On September 11, we commemorated the 19th anniversary of the terrible terrorist attack that took almost 3000 American lives. I still remember it like it was yesterday. The images of the crashing planes, the burning towers and the rubble will forever be etched into my memory. It was a tragic day and it is good to be reminded of what we lost and celebrate the heroic efforts of those who put their lives on the line in response.
Some time over the last few days, we reached another milestone. Although the precise moment is still unclear, each of the coronavirus death trackers has now surpassed the 200000 mark. That is 67 times as many deaths as 9/11. Meanwhile the death toll around the rest of the globe continues to rise with little sign of slowing down. We will cross the 1 million mark in the next week. The true toll could be much higher. Here is a chart to put the U.S. toll in perspective.
Despite this terrible milestone, it felt like there was little fanfare. Perhaps we are just too numb by now or too overwhelmed to process it. Perhaps it doesn't have the same impact because the images of this crisis are less vivid. The enemy is invisible. The deaths happen behind close doors.
For those of us who have not lost loved ones to the pandemic, it would be easy to forget that not all have been so fortunate. This pandemic has left a gaping hole in the lives of thousands of families around the country. I recently learned that one of my oldest friends lost his father to the virus. It happened suddenly with no chance for him to say goodbye or even to attend the funeral. It is hard for me to imagine how hard that must be. People like his dad deserve to be remembered and their deaths should be grieved. Let's hope that we will not forget!
PS. Here are the sources for the plot above:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disasters_in_the_United_States_by_death_toll
https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/fs_americas_wars.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/pandemic-timeline-1930-and-beyond.htm