The Treachery of Storylines
War on this and war on that. One day it’s drugs, the next it’s terror, and now it’s a virus. Despite the terminology of warfare applied to the pandemic, COVID-19 is not our enemy. Nor is it a punishment. It’s a reminder that we are still vulnerable to nature’s processes, no matter how much distance we imagine having from her.
This is not to say that we shouldn’t protect against infection. We absolutely should, and I applaud the efforts of healthcare workers, scientists, and everyone around the world helping keep the spread in check. What’s troubling is the personification of the virus and the focus on it instead of the root causes that brought about its appearance.
In the midst of this global moment, let’s ditch the catch phrases. We’re not in a war. What we’re experiencing is a destructive force affecting our population, where the virus is only part of the story. The entity we call COVID didn’t set out on a quest to kill us. Viruses aren’t even alive. They have no cells and leave no fossil record. They attack hosts indiscriminately, without feeling. The fuller story is that what discriminates — and has now prompted physical distancing — is us. Class systems brought about by unregulated greed and unfair economic policies. Long-standing racial, religious, gender, and orientation discrimination by establishment patriarchy. Leadership that favors politics and profit over people and planet. Overuse of resources and mistreatment of animals. And a stubborn unwillingness to see the truth and make the changes that are within reach. These are the continuing storylines that have both originated and exacerbated the pandemic, among the many interrelated issues we face.
O, how surreal this moment is! Like Magritte’s classic painting of a pipe, COVID is more than what it seems, especially in how we characterize it. More than just a virus to be controlled, it’s helping us see by showing us a reflection of our own evolutionary understanding and impact on the earth. Here we were, with all of our tools, knowledge, and ability to travel — unable to rally around the simplest of needs. Such as taking care of each other. Now we’re mostly at home, waiting to be saved from ourselves, amidst an astounding number of people expressing a desire to return to what was before. Much as a vaccine would be a godsend against this particular virus, humanity is facing more than one us-versus-it event. To endure and transcend the onslaught of mounting issues we’re facing, we must come together as a global species and share solutions, not stories.
If there’s any war-like story going on, it’s humanity’s disharmony with nature and ourselves. I, for one, am tired of the collective suffering, fear, anger, and anxiety brought about by our behavior. It’s time for the next chapter. Or maybe a whole other book entirely.
