The Common Enemy in this Pandemic

On the same day the NY Times listed 100,000 American casualties to COVID-19, the Twittersphere exploded with images of vacationers in Ozark Lake and the public cesspool of party go-ers. They drank, smoked and swam, a virtual swarm of hundreds of human vectors, with no concern how their actions might affect the health and well-being of others.

Where is the empathy and sense of community in these terrifying times? I recall how differently people behaved when America was attacked on 9/11. We banded together, it was us against the common enemy.  We had pride in our country and in ourselves. Together we grieved the loss of over 2900 US citizens who were killed in the attacks.

Where is the communal grief for the 100,000 who have died, and the concern for the community we live in? Is this really where we are? Selfish, ignorant, naysayers abound everywhere we look. It is challenging not to be misanthropic- disliking humanity is effortless right now.

So what do we do? We continue to social distance and we wear masks, because that is what science has proven to work. When others are irresponsible and careless, the educated and compassionate must lead by behavior. Because now they, the irresponsible human vectors, are the actual common enemy.