My 96 year old uncle was among these 100,000.
These are just the known cases of COVID-19. Across the US there are many thousands more who were victims of the pandemic, but are omitted from the coronavirus statistics. In my uncle's nursing home many others died of COVID-19, but were listed as death from pneumonia. The coroner changed the cause of death in my uncle's case only because my cousin insisted he be tested for coronavirus -- he tested postive.
I feel sadness, but also outrage. And I wonder why there isn't public outrage over this tragedy because it could have been greatly mitigated. We couldn't have avoided coronavirus, but we could have been more like South Korea with only 5 deaths per million, instead of our current -- and rising -- 298 deaths per million.
… had Trump — followed by his cult of right-wing governors — exhibited actual leadership, thousands of Americans might still be alive. He could have listened to scientists, given up the notion that closing public spaces would just spook the markets (and endanger his reelection), decisively supported lockdown measures, discouraged large gatherings (instead of
egging on states to allow religious services, which have often been the site for mass infections) and modeled responsible mask-wearing. If he had, fewer Americans would have become seriously ill. We might not now be staring at the mind-boggling figure of 100,000
deaths.
The GOP has enabled Trump's careless disregard for American life and in the process has helped him to destroy our economy. They should be held to account.
This was never a choice between the economy and health -- Sweden (my other country) proves it's a false choice. Here in Sweden we kept our economy open; not shutting down and only gradually introducing some minimal restraints on public gatherings, including exhortations to use social distancing. We have little testing, almost no contact tracing and we frown on wearing masks.
Sweden now has the highest death rate in Europe and at the same time it didn't save the economy, which is suffering as badly as neighbors that did shut down. Yet those neighbors are now able to cautiously and safely begin to reopen and resume economic activity. While Sweden will continue to suffer indefinitely, because who the hell wants to go out shopping or eating in restaurants knowing the current rates of coronavirus infection? Perhaps 30% will, which is not nearly enough to keep business afloat.
In the US we have a choice facing us — we can choose a better future. We don't have to accept four more years of Trump-GOP death & economic destruction. Start preparing now. As the Swedish-American labor organizer Joe Hill said: "Don't mourn. Organize!"
And vote your outrage this November.