Today is Sunday July 5^th. Kia ora katoa.

It has been 5 days since my last blog. In that time, we went to Napier for my daughter’s IDP last Wednesday.

We drove North on Tuesday, in weather that was not great – it rained most of the way. We had lunch on the way – I had tomato soup, and JD a sausage roll. We shared a delicious apple and tamarillo cake for dessert.  The menu had changed, and the best cabinet food was already taken, but it was a nice stop. In Napier, I realised that I had left my black trousers in Wellington. These were to be the basis of what I was going to wear! Never mind, we had dinner at Café de Laos, where it was very quiet.

The next morning we were due at Hohepa (the boardroom at Clive) by 9:30 am. This was a different IDP to any I’d experienced previously! Our daughter was brought across, and sat by me. She looked well and happy and said my name beautifully.

The meeting went well, interrupted by my daughter needing to go to the restroom a couple of times. Afterwards, we took her back to the Rose Weavery, promising her that we would take her out for dinner that evening. We visited the art teacher, and the shop, where I bought raspberry jam and some cheese.

Then we headed back to Napier to eat lunch and buy a newspaper. I looked at Farmers’ for cheap black trousers, but there were none.

It was very cold that day. It was on the verge of raining, and there was a very cold wind. We had a rest at the motel. We picked our daughter up as agreed at 5 pm. She looked wonderful. Then we drove to Lone Star (at her request). I had an idea that they didn’t open for dinner until 5:30 pm, but they were well open and had several guests there already. They welcomed us again, and we were pleased to see how busy they were on a Wednesday night. Vicky had a hamburger tonight, instead of her usual fish.

Afterwards, we took our daughter back to her house where (allowed inside again) we had a lovely chat with one of her carers.

The next day, Thursday, it wasn’t quite as cold, but it was raining steadily. It seemed a good idea to drive back to Wellington, there really wasn’t much to do in Napier in the rain.

It rained steadily till we got past Woodville, where we had lunch. We got safely back to Wellington.

Everywhere we went things seemed to be humming, and people were cheerful, in spite of the cold weather.  We couldn’t play compact discs in the car, so we listened to the radio, trying in vain to find the National programme. I was horrified to hear a female host swear on ZB. What is the world coming to? It was the day we learnt that David Clark had resigned his position as Minister of Health, and we listened to seemingly endless reports about this.

Other than that, things seem to be going along swimmingly. There are few, if any, new cases of Covid 19 in New Zealand, and testing shows no community transmission. This is amazing. Here, we get none, or two or three cases daily, all from New Zealanders who have returned from overseas and are in quarantine.

Sadly, overseas, the news is not so good. In Australia, cases have increased by a large amount, with alarming increases in Victoria. Last night we heard that some suburbs are to go back to lockdown (although you can still go to work), and nine tower blocks are to be sealed off, immediately, with no one able to go in or out, for perhaps two weeks and a minimum of five days. These are to be guarded by police, and presumably food and medical supplies will be provided to the residents, often living several to a small flat.   There had also been some breaches of the quarantine system.

In the US, jaws continue to drop as records for new coronavirus case infections are burnt through each day.  Well over 130,000 deaths have been recorded. Americans are appalled to learn that they aren’t welcome in Europe (they need our tourist dollars!), or even by their neighbour, Canada. This is truly shocking. Then, too, there is the stunning news that Russians paid bounties for American soldiers killed by Afghanistan’s Taliban, and the continuing stories and protests about racism in America (and elsewhere). Added to this, is the opinion polls, which show Biden increasing his lead over Trump as candidate for President. The 4^th of July celebrations have been very muted, shut down altogether in some areas, wilfully going ahead in others. Independence, what independence? From what?

What to worry about first? The Lincoln Project puts out a series of searing ads, day after day, and while these aren’t subtle, they look very effective. The President, meanwhile, shows little if any concern for the virus, although evidently his eldest son Donald’s girlfriend, Kimberley Gilfoyle, has tested positive. It seems that many people in the US are truly scared, and taking some kind of precautions; others, especially followers of the President, cast caution to the winds.  This is just so terrifying for us, looking on, to say nothing of American people trying to live their lives, and find food that’s safe to eat. One article in The Atlantic magazine claims that Trump is turning the United States into a “shithole” country. The US looks increasingly isolated.

