Why?

 

Yesterday, I woke up in a very strange mood. I turned on the TV and CBS Sunday Morning wasn’t on and the CBS news I was getting was from LA because the New York studios were closed for cleaning. I just had a feeling that things were changing and changing fast. I was right. Gatherings went from 250 to 100 to 50 in one day. (As I write this, it is now 10 people). We went to Target and the grocery store when we heard that all wineries, bars and brewpubs were being asked to close in California. Molly and I cancelled our trip to Palm Springs next week and rescheduled it to June. We did go out to dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant and got gelato. We practiced social distancing. I ended the day feeling a little more in control.

But this morning, I am mad. I realize I was mad yesterday and I just didn’t recognize the feeling for what it was. You see, if you live in California, you have been living with the Covid-19 virus since the end of January. If you are a supporter of President Trump, you probably don’t want to read the rest of this blog. The following are my opinions and my doubts about the leadership of the country, so readers beware!

When the first Americans were flown home from Wuhan, China, they were flown to military bases in California. This was the last week of January. I remember thinking to myself, why is this not making more of a headline? Why does the government think they can bring people into the US with the possibility of a deadly disease with no vaccine and it’s not going to spread in the U.S.? I became complacent because the government was complacent. The news continued to be bad about the virus, all bad, but Trump blew it off. “No big deal”, “It’s a hoax”, “Live your daily lives”, all things Trump said in the early days. Of course, social media didn’t help. Our country is so divided by politics, that we couldn’t see this for what it really is – A WORLD HEALTH CRISIS.

How did things get to out of hand? How is the United States of America not prepared for a pandemic of this scope? How did our great nation ignore that our lives were going to change forever?

My answer-it all goes back to Trump and his lack of experience, judgment and empathy for the citizens of this nation. He has been so focused on hate, that this pandemic came up and bit him in the ass. He has cut staff and budget at the CDC and NIH. He seemed to think that this virus could not affect Americans. I got news for you Mr. Trump; this virus doesn’t care if you are rich, white, illegal or homeless. We are all capable of contracting it. AND, you can have the virus and not even know it!!

Why, why, why, when you knew this virus was spreading, did you not order resources (I mean money), to make testing kits? Why isn’t testing available for free for every person in this country? Why isn’t the world working together to develop a vaccine? Again, it comes back to hate and greed.

Not only am I mad, I am disappointed in my fellow humans who felt the need to hoard resources. Who actually needs 96 rolls of toilet paper? Grocery stores aren’t closing folks, so stop acting like 3-year-olds who don’t know how to share! Save some for your fellow humans who need it as much as you do. Why, oh why, did Costco allow people to hoard? Again, the reason is greed. They are making so much money!! Yeah us! Guess what, Costco; your stock is in the toilet just like all other stocks.

Our country has veered so far from our core beliefs. “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. Where is the one nation? We are a nation divided. Where is God? We forget that people seeking religious freedom created our nation. Yet, we want to build a wall to keep them out. Liberty and justice for all?? Liberty and justice for those who can afford it, you mean.

This pandemic will change lives forever. Personally, our retirement just got a whole lot more restrictive. Who knows if we will ever make up the money we have lost in the stock market? Small businesses are going to close. Hourly employees with no health insurance will suffer with no pay and no money to pay for treatment if they get sick. Even the untouchable Disney is losing money. NOTHING will be the same because of a man who cares nothing about the citizens of this nation.

I am mad and you should be too. This nation is better than this. This nation is smarter than this. Was anyone else amazed that Trump, who is in the high-risk category, held a news conference TODAY in a room with more that 10 people? Why the hell isn’t the leader of the free world protecting himself? Because his ego is so big he doesn’t think he can get the virus. Where is your self-isolating, Mr. Trump?

Those of you, who know me, know I have never been a Trump supporter. But this goes beyond supporting a candidate based on your political views. This goes to the very nature of staying the “United States of America” and that is not possible under the leadership of this current president. Please exercise your right to vote and vote for the safety and future of our country. And pray. If you don’t believe in a higher power, you need to now. May God be with us all.

Safe travels,

Lori