Day One Hundred and Forty-four

Feest Isolation Days – 5 August

The New York Times is writing an article about Medical Bills Americans have received during the Coranovirus Pandemic.  They have asked members of the public to send in copies of their bills and answer a few questions about them.  One of their queries is whether or not you will have difficulties in paying this bill. Another, what hardships will you face in order to pay this bill?

Welcome to America, 2020.  People are being charged thousands of pounds sometimes for a Coronavirus test.  A test.  Not treatment.  Treatment can be thousands and thousands!  One bill for care was $74,000.  I responded to their request and pointed out that they need to tell people what the amount of the same care here in the UK costs.  Nothing.  Not a penny.  Not any money at all changes hands.  Routine prescriptions for over sixty fives also cost nothing.  Tell the Americans about that I suggested.  They really don’t understand.  They can’t imagine that.  They are not only worried about the possibility of getting the disease, but how they would pay for the treatment. Yet some Americans still think it is their right not to wear masks in public places.

Here there are many problems with the government, leadership is lacking and the sort of statesmanship that we have had in previous years has disappeared. Many of the giants of earlier years now seem to belong to a bygone era.  Where are the voices today of those we respect and will listen to when times are tough?

John Hulme died yesterday. Watching the news about his work and hearing people talk about him was a humbling experience.  He trained as a priest, and then became a teacher before he moved into politics.  It was his work that led to the Good Friday Peace Agreement in Northern Ireland.  There were those that likened his life to that of Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.  He fittingly won the Nobel Peace Prize, and spent his entire life working for peace.  Many of us want peace, and have even marched in solidarity with others in order to show our desire for peace and for equality.  John Hume went further.  He stood in front of guns, tanks and those who would do him harm and came away with a peace deal that is still in place.  His single mindedness of purpose spanned decades.  A true hero.  Many young people in Northern Ireland still know who he is. They still appreciate his efforts.  His adversaries also appreciate his talents and his indefatigable spirit.  A man who served us all so well.

In the States, the funeral of another giant took place this week. John Lewis began his work during the 1960s and fought for peace and equality throughout his lifetime. He helped organise the March across the bridge, and Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” March in Washington.  He was also one of the Freedom Riders…a black man riding on an interstate bus passing through the Southern States. Interstate buses were federal and the Supreme Court had determined blacks could ride on these buses without the usual (for then) inability to do so.  The Freedom Riders were beaten, bombed and jailed, but attention was drawn to the plight of blacks.  John Lewis went on to become a Congressman. His funeral was carried on all the Networks in America, including Fox News.  Apparently, Fox viewers switched off the station in droves, America has a long, long way to go. 

Enjoy what you can safely as the pandemic numbers seem to be rising.

With love

Kathy x