Day 75 - Protests

Protests are continuing across the country in response to the death--the murder--of George Floyd.  There are no words for the horror.  Ordinarily, I would feel compelled to join the protests.  But the danger of Coronavirus keeps me home.

I watched on television what was happening at the White House, 12 minutes away from me.  It was riveting.  I watched as protesters and a line of Secret Service police officers gripped either side of parade barriers in a vicious tug of war while the crowd hurled projectiles toward the White House.  It was terrifying.  I was shocked that police did not strike out at the protesters.

People stood so close to each other with masks often dangling off their faces.  In the hours that I was watching, I never heard a single commentator note that there was a threat of superspreading of COVID-19 due to the thousands of protesters gathered in cities across the country.  People are angry, justifiably angry about racism and so much more  The unemployment.  The poverty.  The lack of a social safety net.  The inequities are laid bare.  It's going to be a long summer.