One Percent, A Different Kind of Memorial Day

Reflection by Maggie Hemphill

Perspective. It's a good thing. I got a solid dose of it this morning:

Today the NYTimes published a list of names of only 1% of the US deaths due to the coronavirus. The United States is about to reach 100,000 deaths.

Those aren't just numbers, they are people.

Nearly one hundred thousand people have died in the United States.

[Globally the death toll is approaching 350,000 people.]

A former high school teacher of mine said, we "build many memorials for those who defend our country... [but] how about those Americans who have lost their life during COVID-19..." What about them?

There are many places in the United States where it feels easy to forget how big this thing is. Maybe you live in a county or a state where there aren't many COVID deaths or many COVID cases at all... Or maybe you believe the actions of your governor seem "over the top" because you're sick of being safe and healthy at home... I'm sick of being at home too, but I'm also healthy and so is my family. Staying at home is how we protect our friends and community. Especially when COVID is disproportionally affecting our brothers and sisters of color, I am keenly aware of my white privilege that also protects me and why it is important to stand in solitary with people of color. We simply can not only look at ourselves and how we alone are impacted.

At an online church service this morning Pastor Richard Dahlstrom reminded me of what I already know to be true: When one person suffers, we all suffer. And we are suffering right now globally.

May we remember those that have died from COVID and that there are still people actively dying in our "First World Nation" and around the world. Can we begin to look COLLECTIVELY at our nation, at our world, and remember that all our lives are connected.

In case you're wondering, here's what ONE PERCENT of the deaths in the US looks like:

This was originally posted May 24th, 2020 on www.maggiehemphill.com