Letter: ‘We can make common sense cool again’

Editor,

The following is a note from a friend who is an ICU nurse in New York City:

“The commercials on the hotel TV are all filled with this very vague, ominous but not too scary language. Lots of “challenging”, “uncertain” and reiteration of “us all being in this together.” Well I can tell by the various point of view on my Facebook that we are all having very different experiences.

I myself and having a pretty unique experience of Covid-19. I have Covid-19 and feel great. It would be very easy for me to say “no big deal.” But, in the last three weeks, I have personally watched 63 people die from this virus, one of whom I caught it from.

I think a fundamental truth about Covid-19 is that this virus is not fair. It hits some people like a Biblical plague, and some don’t know they have it. Some major cities have lost tens of thousands, some small towns have zero cases.

While I am so fortunate that this pandemic brought me a good paying job and experience that will make my career, many people I know might lose their jobs and businesses. So, when you see people protesting to open the country or demand the lockdown be extended, please show a little grace. Remember, not everyone is experiencing the same consequences as you are. People are afraid and it’s understandable. Nobody wants anyone to die. Nobody wants anyone financially devastated.

But, maybe if we stop fighting and stop letting our leaders and media turn everything into an episode of WWE meets Real Housewives, maybe just maybe we can work together to keep everyone as safe as possible while we get life back to normal.

We can make common sense cool again, I swear we can.”

Bill McDaniel

Oak Harbor