How the American Infrastructure collapsed during a Pandemic and Where That Left Their Disabled Citizens.

American hospitals are overflowing with patients. Will the hierarchy of whose most important directly affect Disabled American’s?

Bars overflow with drunken laughter and sleepy children await the clock to strike twelve. Confetti, champagne, and smoke highlight the night sky as thousands await their New Year’s resolutions to come to fruition. Like many, I anticipated the year 2020 to be one of growth, hope, and the end to the political commotion that swamped our media outlets. Though January tried to prepare us for what was to come, many ignored the surge of cases that continued to meet the local news channels.

February increased in cases seeping into the states, while March prepared us for a predicted worldwide shutdown. American’s crept behind their middle-class homes and purged themselves from all news outlets, relying on their undergrad biology course more than the infectious disease experts. They believed another flu couldn’t possibly harm the great country in which they resided. But this deadly pandemic prompted American’s to see the faults in society. One example is the weight of capitalism that drives the medical world. With all of the implications and safety measures taking place, American’s still don’t understand the egregious significance of illness and disability.

Families across the country are having to rebuild after burying loved ones. Career driven adults are finding themselves riddled with anxiety and fear due to the lingering unknown. Students all over the US attempt to participate in classes without adequate mental health resources while they struggle silently. People worldwide are trying to find ways to cope with the inadequacies that have plagued our world — all thanks to COVID-19. As the world continues to struggle underneath the weight of this pandemic, healthcare has become exigent to healthcare workers as cases continue to show an influx all over the country.

Those unwilling to aid in this country’s disposal of COVID-19 are directly assisting in the suppression of Disabled bodies. Society isn’t too keen on listening to those who differ from themselves. But take heed, America, if you learn anything from us during this pandemic, I hope it’s our dedication to our community.

Your community is what bears new life and sustains you; will you protect yours?

From personal experience, I understand the science behind wearing a medical mask for self prevention. When I could not rely on my flawed immune system, I used medical masks for protection. Many people stared at or treated me like a foreign species the moment I left my home. Then fast forward two years, and currently, American’s are refusing to comply with state-mandated orders. American’s are allowing the mask mandate to become a political movement to prioritize their agenda. Due to the leadership and former president, many of his followers have denied the scientific evidence at their disposal. It’s as though the placebo effect is working its way throughout the country.

Unfortunately, naive Americans are equating the usage of masks to the constricting and dehumanizing effects of slavery. A comment like this is very problematic within itself. Still, it is a reminder that Americans once more deny the impact of science. Thousands are inclined to deny the effectiveness of masks and COVID protocols. Yet, they are unaware of their susceptibility to a deadly disease. We are no longer a country basing its laws on freedom and civil order; we are a country that cares more about capitalism and white Jesus.

It’s odd to see how the rest of the world has reacted to the global pandemic. American’s have felt so entitled and unwilling to see the effects of COVID on those around them. But are we surprised? Our government has been in the hands of a party that ignores the needs of its people. With COVID continuing to lead in numbers, where do Disabled American’s fit in this scenario? Many have been sheltering in place because we understand the severity of this deadly pandemic. However, some are having to place their health on the line to support themselves financially.

Every day we wake, and COVID continues to move seamlessly, we find ourselves in darker waters. Understandably, America doesn’t respond well to constructive criticism in any form but, it shouldn’t take a deadly pandemic for you to notice the need for unity in this country.

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