We are at war

By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Columnist

In wars, parades are canceled. In wars, social activity diminishes. In wars, the fabric of society becomes strained. Due to the death rate, and its consequent impact upon our society, we choose to suspend these activities. Mardi Gras itself was discontinued during the world wars. Is it any less important to forego our joys to insure the survival of a large section of our citizenry?

Recent wars brought us a death rate far less than the potential danger of the coronavirus. In Vietnam, for example, 2,709,918 Americans served; 58,202 died. In World War II, 16 million put on the U.S. uniform and shipped out; 416,800 never returned.

Less than the three percent fatalities which we face from COVID-19, so as we mobilize as a nation to fight, we battle not a tyrant nor an ideology, but saboteurs unseen. Our victory shall not be measured by the number of tanks rolled off the assembly line, nor the battlefields dominated. It should be metered by our patience to stay at home, remain apart, and to wait until the enemy departs from our common spaces.

This article originally published in the March 16, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.