February 2021 Newsletter - A New Day
February Greetings ~ A New Day
On Inauguration Day, 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman read her poem, "The Hill We Climb."
As the National Youth Poet Laureate, the Los Angeles native and Harvard graduate is the youngest poet ever to recite at the swearing-in of a President of the United States. And what a gift for us all that she did. We are living through extraordinary times, and Ms. Gorman had the words for this moment.
She writes,
"Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew.
That even as we hurt, we hoped.
That even as we tried, we tried."
Gorman's powerful inaugural poem is a reminder of the work we have before us. After so much strife, after so much sickness, the soul of our nation requires healing. Poets know this. Physicians know this. Each of us must ask where we can contribute. Each of us must decide if she will choose despair or radical hope. To move toward a better future in the midst of our national suffering takes a great deal of courage. As Gorman writes,
“The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it."
Around the Web
400 Lights, For 400,000 Dead, Illuminate Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
In September, volunteers placed 20,000 flags on the National Mall when the death toll crossed 200,000. Other memorials have popped up around the country, from roadside drive-bys to people's front lawns. But the reflecting pool ceremony… is the most prominent effort so far to remember those who have died.
"This is an iconic vista of heroes and honor and of memorialization," says history professor Micki McElya, who wrote the book The Politics of Mourning: Death and Honor in Arlington National Cemetery. "It's impossible to consider that terrain without also thinking of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963."
Why Aren't We Wearing Better Masks?
"Wearing [cloth masks] is much better than wearing nothing. They definitely help reduce transmission of the coronavirus from the wearer and likely protect the wearer to some degree as well. But we know that not all masks are equal, and early on in the pandemic, there was a dire shortage of higher-grade masks for medical workers. During those emergency conditions, something was much better than nothing. There are better possibilities now, but they require action and guidance by the authorities."
Why Vaccines Alone Will Not End the Pandemic
"The arrival of highly effective vaccines in December lifted hopes that they would eventually slow or stop the spread of the disease through the rest of the population. But vaccines alone are not enough, the model shows. And if precautions like working remotely, limiting travel, and wearing masks are relaxed too soon, it could mean millions more infections and thousands more deaths."
