As some Americans (and Brits) reveal their hubris in the face of COVID-19, a doctor in a major hospital in Western Europe pens a warning in Newsweek, “Young and Unafraid of the Coronavirus Pandemic? Good for You. Now Stop Killing People.”
My peers are mourning their last day of university they didn’t see coming until it already passed and the graduation they will have to celebrate on Skype. They are scrambling to figure out how they will afford to leave campus within a week and where they will go.
As you point your fingers at us, my mind plays a highlight reel of clips: CNN's footage of senior citizens shrugging off the CDC’s call to social distance as they dance and play softball in Orlando and the many times the Trump administration has suggested it will all blow over soon. The doctor’s article is not the first with a provocative title meant to knock young people down a peg. As a 23-year-old at the tail end of the millenials, I grew up seeing my generation slammed in the media. I confess my gut reaction to the title was, “Ok, boomer.” In other words, “Ahh, yet another older person unaware of their hypocrisy and condescension.” Unfortunate though it is, many of my peers respond the same way, and most would not even bother to read the article. Why should we listen to you, when you fixate on the worst in us?
And this issue is a tricky one. It brings with it a feeling of power, a feeling that the tables have turned. The old powers that be who have turned a blind eye to our struggles now find themselves at our mercy. And COVID-19 feels like a molehill next to the mountain of issues plaguing my generation: crushing student loan debt, a job market packed with boomers who are not planning to retire anytime soon, inaccessible healthcare and housing, and the ever-present existential threat posed by the climate crisis.
Most world leaders, news outlets, and everyday people have grasped the severity of this pandemic. The powerful are taking swift action. No one is protesting, “But how will we pay for it?” as events get cancelled, child care centers close, and stocks fall. As it should be. It is a time to come together (only metaphorically of course).
I did read the doctor’s article. It offered a valuable picture of the catastrophe abroad and a convincing argument to proceed with caution and compassion for our elders (and ourselves) now. I was glad to have received that message. If only it could have inspired unity rather than further embittering an already tense relationship between generations. If only the older generations could be there for us, offering such staunch advocacy, as we fight for our futures, too.
