Community Corner – It’s the end of the world as we know it…

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…And we all feel fine. At least the vast majority of us did, until or unless we had been reading about needing to flatten the curve representing COVID-19 cases vs. time. American healthcare, long in the headlines, is now in the spotlight because unless the rate of illness contraction doesn’t, well, contract, our hospitals will soon be overwhelmed. Mayor Hancock in Denver has preemptively commandeered the Convention Center. New York is burying people in mass graves in a park. 

As I write this, all bars and restaurants are closed for anything but take-out. The airlines are already requesting a bail-out, and the president has called for sending checks directly to Americans, and not just the rich ones. The $2 Trillion stimulus passed. Truly the world is on its head.

Already old news is the paltry number of people, surely in great measure because of the threat of this virus, showing up for the Democratic caucuses in Colorado. In my opinion, the stalwarts showing up eschewing Hickenlooper for Senate are at least a silver lining to the current grey skies. Nevertheless, it’s clearly time to move towards a mail-in primary voting scheme in Colorado, where we have successfully adopted such voting for so many other election matters.

With public buildings in most or all of Boulder County shut down, many of our unhoused neighbors literally have not a pot to piss in. Or a place to wash their hands. Despite frequent hand washing being the number one way to minimize the chances of infection, the city of Boulder declined to provide even handwashing stations throughout areas people experiencing homelessness congregate during the day. You know, that part of the day when, with libraries, restaurants, and coffee shops closed, there is absolutely nowhere for them to get out of the elements.

Trump has suggested that he’ll freeze evictions, but without work and a small temporary UBI check on the way, this doesn’t preclude evictions being enacted once the national emergency is declared over. With so many about to face homelessness, thinking about how we treat the least of these might just become popular. 

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