There is plenty in our current situation to protest. We might begin with the virus itself, but it has no human conscience. We could go on to protest economic systems around the world that put so many millions of working people at risk by cultivating inequality. We could come closer to home and protest an Administration and a political Party that has balked at providing sufficient tests, protective materials and medical equipment to manage the outbreaks, and has not yet given sufficient support for small businesses–preferring to “bail out” the big corporations. These would be legitimate protests.
What we must not do is to undermine our fragile health care system and the thousands of workers in that arena who are risking their lives to save ours. And we must not protest the Governors who are making the best decisions they can to stop the virus in its tracks. We already have the highest number of deaths in the world from Covid19–higher per day than our deaths from heart disease or cancer! Without widespread testing, we do not know who is spreading the virus, since 25% of those who carry it do not show symptoms. Scientists everywhere are warning that our bast bet is to stay at home until cases have tapered off for 14 days.
This is frustrating news because we can’t know exactly when that will be, but we can be sure in Wisconsin that our Governor will make a thoughtful and well-reasoned decision. We can be sure that our NGOs are working tirelessly to feed people who need food and medical attention. Some of us are working to keep bill collectors away from doors. Some of us are donating our stimulus checks in full to the common cause.
Please do everything you can to make a better world for yourselves and your children, but do so online until the crisis is past!
Sincerely,
Estella Lauter
Fish Creek, WI