Invisible powers

As I write these words, we are still under a coronavirus lockdown. I hope by the time you read these words we will be free.

We Americans don’t like being ruled by something or someone else. We didn’t want a king so we fought the Revolutionary War to claim our independence. We fought World Wars I and II to free others, and to keep ourselves free from dictators. For more than half a century we have fought to keep ourselves free, and to free others, from Communism. But the coronavirus has proven to be a different kind of enemy. How do you fight an enemy you can’t see? How do you fight an invisible enemy?

One reaction is to fight each other. Initially, we blamed the president and the State Department and the “spy agencies.” Why didn’t they know? Some have even asked, “Where were the New York Times and Wall Street Journal with all their investigative reporters?” We have lots of questions and few answers.

Gradually, however, we discovered that blaming and fighting with each other helps no one.

Far better to fight the virus itself.

And we have discovered that the enemy is not completely invisible. Under intense magnification we can see the virus. We can help patients to battle and survive it.

Our best defense is to not get the virus. That’s why we are all encouraged to “shelter in place.” The more we can isolate from each other, the less likely we will infect each other.