The United States has surpassed one million Covid deaths, how should we mark this tragic milestone?
On Thursday, the number of known deaths from Covid-19 in the United States surpassed one million. How are we to understand and reckon with this staggering death toll and immeasurable grief? What does one million deaths mean to you? What is your reaction to the staggering Covid death toll? What thoughts and emotions does this tragic milestone evoke for you?
How does reading the stories of those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, chronicled by Ms. Bosman, affect and move you? Do any of the stories resonate with your own experiences and feelings? “We are a country with the best doctors in the world, we got a vaccine in an astoundingly short period of time, and yet we’ve had so many deaths,” Mary T. Bassett, the health commissioner for New York State, said of this tragic milestone. She added: “It really should be a moment for us all to reflect on what sort of society we want to have.” How would you respond to her perspective? How has the pandemic and the extraordinary loss of life affected how you think about American society? The Times writes that some demographic groups, occupations and communities, such as the nation’s oldest residents, as well as Black and Hispanic people, have been far more vulnerable than others. What does that make you think or feel? What does this say about our nation?
What is the importance of noting these tragic milestones? Do you think that the United States has appropriately acknowledged and reckoned with this national tragedy? Why or why not? How else might we as a nation commemorate and mourn the one million lives that have been lost during the coronavirus pandemic?
In what ways have you and your community recognized the toll of the pandemic, if at all? What more do you think you could do?
Loss is intensely personal, so please only share your experiences if you feel comfortable. If you or your family has lost a loved one to Covid, you might use this space to share something about that person. Tell us what that person was most passionate about or what you miss most about your loved one.
How does reading the stories of those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, chronicled by Ms. Bosman, affect and move you? Do any of the stories resonate with your own experiences and feelings? “We are a country with the best doctors in the world, we got a vaccine in an astoundingly short period of time, and yet we’ve had so many deaths,” Mary T. Bassett, the health commissioner for New York State, said of this tragic milestone. She added: “It really should be a moment for us all to reflect on what sort of society we want to have.” How would you respond to her perspective? How has the pandemic and the extraordinary loss of life affected how you think about American society? The Times writes that some demographic groups, occupations and communities, such as the nation’s oldest residents, as well as Black and Hispanic people, have been far more vulnerable than others. What does that make you think or feel? What does this say about our nation?
What is the importance of noting these tragic milestones? Do you think that the United States has appropriately acknowledged and reckoned with this national tragedy? Why or why not? How else might we as a nation commemorate and mourn the one million lives that have been lost during the coronavirus pandemic?
In what ways have you and your community recognized the toll of the pandemic, if at all? What more do you think you could do?
Loss is intensely personal, so please only share your experiences if you feel comfortable. If you or your family has lost a loved one to Covid, you might use this space to share something about that person. Tell us what that person was most passionate about or what you miss most about your loved one.
