Red state vs. Blue state. Fox or CNN? Media watchdogs or deep state? Bernie vs. Joe? Presidential pardons. Russia meddling. Revisiting Roe v. Wade.
The list went on and on, and it's a safe bet that our nation was well on its way toward the most divisive political campaign in history.
That might still turn out to be the case, but for now, political rancor seems self-indulgent, petty and even childish. America, and indeed the entire world, is at war with the same enemy – and nothing unites us like a battle against a shared, merciless foe. In fact, we'd argue that at a time when “social distancing” keeps people physically separated, we're actually becoming closer.
Neighbors who've nodded at each other for years are chatting from respectful distances. ...
Siblings are calling each other more. Kids are checking in on their parents more regularly. Many of us are embracing Skype, Zoom and other technologies to renew friendships, and social media outlets abound with encouraging messages, images and videos.
(Across) Minnesota, people are going the extra mile to help each other. Friends of medical professionals are opening their homes to children who can't be in school. Volunteers are delivering groceries and free meals to seniors who are afraid to leave their homes.
Librarians are reading books and doing activities on Facebook Live to entertain home-bound kids. Teachers are sending notes to their students, simply to say “Thinking of you!” Some .... teachers went one step further, having a parade through neighborhoods simply to wave and exchange messages with students face-to-face.
Tailors and quilters are volunteering their time to produce homemade facemasks. Workers at grocery stores and other major retailers are moving heaven and earth to clean and disinfect shopping carts, door handles and every surface their customers might touch, while also trying to keep shelves stocked.
And, then, of course, there are the people who every day put their own health at risk simply by doing their jobs.
Hospital workers, whether they are doctors or custodians, don't have the option of sheltering in place or being socially distant. They are on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19, and that's a scary place for them and for the families they return to at the end of their shifts.
Law enforcement officers, paramedics, firefighters and other first responders can't stay home, either. They can't control the circumstances under which they will interact with the public, and a global pandemic doesn't stop other health emergencies and car accidents.
And, when a call went out that blood was in short supply, so many people rushed to (some locations) that potential donors had to wait several hours or make appointments to return another day.
It seems that the worst of times brings out the best in people.
But the reality is that the worst of times might still lie ahead. While we'd all like to believe that we're nearing the end of the pandemic, we might just be at the end of the beginning. If the experts are right when they say that 40-80 percent of Americans will contract COVID-19 in the next year or two, then the past two weeks have merely been the opening mile of a marathon.
The true test of our mettle will be how we respond in “shelter in place” mode. Or after six weeks of having kids cooped up at home. Or when people's initial burst of enthusiastic volunteering begins to wane. Or when the virus hits enough truckers (another group of unsung heroes) to actually disrupt supply chains of food, gasoline and, yes, toilet paper.
We hope those things don't happen, but if they do, we're certain that there's no place we'd rather be than in ... Minnesota. People here are rising up to meet the countless challenges of COVID-19, and when we come out on the other side, our victory will be defined by the countless personal sacrifices and the unity that earned it.
This editorial is the opinion of the Rochester Post Bulletin's editorial board.
"Opinion" - Google News
March 31, 2020 at 06:00PM
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Minnesota Opinion: Nothing unites us like a shared, merciless foe - West Central Tribune
"Opinion" - Google News
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