Urgent message to America
(From your neighbour up north)
Well, neighbour, it’s time for that back yard chat over the fence. Fact is, there are a number of things to talk about but let’s deal with the pandemic and your nation’s complete and total inability to manage it and to stave it off. Truth is, it’s kind of pissed off most of us here in Canada.
The damned virus came ashore in both of our nations at about the same time early in the year and that is where the comparison ends. Our politicians and public officials, including health experts and scientists, actually got together and put effective measures and strategies in place to mitigate the effects across the land. They communicated well — no b.s. Further, the politicos more or less parked their egos at the front door and worked together in a non-partisan and uncontentious manner not only to develop plans but make resources and funds available for folks.
Main thing is, they deferred to the medical experts. It’s all been quite effective, we have flattened the curve and saved lives. Now we need to remain diligent and vigilant. After all, it’s Summer, people yearn for the sun and the great outdoors and God knows, Canada gets a lot of winter.
Our experience has not been without tragedy, though. Of the lives lost here, truly 80% of these were the elderly and infirmed residing in aged care facilities and nursing homes where the level of welfare and treatment has been brought into question. Truly, as a nation we have to do much better looking after our senior citizens and old folks confined to these types of establishments as they are our most vulnerable.
As I prepare this piece we have lost nearly 9,000 of our countrymen and women. We have had nearly 110,000 cases. 73,000 of the sick have recovered, it is reported. Perhaps we could have saved more lives, maybe some things could have been done better and more resolutely but then this virus has become a monster and caught our societies by surprise. Actually, it has overwhelmed the world. We are home to 38 million souls, you house 330 million. Our countries will never be the same. You have nearly 3,500,000 cases and are approaching 140,000 fatalities. You may well lose 250,000 of your sons and daughters by Christmas.
The main thing I want to communicate here is that the American story of coronavirus has been truly pitiful. This is the plain truth of it. Your President did not take the helm of the coronavirus vessel and guide it safely and deliberately away from the rocky shore and imminent danger. He abdicated his responsibility. The whole damn sickness has been handled with denial and blame and divisiveness and I think this has revealed your untidy underbelly. The messaging from your leaders is all so muddled. Factionalism continues to suck the life force out of your nation.
Your native populations, your people of colour and those struggling in poverty have been struck particularly hard. All these folks want in the first place is to be treated fairly and to have a place at the American dinner table.
Americans like to celebrate their independence and self-reliance and government be damned posture, I get this. What seems to have been lost, however, is your sense of community and appealing to the common good and a “we are all in this together” mentality. Honestly, the selfishness I have seen played out on the TV is breathtaking. Great numbers of people going to the beach, pack ’em in pool parties, into bars and restaurants and just out and about, up close and personal. “Don’t tell us what to do!”, you say. “I’ll be damned if I’ll wear a mask!”, say some of you including el Presidente. Such defiance — to what end? Well, what’s next? What will you do when the pandemic becomes a downright plague? To be fair, we have our share of ignorants and deplorables in Canada, too.
Mr. Trump and our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, have agreed to keep our common international boundary closed to all but essential traffic for another month, at least. We share over 5,500 miles of border. Prior to the pandemic there were about 400,000 daily crossings. Until recently it had declined to about 115,000 per week. Most Canadians do not want to see these restrictions lifted. We don’t want to see you here. We want you to get your shit together and save yourselves. It is frightening to see so many of your people die unnecessarily and I earnestly hope and pray that this changes soon.
One of your Founding Fathers, Mr. Patrick Henry, said famously, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Poor fellow could not have imagined what this looks like now.
I want to share what is possible. We have a ‘Henry’ as well. She is with us now, she is our Provincial Health Officer here in the Canadian Province of British Columbia, and she has brought clear and beautiful guidance to us. Her name is Dr. Bonnie Henry. She has achieved a kind of cult status here. The New York Times called her “one of the most effective public health officials in the world.” If politics don’t get in the way, she may well be nominated for the ‘Order of Canada’, something like your Medal of Freedom.
She worked every day for five months solid. She has had designer shoes named after her. And a beer. An Aquarium on Vancouver Island named a Pacific Octopus after her. Someone started a facebook fan site. The Gitxsan, one of our First Nations, has blessed her with a name of her own, “Gyatsit sa ap dii’m”, translated as “one who is calm among us”. Her mantra is “Be kind. Be calm. Be safe.” She is loved. God bless her. Here are a few images of the great lady.
Get well, America. You simply have to and we want you to. In the big picture, we are your brethren.