Corona Letters #35

Today is Memorial Day.

Today we thank those who gave their lives for this country.   We grieve with those who grieve the ones who were lost.   We raise our American flags and give thanks for living in this wonderful country that allows us to be free, due to the greatest sacrifice of the bravest of men and women.

Thank you for your sacrifice.   Thank you for allowing us to keep living in a country that treasures it's freedom and all that affords.

Speaking of freedom...  (Warning:  This is the part where I get a little political).

Memorial Day is usually a day of parades and picnics.  People getting together with people.
Maybe some fireworks.  For the most part, that has been cancelled due to Coronavirus.

I think it's incredibly ironic that people feel that their personal freedoms are being taken away by not being able to celebrate this most somber of holidays.   And are they really fighting for the right to be somber, or are they fighting for the right to have fun?

Just this past weekend it was reported that over 100,000 people have died in the United States due to coronavirus.  You know what 100,000 is?  It's more Americans than died in the Korean and Vietnam war combined.  That's what 100,000 is.  If you don't believe me, read this.  That article was written on April 28th and since then, when we surpassed deaths from the Vietnam War, we have now surpassed deaths from Vietnam and Korea combined.  In just a few weeks.  Can you imagine?

Now you might say these wars and Coronavirus are unrelated topics, but are they?
You might say that many of the people who are dying are old and they are a "disposable" population.
Okay.
Then please think about this.

You want to go to a parade?  A picnic?
You want to be free from your mask?

OK

Imagine this scenario:

You go to a picnic and have fun with your friends and you get coronavirus but you are young and for the most part you are asymptomatic.   A week later you go and visit your grandpa, who happens to be a veteran of the Korean War.    In fact, he survived the Korean War so well that he re-enlisted and served in Vietnam, which he also miraculously survived.  He came home, married your grandma, had your Dad, who never fought in a war, and then you were born, all because your grandpa managed to survive.   But guess what?   Because you went to that Memorial Day party, without a mask, or any thought of anyone other than your personal freedoms, your grandpa gets Coronavirus and HE DIES.

Yup.  Brutal.  He survived two wars.  He marched in many Memorial Day parades.  He loved his country and family dearly and you just killed him because you weren't wearing a mask.  But, at least you had your freedoms.

Oh the irony.

But, that's not the end of the story.   The doctor who was trying to help your grandpa and save his life, well, he also got coronavirus and died.    I'm not saying he got it from your grandpa, but maybe he got it from someone else who thought they had the "right" to not wear a mask, and be out in a large group.   This doctor was also a soldier, fighting for our country.  So are all the nurses and the EMTs and all the other front line workers.  The reason they are called "front line workers" is because we are at war with this virus and people are dying.  They continue to die today.  Let's just hope we don't reach WWII numbers.

Freedom is to be cherished.
Freedom deserves respect for the dead, who gave us these freedoms.

Otherwise, what were all those sacrifices for?


Today on this Memorial Day, I thank all the soldiers, ALL the soldiers, who gave their lives for this country.   This includes those who lost their lives on traditional battlefields, but also non-traditional battlefields that are not always recognized.  Thank you to you all.