A nation’s inner look

As I write the sun shines while I stay at home. Pandemic roars in the United States. Deaths soar. Some cities’ curves flatten, others spike. Spring erupts. Birds sing. People ZOOM. Germany opens. Sweden never closed. U.S. protesters rally in state capitols. Loved ones grieve their dead, as do I.

Amid this, have we given thought to how our country has been at risk as the onslaught of the coronavirus wraps its grip? With a nation divided, whose leader spews anger and shame, where corruption is rampant and contempt sickens democracy, the virus has found a vulnerable prey.

Our tomorrow’s prediction is cloudy and scary. This country is in a horrific storm, and our population is in vastly different boats. From yachts to dinghies. You can name the vessels carrying the groups: Rich, Poor, Essentials, Non-Essentials, Millennials, At Risk, Over 65, Exhausted, Out of Money, Working from Home, Home Schooled, Privileged, Ventilated, Sick and Tired, I’m Okay, Let Me Out. I am sure you could add some more apt names.

Many of our boats are drifting into an abyss. Others will stay afloat. We, as a society, must take an inner look. Let’s look, as a nation, what got us to where we are? May we put politics aside and ask what will bring our republic to a time where God-given, inalienable rights rule, and act on just that. May the sun shine on our future.

Patricia Kowal

Diamond Lake, Wash.