With regard to the coming presidential election in November, I worry that the President, now that things are looking bad for him, may react as a cornered  bull and retaliate further. He has already shown scant regard for human life, for race, for history, for anyone except himself and maybe his daughter Ivanka.…And how is the election to be held? Will mail-in ballots be allowed across all states? What kind of security is being put in place? Who is responsible? Will (neutral) observers be allowed? We all look on at “American Democracy” with a sense of horror. No wonder many despise this system and don’t even bother to cast a vote, although the American people are told repeatedly (by Comey, Bolton and others)  that the election is the correct mechanism to make their voices heard. Will they use it? Will they even be able to? We have seen long lines of people waiting to cast their vote at state primary elections.

In New Zealand, there is a note of resilience, of optimism. We have faced hard times before (remember when Great Britain joined the EEC?), and had to diversify, many times. This has been another crisis (one we’ve weathered rather well), and most people are well-placed to weather this one and rebuild as necessary. After all, Lord of the Rings Tours were only created and became popular after the six (!) Tolkien movies were filmed here. That was a need that created, and was addressed.  I am sure this can happen again. Meanwhile, several film crews have been allowed to enter this country. In the meantime, locals can enjoy beautiful scenes and explore their own backyard without the crowds of overseas visitors.

It strikes me that for many of us the coronavirus lockdown here has received an interesting response. It’s accepted that there are five main stages of grief. In my experience, grief is multi-facetted: there are may different ways of looking at any issue, many different perspectives, ranging from anger and negativity to acceptance and perhaps seeing advantages of a changed situation. I feel that for many of us this has been our response: initial shock, changing to hope, endurance, acceptance, and then being thankful to be so well looked after, to have had the opportunity to slow down, and to look forward, without the fear that envelopes so much of the world, even as many countries are relaxing their restrictions. I still have not spoken to anyone who thinks our lockdown was not a good idea.

That’s all for now. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Tuesday June 23^rd. Kia ora katoa. Still calm and reasoned here!

I picked this up again on Saturday June 27^th. And it’s now Tuesday June 30.

Get a grip, everyone! We are alive, and well, and here in New Zealand, where our government does not deny the existence of the novel coronavirus, but takes sensible steps to contain and manage it. We are fortunate indeed.

While there may be “chaos at the border”, as shrieking headlines exclaim, this new emergency situation is being managed. Of course many New Zealanders want to come back here, and why wouldn’t they? Most of the rest of the world is in a huge mess. Back here, you get good, and for the most part, free, health care. Testing is readily available. While all arrivals from overseas are required to be in managed quarantine for 14 days, it is managed, and people are tested, on day 3 and day 12.  This far, there is no community spread of Covid 19. But these folk are coming from places where the novel coronavirus is rife. It is to be expected that some of them will have it.

While it upsetting for some that a few people returning are infected, at least this situation is being managed, and is to be expected. It is probably an easier quarantine here than in China, where if you open your door this is on film and you are asked why. Here I understand people in quarantine are allowed to exercise.

The rest of the country is not in lockdown. People are free to go anywhere they wish. Churches, schools, cinemas, hair and beauty salons, libraries, cafés and bars have reopened. We are moving forward again, with a new sense of caution. There were packed stadia for rugby matches recently: how cool is that?  Where else in the world could you do that? Everyone I have spoken to is grateful to have been, and still be, well looked after.

New arrivals are released after their 14 days’ quarantine, and after a negative test for Covid 19.  They are then free to live in New Zealand, buy and eat food and clothing, buy houses, and generally add to whatever spending is going on.

None of these folk are refugees, and many of them won’t be hard up. This situation is being well-managed. It has been a big task to bring New Zealanders home, and it seems they truly want to call New Zealand home again. This is a good thing, and will add to local spending and tourism.  People have said how nice it is to be able to go to popular venues, now uncrowded, and see them properly.

I have read a great deal about pandemics, or plagues, much of it distressing. I have read about the Black Death in Fourteenth Century Europe and England; Thucydides’ account of the plague in Athens in 430 B.C., and Albert Camus’ The Plague. I have read Geraldine Brooks’ Year of Wonders, about the English village of Eyam that walled itself off during the plague of the fourteenth century. I have watched the movie Contagion on television, and listened to podcasts about Lawrence Wright’s new novel, the End of October. I also listened to a podcast about early medical education in America. Scary stuff!

