COVIDualism

It is maddening to me that after nearly 260,000 deaths and more than 12,400,000 cases — after 11 MONTHS — and the highest COVID-19 levels yet, Americans still haven’t come to grips with reality, and that so many live in denial until a family member loses their life. The hyper-individualism of this culture combined with an absence of a sense of empathy and social responsibility — these are what are really killing us. It’s selfish and shameful.

And on November 24, Americans are flooding airports in defiance of CDC guidance. Parents in my area continue to post spelling error-riddled tirades about how “obserd” masks requirements are and how everyone should be “aloud” to make their own decisions. Americans continue to dismiss COVID as a flu variant, and insist that we need to simply get in with our lives.

No sense of the greater good. No love of neighbor. Embarrassing disregard for science. Complete dismissal of the suffering of millions of families and health care workers. Behavior that demonstrates a gallling disregard for the lives of workers who can’t afford to stay home and isolate.

It all makes me physically ill. Wake up.