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Blame and Responsibility in the Pandemic Era

Lauren Ramesbottom

Updated: Apr 2, 2021


"Giving up a weekly spin class is a small price to pay when lives are at stake." I read, and then re-read the email again. I felt a mixture of emotions swell in my chest, and my face grew hot as anger bubbled to the surface. Someone, a former patron perhaps, had sent this message to someone I love, someone who had been fighting tooth and nail to keep her business afloat for the last 6 months in the face of the (potentially insurmountable) challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. She was losing everything and - on a weekly basis - she faced commentary that shared this grossly unsympathetic rhetoric. Commentary, from both members of the public and members of the government, that told her to take it on the chin. To close her doors and sit back quietly, while bills accumulated, personal debt climbed and hope dissipated, and feel good about her sacrifice. To this day, I couldn't fathom having the audacity to say this to someone; to look someone in the eye who just lost their entire livelihood – who may now be unable to support themselves or their family – and insist that it is a 'small price to pay'. Just as I wouldn't look to someone who had lost a friend or loved one to this virus and claim it's 'no big deal'. Because, of course it is. Lives are being torn apart. None of these experiences should be minimized or politicized as we continue to experience mass grief in real-time. It is devastating to witness, and devastating to be a part of, And yet, this sacrificial theme continues to permeate across social media and social circles at a rate I've never experienced before. We are either lacking empathy entirely, or we are increasingly selective in its application. Who earns the right to sympathetic consideration? How much does one have to lose? Who gave us the right to operate with a 'holier than thou' mindset that willingly sacrifices anyone not subscribed to our immediate agenda or beliefs? I frequently find myself standing back in horror, witnessing a world that is increasingly at odds, broadcasted across mediums and platforms that thrive on the divisive power of cancel culture, blame, and shame. But again and again, our leadership urges us to make "short-term sacrifices for long-term gain", and to "take this seriously" while subscribing to another lockdown, another stay-at-home order, for "just a few more weeks". Only, it's never been that. It's been a year. It's been a year of unimaginable sacrifice. A year of hardship. A year of pivoting according to increasingly convoluted and conflicting guidelines. A year of unfulfilled promises. A year of government contradictions. A year of being told that we are "all in this together" when we so clearly have never been in this together. A year of intervention efforts that have yet to garner meaningful results beyond economic and social destruction, paired with leadership that seems unwilling to change course or admit to any missteps along the way. Is there a perfect response to a pandemic? Of course not. We had no idea the challenge that this virus would present, the way it would upend our lives, the way it would impact our future. How could we? But we know more now than we knew then. We have the data, the statistics, the expert opinions, and the context we were lacking in March of 2020. The fault of the government is not in choosing the wrong course of action at the onset of this pandemic; the fault, I would argue, is refusing to deviate from intervention methods that have, over time, proven to be unsuccessful. The fault is letting political pride get in the way of what truly matters – the health and safety of all, not just some. The fault is failing to advocate for both the proactive protection of those vulnerable to the virus, as well as those vulnerable to the sweeping economic and social ramifications of the last 365+ days. Some of us don't have a "few more weeks". Some of us have paid the ultimate price.

