A Memorial Day Sip

There are millions people who are virtually untouched by the horrors of the corona virus. Other than the “inconvenience” of shelter in place, they have not lost loved ones or been forced to interact with the healthcare system. The news of the happenings in the continental US, might as well be about some far-flung country, because it is not happening in any place recognizable, desirable or any person known to them.

Memorial Day is in honor of those who have died while serving in the country’s armed forces and started after the American Civil War to commemorate all the soldiers who died in the war. The US lost nearly 2% of the population ensuring nearly every single person was impacted, everyone knew someone who lost a life in service.

This Memorial Day 2020, the start of summer and the easing of Shelter in Place. Talking to people in places with low infection rates or those who know no one infected or no deaths in a vastly different than those who have been impacted. To the person, anyone I talk to in Atlanta has lost a family member and while restrictions have been eased, they are adamant, I’m not going out there.

Memorial Day started 156 years ago and became a federal holiday 50 years ago. This week, consider, if we can have a holiday to honor and remember lives lost in war, we remember that Shelter In Place (SIP) is to stop the rapid spread of the virus, not overwhelm the healthcare system and buy time for research on treatments and vaccines. On Memorial Day, can we take a moment on memorial day to remember those lives lost to COVID 19