The Land of the Free

By Dianne Rose Gloria Mana-ay

(The author is the granddaughter of Engr. Edgar Mana-ay, who is also a columnist of Daily Guardian. She is a graduate of Iloilo National High School Special Science Class where she was awarded the most promising writer. Her family migrated to Houston, Texas, USA where she earned her degree in Bachelor of Arts at the University of Texas in Austin)

The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave. Today is Memorial Day. Celebrated during the last Monday of May, this holiday is a time when millions of Americans commemorate the freedom afforded to them by the brave men and women who fought and gave their lives so their fellowmen can enjoy the liberties this country offers. But has this freedom been abused, especially during a time of a global crisis such as covid-19?

The United States Declaration of Independence avers that Americans are born with natural, “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” These rights were defended and upheld to be exercised. The most crucial and perhaps the most contentious of these is the right to liberty. It is this principle which became the foundation of the United States (US) today – an individualistic, freedom-focused society. Americans are known for their “I do what I want, when I want and you can’t say anything about it” attitude. They have transformed a tenet meant to safeguard individualism into a justification for selfishness, which is detrimental to society today, especially during a pandemic which requires coalition instead of division.

One of the most controversial American interpretations of limiting freedom is wearing a mask. Instead of seeing a mask as protection against a disease that has affected more than a 1.6 million and has caused almost 100,000 deaths to their fellowmen, Americans see it as an assault to their personal freedom. Instead of viewing the stay-at-home orders as preventive measures against covid-19, they saw them as means for the government to restrict their liberty to leave their houses when they pleased. The defiance of scientifically grounded concepts is not observed with citizens but especially not with the leaders of this nation. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both refuse to wear masks as political statements even when officials under them have tested positive for the coronavirus. Paradoxically, Trump recently toured a Honeywell Factory which produces N95 masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) and was photographed without a mask. He said he wore a mask for a short while before being told he was not required to do so.

Today, as most of America has reopened in an attempt to boost the economy prior to Memorial Day, CDC guidelines such as social distancing and wearing a mask are not being practiced. Bars, restaurants, and boardwalks are packed with people who act like they have just been liberated from an underground cult after 10 years. This is the ultimate showmanship of rejecting any form of regulation and reveling in personal freedom. It is quite revolting that there are even establishments that will refuse entry to individuals if they are donning a mask! Yet, as Americans continue to focus on finance rather than controlling covid-19, the infection rate will proliferate. This will result in a surge of cases which will lead to healthcare systems being overburdened and having to turn away patients. This will, then, result in a sharp rise of preventable deaths.

Americans seem to have forgotten the very first unalienable right they have – the right to LIFE. In an attempt to creating freedom as the focal point of every action they undertake, they have completely disregarded the primary right to life that every citizen of the United States possesses. But have they inadvertently neglected it or purposefully neglected it? Health experts acknowledge that the number of cases and deaths in America associated with the coronavirus is conservative in comparison to what the actual figures would be. Currently, with almost as many deaths as the Korean War at 128,650, the disease that attacks multiple systems of the body continues to ravage America while not discriminating based on age, gender, and current health status. Scientists and doctors are regularly discovering new ways of how covid-19 strikes the human body. It seems that the already deadly disease keeps on becoming more fatal everyday. But facts do not deter stubborn Americans who instead carefully choose to carry out living based on a Facebook feed they have read. It, also, does not help that the leaders of the most powerful nation in the world lead by example by not wearing a mask. Thus, the America we know of now exists – a country plagued with a virus yet most do not feel a sense of social responsibility.

The emphasis on individualistic freedom is deeply inculcated in American culture. It defines America. However, this focus on individualism means that a person does not need to regard any other. It teaches a person that only his/her liberties matter. To able to curb covid-19 in the US, perspectives need to be broadened. Citizens need to understand that it’s not just about themselves; their actions impact not just them but others around them. Wearing a mask and social distancing are to protect not just oneself, but others within the vicinity. Americans have only learned to focus on themselves that they do not know how to empathize with their fellow Americans. They need to understand that their fellowmen are currently battling a life-threating disease. There are people who have lost loved ones due to covid-19. The citizens of this country need to realize that their actions have the power to protect life or destroy it.

Ironically, as the country that aids every other nation, America has helped everyone else but its own citizens. It has failed to prepare for a pandemic of this magnitude in advance despite being advised by public health experts to do so. As a result, hospitals that are already overwhelmed with covid-19 cases are also lacking ventilators; nurses lack PPEs. Additionally, the US failed to acknowledge the virus as a threat. Instead, it previously downplayed the coronavirus and even going as far as calling it a hoax. How the United States has been handling this pandemic is a prime example of how NOT to handle a pandemic. The politization of this pandemic only adds fuel to the fire by dividing the country on what to believe and how to act. As the United States of America, the country should be united in fighting this invisible enemy. The government needs to come together to implement orders that benefit the citizens and not just the financial interest of their allies and donors.  Furthermore, Americans need to understand that this disease is affecting them and they need to take it seriously. They need to listen to health experts and not base their actions on a post from social media.

Truly, The United States is the Land of the Free! Americans are free to think and do what they want. Freedom, however, comes with a price. In this case, it came with too many lives and is continuing to take more. How many more fatalities will it take to convince them that this is not a hoax? Have Americans been sacrificing their fellow citizens to the coronavirus under the false pretense of freedom? Or have they been justifying selfishness in the name of freedom? Will America continue to value money over innocent lives? These questions will soon be answered as the world looks towards the US and how it reacts to covid-19.