(ThyBlackMan.com) “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens
This whole coronavirus thing is very confusing. In the space of one week the president went from declaring it a hoax to declaring it a National Emergency. And the public health community is telling us we have to come together to fight this pandemic, by staying away from each other: social-distancing.
Time has been distorted. Things that happened weeks ago seem as though they happened a year ago. Like, whatever happened to the teen vaping epidemic? Did we stop it?
We have yet to hear from white evangelical leaders like Franklin Graham, who recently lionized the president as God’s anointed, as to why this biblical-like plague is spreading throughout the country. But we have seen some, like Rev. Jim Bakker, issued a “cease and desist” order for hawking a snake-oil concoction purported to cure COVID-19 and Televangelist Kenneth Copeland offering to heal the virus, for a small donation, by viewers touching their televisions while he prays for them.
And it’s not just about being exposed to the virus, it’s also what the virus has exposed. I mean, who knew decisions to close schools had as much to do with kids not being able to eat, as being able to learn? When did our schools have to become food pantries?
Not that we didn’t already know the president is a notorious liar, but who thought he would tell whoppers about matters of life and death? Like “everybody who wants a test can get one”, when we know there’s not enough tests to go around and we don’t even know how many people have been tested for god’s sake.
The CEO’s of Walmart, Walgreen’s, CVS and Target, who the president thanked for allowing their parking lots to be used for a drive-through coronavirus diagnostic website he said Google was creating, could not answer the most pertinent question of the day: When would they have a steady supply of hand sanitizer on their shelves? And, when asked about the website, Google said… “What?”
Since nobody has said that the coronavirus causes diarrhea, I still can’t figure out why we’re all out there panic-buying toilet paper.
Facebook was circulating stories that “black people couldn’t get” coronavirus before two black NBA players contracted it and the league – the “blackest” in professional sports – announced they were suspending their season because of it.
The virus must also be confusing our politics. After having his ass handed to him in the latest round of primary contests, Bernie Sanders came out the next day and said, “We’re winning”, and demanded that Joe Biden adopt his platform. Of course that’s what second-place finishers, in a two-man race, get to do.
Now we are seeing what happens when the creeping virus of anti-intellectualism spreads around the globe and countries begin to be run by reality tv stars (U.S.), failed newspapermen (U.K.) and comedians (Ukraine). When you step onto an airplane, or into an operating room, don’t you want the most ‘elite’ person in their field to be in charge? Why not the same for our governments.
We all need to slow down, take a deep breath and carefully think through how we’re going to navigate the avalanche of “news”, “claims” and “rumors” making the rounds, particularly on social media, about this virus and its effects. And stop worrying about where it is; because it’s everywhere.
But right now, I think I need a nap.
Staff Writer; Harry Sewell