The current societal crisis in America, highlighted by the large scale protests in most major cities (and some small towns) has pushed the COVID-19 pandemic off the front page of our mind. But let’s not forget — it still is out there. And it continues to ravage society unevenly, and unjustly. I suppose we can all think and focus on one thing at a time — maybe because we have only so much emotional capacity to deal with the harsh realities of life.
Who knows where we will be in a few weeks when basketball resumes, or baseball is on television, and life returns to our malls and shopping areas? Will we have the emotional wherewithal to deal with the virus, its impact?
With enough distractions, will society continue to care about racial injustices and inequalities in our cities? Will we have the energy to keep fighting for change? Or will we do what we do best — move on to the next news cycle, reducing everything to a forgotten headline, a meme that goes away, a hashtag blurred. And no change to the status quo.
June 4, 2020. San Francisco