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Today’s New York Times front page is a grim reminder of what this pandemic has cost thus far. As you’ll see, the entire page is comprised of the names of those who have succumbed to Covid-19 in the U.S. There are 1,000 names listed which makes up just 1% of the almost 100,000 lives lost. You can enlarge it and see these were people from different age groups and all walks of life. The toll is just…staggering. So, as everything opens back up and people fight over things like wearing face masks, perhaps some reflection is in order.
They were not simply names on a list. They were us.
By Hook Or By Book 
a stark reminder. so sad. xoxo
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It is indeed.😔
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I saw this earlier on Twitter and have been upset ever since. We still don’t know enough about covid19 to stop it, much less eradicate it, but how many of these deaths could have been prevented with better preparedness and strong leadership? It’s a moot point because dead is dead, but how many more must we lose needlessly?
This country cannot stay “closed” indefinitely, but better, UNIFORM practices are needed to protect everyone. However, safety and survival have become secondary. The coronavirus has deteriorated into one big dog whistle for partisan politics, racism across the board, and money grabs by corporations. We’re fed up, tired… and ignored while the armed selfish and self-centered are praised for storming state buildings to protest “stay-at-home” orders.
And all we can do is watch loved ones die.
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Well said Felicia. I believe this is going to get even worse before it gets better. There’s a hair stylist in Missouri who went to work with symptoms. She was wearing a mask, but potentially exposed at 91 people,including a second stylist who just tested positive.
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Kim this reminds me of all the names of dead soldiers I had read on the walls of the US War cemetery in Normandy some years ago. It was sobering to see how many died in a conflict. French President Macron told his people about the COVID “Nous sommes en guerre”, “We are at war.” And for how much I rolled my eyes at that time because it was the beginning of the COVID and I thought it was just a flu, I quickly realized that he was totally right. I understand the urge to set the economy afloat again else we’ll have another huge problem BUT not anyhow. People HAVE to wear masks. It’s not a question of individual freedom, it’s a question of mutual respect. Think of the elderly, the immune depressed, of all these people at risk and show that you CARE what happens to them. That you are ready to sacrifice some individual comfort to protect the community.
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Yes Sophie. And other monuments like the Vietnam and Holocaust Memorials. We are at war indeed.sadly, at least here in the U.S., we have a pampered, entitled population who will fight tooth and nail to prevent any creature comfort being temporarily taken away.
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So sad, we are no better here.
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So many deaths could have been avoided Fraggle if our leaders had been better prepared and acted more responsibly.
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But according to Donald the Orange it is a “badge of honor” to have died of this disease…..what a pathetic man and thing to say. be well chuq
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That’s to be expected from the man who thinks Henry Ford had fine bloodlines.
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LOL
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this might be the grimmist front page ever…
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😢😢🙏🏽🙏🏽
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Behind those names are the partners, wives, husbands, parents, children, friends. colleagues. The impat of one death affects perhaps fifty other people. So as well as the departed, the bereaved have their lives ruined also.
The figure in Britain is around 40,000 dead. Compared to the differnce in our populations, that is an even higher percentage.
Yet people still act as if they are immune. History wil look back on this time in amazement.
Best wishes, Pete.
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So true Pete. I don’t think history will be judging us kindly.
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silently speaks volumes
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Yep.
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I cannot express how sad it makes me to see all those names that lost their lives to COVID-19 , it’s truly heartbreaking! 😦
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And just think Margie. The NYT would need 100 pages more to print all the names of people who have died. And that’s just today.
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It’s unbelievable, KIm. 😦
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
In case you missed this … “There are 1,000 names listed which makes up just 1% of the almost 100,000 lives lost. You can enlarge it and see these were people from different age groups and all walks of life.” … meanwhile, “IT” golfs!!
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Powerful image. And we are now in a time when we are being encouraged to accept these numbers as inevitable, as if there was nothing we could’ve done to prevent them…it’s a sobering time in our history
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And it’s going to get worse John, but I guess all the victims are collateral damage.
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Sadly, that is true.
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I have a large share of responsibility in determining when/how the church I pastor will reopen, and I wish that more people would take to heart how serious and tragic this situation is. The pressure to “get back to normal” is unreal as our governor (“that woman from Michigan”) is continually badmouthed as if her goal in all this is to make our lives more difficult.
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I was surprised to see how many religious leaders have clapped back at Trump and have said they’re either not ready to reopen or they’ll reopen very cautiously. Bravo to you all for protecting your congregations.
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Most of my church leadership team is onboard with opening only when it is fully legal to do so and having limited services and rigorous precautions in place once we do. I’ve been fairly continuously emphasizing being law-abiding, empathetic, prudent, and protective of the vulnerable since this started. I just don’t understand Christians that play the political angles on this…
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The numbers are sad. The loss of real people is what is tragic. It is so unreal that science is currently less important than politics right now. All these souls had loved ones that will forever be changed by the loss. Staying home and as safe as I can is not just for me, a compromised senior, but also for my loved ones.
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I feel the same.
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😞
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WOW! Really hits you.
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It certainly does!
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