Alan S. Austin
Arizona Playwright • Writer • Poet
  

ON THE SAME PLANET? (4/01)

I rolled out of bed and read my copy of the Arizona Republic. I had to keep kicking myself. Did I wake up on the right planet? Remind me again since it is difficult to find, we do have a President who fired the U.S. pandemic response team in 2018 to cut costs? Which is one reason why we are in a mess. He told everyone the coronavirus wasn't a problem and that we would be filling the churches on Easter Sunday. The leader of the free world didn't understand about pandemics. You continue to print letters praising the job he is doing and editorials worrying rightly about businesses and people going out of work. Arizona politicians did a good job getting together a package which helped people and businesses. But Trump's ratings are actually going up while the country is falling apart. Some of the Governors are tearing their hair out if they have any left, trying to save people. Trump brags about the TV ratings for his broadcasts. Perhaps the whole thing is a nightmare and we'll wake up tomorrow and all will be well. I assume you will be printing a daily list of the names of those who die of COVID-19 so that we can mourn.