- Have you spewed the #StayHome rhetoric without first considering the needs of those who are homeless? Or did you rip most services out from under them, with no backup plan? Did you only begin to consider their needs after getting called out hard on the front page of the newspaper?
- Have you applauded the drive-thru virus testing centers without batting a lash over the fact that 32% of Hartford households do not have a car? Are there walk-in options, or is your windshield bias so blinding that it never dawned on you to consider the needs of those who are among the most vulnerable?
- We have been told for weeks that if sick, we are to stay off public transportation and out of cabs and Uber/Lyft. Ambulances are not free. Not all of the clinics in Hartford have stellar reputations. If residents need prompt-but-not-emergency medical attention, how are we expected to travel for it? How are you working to ensure quality medical services for all?
- Have you shamed younger people for wanting/needing to continue to work as long as possible? Are you missing the irony of demanding younger people “take this seriously” when their basic needs have not been taken seriously for years? What financial cushion do you imagine someone has when they have been forced into multiple low-wage jobs because few companies could be bothered to offer enough full-time positions that come with health care insurance, sick leave, and all those other benefits?
- Is the worry of hospitals being overwhelmed literally the first time you have questioned whether you would be able to receive medical attention if needed? Many Americans have gone without having their medical needs met for years because our system has already been broken. What must it be like to just now be anxious that you might not get the treatment you need? Now that you have gotten a glimpse of this kind of fear, how will you fix the system for the rest of us?
- Have you, from the comfort of your McMansion or Mini-McMansion, scolded others for not “staying inside,” not once considering that there are families with extended family members crammed into city apartments? Have you ever lived like that, where there is no yard to send the kids out to? Are you a governor who seems to think that what works for Greenwich works for those living in areas of concentrated poverty?
- Do you trust your government to take care of you?
If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more, you may want to broaden your social circles and learn about what it is like to live in the United States without a safety net.
Tony C
FYI. I haven’t seen it announced yet, but I noticed “pedestrian testing” signs on Sunday (3/23) at the Hartford Hospital COVID testing location. I hope that a similar walk-up testing approach is on the way at St. Francis Hospital, and additional testing stations are implemented soon in other low car ownership neighborhoods.
Linda Pagani
Great to hear that. I hope all hospitals follow suit, ASAP.
Ruacasa
Those are powerful well-written items to think about. Thanks.
Sonia Plumb
This is an incredibly important article. I have thought about these very things as I am deeply connected to the Greater Hartford and Hartford landscape. In the suburbs teachers have no problem asking students to learn on line. It is the exact opposite for students from Hartford. They lack devices and often wi-fi to even access it. I know because I teach them.
Donna Fleischer
Thankful to you for your writing style and content! Take care, Donna
lobonick
staying at home with a paycheck is different from having to venture out and still earn a living.. much different…
lobonick
excellent analysis though.. right on target about everything here…
Linda Pagani
Yes, Kerri! As someone on the radio said, this gross inequality is ever more apparent in times of crisis. One of the worst media offenders: NPR, and its constant stream of stories on how (privileged) people can combat boredom as they lounge about at home. These stories and the attitudes behind them are unconscionable at any time, but especially now.
Nancy Bowden
Well written, Kerri! I have arguex a few times to counter those “Just stay home” posts because even though I do have all the privileges you listed (retired and my income has not been affected by anything yet), I worked for years at an agency where the “direct care” workers are no doubt feeling the stress of being “essential” with all the other pressures. They must be kept uppermost in our policies.