Over the last few months, especially, I've felt at a loss. Discussion surrounding the virus has consumed my personal and professional life; my participation in the media frenzy unfolding around each new update has been mandated by my line of work. I find myself immersed in the subject matter, and the associated arguments, whether I wanted to be or not. I've become increasingly aware of the negative impacts of the media and the way strategic messaging and political posturing often profits off fear, hate, polarization, and public divide. Remember, neutrality doesn't earn clicks, inspire shares, or sell magazines. Neither does political nuance. In the realm of media and online consumption, global discontent is great for business. Our worst-case-scenario is, for a select few, a best-case-scenario. And so, we now find ourselves existing in extremes continuously amplified by the perceived accessibility that social media offers. Suddenly, everyone has a platform to voice their opinions and, subsequently, a platform to be attacked for their opinions. It's the virtual Hunger Games in the form of digital vitriol. We don't simply jump to conclusions, we hurl ourselves at them. We've created, or at least subscribed to, a climate that readily eliminates the opportunity for reasonable debate or nuance. You don't believe in lockdowns as a primary intervention effort? You must be COVID-19 denier, and a far-right, conservative anti-masker. Hell, you might be QAnon. You were definitely pro-Trump. You probably don't believe in women's rights, either. Oh, and you must be a regular at Adamson's BBQ. Of course, this seems like a ridiculous conclusion to draw (because it is) but, in my experience over the last 12 months, it is painstakingly true. People are scared to speak up. People are scared to voice their opinion. People are scared to attract unwanted attention, conflict or, in many cases, be cancelled for saying the wrong thing or being associated with the wrong camp. When you eliminate the middle ground, you hand the megaphone to the (often unsavory) figureheads existing on opposite sides of the spectrum. This environment doesn't breed healthy discourse, it empowers perpetual conflict and extreme stereotypes. It creates the perfect landscape for an ongoing war of opinion that weaponizes volatile social media commentary. As I said in my previous post, it is, in fact, possible to care about human life and the economy at the same time. It is, in fact, possible to want small businesses to be awarded a chance at survival, while simultaneously wanting hospitals to have the resources they need to save lives. It is, in fact, possible to care about lives lost due to COVID-19, as well as those lives lost due to the COVID-19 response. It is, in fact, possible to care about the risks associated with the COVID-19 virus, as well as the mental health crisis that is unfolding across communities before our eyes. It is, in fact, healthy to question the decisions of political leaders and hold them accountable. And it is, in fact, reasonable to call attention to glaring contradictions perpetuated by those in political power. Contrary to popular belief, exercising critical thinking is not synonymous with being a conspiracy theorist. After all, if a governing group has the power to infringe on your personal freedom(s), should you not have the right to ask questions about their plan of action? Should we not have a right to speak to the ways in which social and economic concerns are intrinsically linked, and push for a more balanced approach that doesn't cause as much (if not more) harm than it prevents? And yet, we're often so caught up in the act of exercising punitive judgement on our immediate neighbours, that we forget to consider top-down regulations and frameworks under an appropriately critical lens. Personally, I do not believe in the lockdown. This is our third time passing through the same cycle, and I'm increasingly aware of the destruction it leaves in its wake. I am, however, not a COVID denier, an anti-masker, or an anti-vaxxer. Nor am I an infectious disease specialist, or a frontline worker. I am also acutely aware of the fact that we cannot remove ourselves from bias regardless of how objective we try to be. It is for precisely this reason that I make a conscious effort to follow and listen to the opinions of those who share different beliefs than myself. I remind myself, frequently, not to shut down every time a friend, family member, client, or colleague expresses a stance that doesn't align with my own positioning. I am obviously flawed and human and, therefore, I sometimes fail at this. I have days I retreat into myself and feel angry at connections on social media, members of the government and media, my lack of autonomy, and the conflicting nature of pandemic-related reporting and modeling. I often feel confused by anecdotal evidence, and frustrated by socially accelerated conjecture. On an increasingly regular basis, I struggle to understand how we are the worst of the G7 countries in regards to vaccine roll-out, and how we have failed to implement paid sick leave for essential workers. Perhaps more than anything, I struggle to understand how we continue to assign the fault of the virus spread on industries that have been shuttered for over 300 days. But no matter how frustrated or confused I feel, I simply refuse to buy-in to a culture of misinformed blame and public dissension. "Wake up and do your part," is the sentiment I repeatedly hear. But my question is this – have we not been doing our part? Has the last year of sacrifice meant nothing? Why are we placing the burden of responsibility solely on a population of people who now, a year into the pandemic, have run out of time, hope and resources? Why are we turning against each other, rather than looking towards our leadership who seem so ready and willing to place the blame entirely on our shoulders? Why are we so eager to put small business owners in the line of fire, as if entire industries aren't on the brink of collapse with each passing day? Over the last year, I've watched friends, loved ones, and people I don't personally know lose everything, all while having people (who, conveniently, often haven't missed a paycheque) tell them to just "keep doing their part." To that, I urge you... please, stop weaponizing responsibility in this way. This is a dangerous game, and moving forward, we have to stop disregarding the incredible sacrifices so many people have made to follow government orders in the name of public safety. We need to stop assuming the role of Judge, Jury and Executioner in the face of people trying their best to reasonably survive. A year that was defined by perpetual dread, rescheduled weddings, postponed surgeries, missed funerals, the loss of lives and lost time with loved ones, extended periods of isolation, dwindling mental health, business closures, bankruptcy and broken dreams, demands a more compassionate lens. So, when considering the experience and opinions of someone who is struggling in a way you might not personally comprehend, please, exercise some empathy. Stop mistaking your neighbours, social media connections, local businesses (and even the state of Florida) as tangible and productive punching bags. Fear often brings out the worst in us, but we have to stop placing blame where it doesn't belong simply because it's convenient or feels good to assign judgement to someone or something within reach. Exercising your frustrations on the lowest hanging fruit doesn't breed justice; it usually just breeds contempt. And there is already enough of that to go around. Of course, I don't have the answers, but I am certain that viewing our exhausted peers as public enemy #1, rather than advocating for an accountable government and nuanced political and social discussions, is not a healthy coping strategy. More importantly, it won't allow us to effectively (or peacefully) bridge the gap between today and the post-pandemic future which, I would argue, should be the ultimate goal. We still have to live with each other on the other side of this, after all. We would do best to remind ourselves of that. Until next time. Stay safe, everyone.


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tejeanfitness
01 apr. 2021

Great post

Gilla
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