A pandemic is threatening our country. We all have been requested to behave in ways that experts say represent the best hope to get through it with minimum negative effects.
It struck me that this was the first time in 80 years the entire nation has been asked to sacrifice so our country can survive. The last time was during World War II.
Several have drawn parallels between the virus and the War. One can overdo such comparisons, for there are vast differences. The virus will disappear faster, hopefully, than the war did. There is expectation a vaccine will be developed to make this scourge disappear. There is no attempt to eliminate an ethnic group.
But this is the first time since the war that every American is asked to make a self-sacrificing contribution.
No such demand occurred after other grave circumstances hit our nation.
Not in the war after war after war that occurred in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Not after the attack on the World Trade Center.
Not after natural disasters including hurricanes, tornados, droughts, and floods.
Not after a multitude of mass shootings in schools, theaters, concerts, and other venues.
Not during major recessions.
None of these has hit home for the entire population. The post World War II wars, for example, shook and took the lives of thousands of young people courageously answering the calls of their safely ensconced leaders. But as they waged, only a small percentage of the citizens of our country were directly affected. The rest of us continued our daily lives virtually unaltered. In fact, that can be said about any of the events listed. Even the recessions, horrible as they were. A small percentage paid a huge price, but most did not. Nothing was asked of most of us.
The coronavirus is a different type of danger. It can affect every one of us. To beat it, we all have to alter our way of life for the common good. Just like during World War II.
Most people are willing to. But always there are some who won’t.
The hoarders won’t. We’ve seen them deplete shelves of toilet paper, paper towels, alcohol, sanitation sprays, wipes, breads, meats, and much else. Hoarders were around in World War II also. Simple requests back then to halt such practices achieved nothing, and rationing was established.
People continue to flock to beaches and rush to gun stores, considered “essential” in this crazy world, in the same “I want mine” mindset as the hoarders.
But now, as then, there is a community spirit. I see it my neighborhood as its members are respectful of the restrictions. People are mostly staying inside. When we dog walkers meet, we maintain six to eight feet separation as we talk. Parents use creative approaches in order to deal with the extra presence of their children.
I still want to believe in the basic goodness of the American people. That we still have the desire and the fortitude to do what is right over a long haul, just as we did during World War II. And that we come out of this kinder and less divided.
I have to believe we will emerge victorious from this challenge.
It struck me that this was the first time in 80 years the entire nation has been asked to sacrifice so our country can survive. The last time was during World War II.
Several have drawn parallels between the virus and the War. One can overdo such comparisons, for there are vast differences. The virus will disappear faster, hopefully, than the war did. There is expectation a vaccine will be developed to make this scourge disappear. There is no attempt to eliminate an ethnic group.
But this is the first time since the war that every American is asked to make a self-sacrificing contribution.
No such demand occurred after other grave circumstances hit our nation.
Not in the war after war after war that occurred in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Not after the attack on the World Trade Center.
Not after natural disasters including hurricanes, tornados, droughts, and floods.
Not after a multitude of mass shootings in schools, theaters, concerts, and other venues.
Not during major recessions.
None of these has hit home for the entire population. The post World War II wars, for example, shook and took the lives of thousands of young people courageously answering the calls of their safely ensconced leaders. But as they waged, only a small percentage of the citizens of our country were directly affected. The rest of us continued our daily lives virtually unaltered. In fact, that can be said about any of the events listed. Even the recessions, horrible as they were. A small percentage paid a huge price, but most did not. Nothing was asked of most of us.
The coronavirus is a different type of danger. It can affect every one of us. To beat it, we all have to alter our way of life for the common good. Just like during World War II.
Most people are willing to. But always there are some who won’t.
The hoarders won’t. We’ve seen them deplete shelves of toilet paper, paper towels, alcohol, sanitation sprays, wipes, breads, meats, and much else. Hoarders were around in World War II also. Simple requests back then to halt such practices achieved nothing, and rationing was established.
People continue to flock to beaches and rush to gun stores, considered “essential” in this crazy world, in the same “I want mine” mindset as the hoarders.
But now, as then, there is a community spirit. I see it my neighborhood as its members are respectful of the restrictions. People are mostly staying inside. When we dog walkers meet, we maintain six to eight feet separation as we talk. Parents use creative approaches in order to deal with the extra presence of their children.
I still want to believe in the basic goodness of the American people. That we still have the desire and the fortitude to do what is right over a long haul, just as we did during World War II. And that we come out of this kinder and less divided.
I have to believe we will emerge victorious from this challenge.
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