shared sympathy for New York and New Yorkers. 2,977. That’s how many people died on 9/11 and we all came together to mourn and support our fellow American.
Two days ago, Dec. 4, 2,800 people died in one day in America. No, they weren’t concentrated in a single city. These deaths occurred all around the country. Only 177 short of the number of people who died on 9/11, but look at the difference in the responses. The days and weeks following Sept. 11, 2001, we saw America come together like never before. On Sept. 11, 2020, we see Americans fighting with each other over the wearing of a mask, social distancing and/or self isolation. Just as a reminder we’re talking about witnessing 9/11 deaths every single day, not simply one attack. Every day.
Losing nearly 3,000 people every day should elicit a unified chorus of support from all Americans to do whatever it takes to fight this virus. Had we done so nearly a year ago there is no doubt that we would not be in the mess that we’re in today.
The spread of this deadly virus can partially be attributed to one man, the president. We heard him on tape declaring that he intentionally downplayed the severity of the virus. His misleading and lying statements have brought us to where we are right now, a 9/11 every day. You may be OK with losing people to this pandemic, but most people are not. Think about what it means to be an American, to be a patriot and then start acting like one.
I am thankful for the 81 million people who voted to bring to end the chaos in which we find ourselves today. It was only one election, but it might make a world of difference. We might all be able to congregate next year if we’re lucky.
