Alan S. Austin
Arizona Playwright • Writer • Poet
  

GOING TO WAR (4/09)

This President wants to see himself as someone leading the country. That's understandable. We are at war with a coronavirus which has so far taken the lives of 89 Arizonans and whose spread is accelerating, which indicates even a greater loss of life in the next few weeks. Arizona has a lot of retirement communities and long-term care facilities. We are vulnerable. People in these communities are vulnerable. This is an immediate problem. Hopefully our hospitals are ready. Our doctors and nurses are ready and have the right equipment. We are behind them. This is challenge we are all facing. Leaders should not send their troops into battle without being armed to fight the enemy. Still we have media outlets which cry out this is all an exaggeration, that it's not really a problem, that we have magic cures, that losing jobs is far more important than losing people. Over 16,000 people have already died in the United States. Let's focus on people first and the safety of Arizonans whatever their age, or background, or race, or language. When we have done that we will get the economy back in order. When do we start testing everyone? Until this happens the enemy is winning.