The response to the pandemic was botched in just about every way imaginable by the national, state and territory, and government agencies.

If there was a way to make things worse one or the other political party espoused it.

Covid was turned political as was mask-wearing and social distancing.

Half of America wanted to sit inside isolating themselves and working at home why still earning their salaries. Once in a while, they would come out to protest the lack of civil rights and related issues. They would wear masks and preach to non-mask wearers. And then go order online meals from restaurants and goods from Amazon. Having kids at home rather than in school or daycare became a major hassle because parents were trying hard to work at home. When distressed they could talk on video chats with their friends and families on their i-devices with fast Internet connections.

The other half wanted to go to restaurants, go to bars, go to grandmother’s house, and go to work, too. Many were unemployed and given insufficient emergency unemployment benefits and they wanted jobs not just for money but also for the social support from their work friends and the sense of belonging and self-worth a job provides. Many could not afford food and rent. On top of all of these stressors, it seemed hopeless because their major sources of emotional support were their family and friends and isolation meant they could not get necessary advice, counseling, and assistance from families and friends and those invaluable hugs from their family members. They had to deal with all of the issues associated with being poor (many for the first time) in the world’s richest country.

They fought over who would lead the country, whether those in-need should be represented by politicians from one of the two groups, who had access to what, whether taxes should pay for sufficient amounts of different types of services for those in need, and just about everything else.

The outcome of fighting and feeling bad and being angry and having to wait in food lines and having to provide homeschooling to their kids and worrying about their retirement and facing eviction and being unable to talk intimately with friends and family face-to-face clobbered the American people in both groups. In response they clobbered each other.

The outcome was inevitable.

Every little bit of time wearing masks will help you and me and our neighbors. Every little bit of aid to pay for food and housing and security will help you and me and our neighbors. Excusing medical expenses (through government payment) will help you and me and our neighbors. And the list goes and on. For each and every service there are direct and indirect ways that the service will help you and me and our neighbors.

We need to get our act together as a nation and as individuals. There is not a lot of time left. And if you think that vaccines are going to save us from our disorganization and hopelessness and hostility and stubborn behavior, you are deluding yourself. Full vaccine coverage will not come about until the beginning of 2022 or later and may never if a substantial percentage of Americans refuse to accept vaccination.

We are failing ourselves and our neighbors.

Time is running out. But we can still help you and me and our neighbors and maybe the rest of the world.

Let’s try.