You’ve all seen it all over the news, “CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IS COMING!” Sparking fear into the very hearts of people around the world. No one wants to be sick, let alone with an unknown virus that mysteriously infects people of every color, race, and continent. Let me introduce you to the Coronavirus or *COVID19 as it is now called now. A creepy virus originating in China that is ferociously contagious and where people are dropping like flies. And yes, it has made its way across the oceans to begin infecting the United States and causing an all-out panic!
The American way of life is based upon consumerism, we consume things. It is in every aspect of our lives and when we want something, we want it fast. Remember the term, throw-away-society? Well, that is alive and well along with consumerism, we use whatever and throw it away, it is why our oceans are filled with plastics of all shapes, colors, and sizes.
Because we are so used to having what we need when we need it, what naturally sets in in a situation like this, is the fear of not getting it. This is what is happening now, panic buying, but not all of us are able to do this even if we are fearful of what this virus could cause.
We live in a class system even though all Americans say they are free. The destitute, very poor, poor, middle class, upper-middle-class, rich, very rich and wealthy and don’t forget the beloved billionaires. You get my point, but we are all affected none-the-less equally by this virulent virus.
I have been reading the news, seeing it on television and hearing it on the radio concerning the panic buying and the clearing out of shelves in grocery stores. Here is a quote from an article I just read, “A 45-year-old marketing professional in Denver, went to his local Target store with his wife on Thursday to stock up on food. The couple spent about $250 on canned soup, pasta, granola bars, and other dry foods to last them for roughly two weeks.” Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could just go out and spend that kind of cash for peace of mind?
Others were lining up around the block at their local Costco with pallets, yes, I said pallets of items to weather this storm. Again I say, wouldn’t it be nice. Most people live from paycheck to paycheck just trying to pay the ever-rising rents and make ends meet. So these folks are not able to just go to the store and drop hundreds of dollars on items to squash the fear that has gripped everyone.
The final straw for me today, that pushed me to write this article, was an intelligent woman I heard on talk radio (I say intelligent sarcastically even though she has her Doctorate). She was talking about the ever-encroaching virus and the horror stories on the news, not enough testing kits, not enough masks, running out of Clorox, etc. etc. She then moved on to herself and her precocious eating habits.
She has no frozen food in her freezer, no processed food in her cupboards, only fresh fruits and vegetables and meats she buys daily at her Whole Foods store. Oh my, what is she to do? She said even though it goes against her eating rituals she forced herself to go to Trader Joes and buy canned beans, tuna, rice, and chicken sausages to put in her freezer just in case.
This is what I am talking about, the privileged, out of touch, very wealthy people who have no idea how the average person lives. So what if there is a pandemic, they can run out and purchase everything they need to feel safe and secure.
What about the poor and destitute that can barely feed themselves? They would be the first to go and possibly spread the coronavirus to who knows where. Shouldn’t we be thinking about them and donating at the very least, these necessary products to help them and their families out?
I breathe a heavy sigh, so goes the way of the world, the poor will always be around and people will always be needy but with social media and the news pushing these images in our face ( Gwyneth Paltrow showing everyone her expensive mask while she flies over to Paris for Fashion Week), it is just annoying and sad and downright unjust that with everything the rich get, they get it as well in a pandemic.