Sadly, there are commonalities, or perhaps this is just human nature exemplified in extremis. Common features include the following:

• A wish for self-preservation;
• Acts of great altruism and kindness;
• Acts of cruel desperation;
• Some of those who can, leave for places of perceived safety;
• Life gets down to the basics of having a food supply and safe drinking water;
• Less important conditions are put up with;
• Utilities are taken for granted – clean running water; rubbish collection; provision of utilities;
• The likelihood of imminent death comes as a shock;
• The sufferings of victims is taken seriously, or not at all;
• Systems of law and order tend to break down;
• One tends to live for the present – who knows if tomorrow will come?
• Superstitions abound in terms of proposed cures;
• True facts are hard to come by. There is a saying that Truth is the first casualty of war; it certainly is in the case of a war against an infectious disease;
• Odd fears “go viral”; others accuse one of over-reacting;
• Distrust of politicians;
• Some people cope with emergency situations much better than others.

In New Zealand now we are getting about two new cases each day, of people returning from overseas. That is to be expected, after all. These people are help in quarantine for 14 days, and tested on day 3 and day 12. If someone tests positive for Covid 19, they are moved to a different motel. There are no further exemptions. I think this is positive: after all, you’d expect some of the people returning to test positive, especially as so much of the rest of the world is still suffering greater or lesser recurrence of positive cases of disease. This virus is certainly persistent, especially so in the southern states of the US, who are taken aback that their infection rates are so high, and their hospitals in heavy use.

Since I wrote this, southern states in the US like Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California, which had seemed to be doing rather well, are approaching a crisis situation with their health systems, such as they are, potentially being overwhelmed. Some restrictions are being reimposed, reluctantly. There is an aversion to wearing a mask, which is being seen as a political statement, although some states have mandated them. Anecdotally, testing is really hard to get. With so many positive cases each day, many people feel this is a desperate situation. On a positive note, it does seem that rates for Covid 19 among BLM marchers are not so high, showing there is some benefit to being outside, masked, and maintaining some distance where possible.

But there are really no silver linings to this truly desperate situation. How civilised is this country? I doubt anyone calls it “great” anymore.

Other countries are re-imposing lockdowns in some areas: Germany, the UK (Leicester), and China; meanwhile, the state of Victoria in Australia had 75 new cases yesterday and has put some restrictions in place. No one is really winning this war – except, perhaps, New Zealand, where we can feel safe. Taiwan has done well, but lives in fear of its neighbour, China, who shows continual aggression and influence, increasingly towards Hong Kong. Who will help these brave folk?

I guess people react to crises in different ways. This emergency has certainly distracted us from other pressing issues!

That’s it for now. I am so glad to be a New Zealander. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Monday June 22^nd. Kia ora katoa.

This voice of reasoned calm continues, ha! Ha!

Education carries on: there was the killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta. I watched 13^th, a very interesting documentary on Netflix directed by Ava duVernay.  This was a very striking film, showing the increasing incarceration rates for people in general in the US, with a higher proportion of black people. This shows what has happened to “due legal process” for many poorer folk. I listened to more podcasts, learnt about Juneteenth, about Tulsa, and the massacre of black people there; about the emancipation of the slaves, with little if any state help, and it came late in Texas; then came the Jim Crow laws, the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings, segregation, followed by the Civil Rights Act. You would have thought that this brave political move would solve many problems, but you only have to watch the movie “Selma” to see that it didn’t. Sadly, racism has continued to be a fact of life in the US, that many white people have disregarded, arguing over the finer points of the law, or politics, both local and abroad. The much-vaunted “American Democracy” does not work at all well for many Americans, especially blacks or American Indians, as we saw to our horror in the recent Mid-Term elections and state primaries.

Now one sees education of conservatives, of many Americans. How sad that the death of George Floyd at the hands of police should be the wake-up call.  We have learnt a great deal about black people, about the difficulties of being a journalist while black; of the continuing state of grief. Is it any surprise that when things do go better, for example, winning a scholarship to a prestigious university (or college), this opportunity may be spurned. The recipient may not have the emotional strength and maturity to take advantage of it at this point in time.

It does seem that the death of George Floyd, followed by the death of Rayshard Brooks, to name the most recent examples (there are many), have affected white people in a way that the deadly invasion of the novel  coronavirus pandemic has not. There have been many, many protests, but in spite of rising Covid 19 infections, it does not seem to have struck those marching outside, usually masked, as badly as feared.

Meanwhile, the stride of the pandemic continues. WHO warns that a more virulent strain is around now. The US has recorded over 122,000 deaths, and the world looks on with horror, as the US federal government does not seem to have any strategy to mitigate this situation. Other countries such as Germany are seeing a resurgence, as has Beijing in China. Australia continues to have cases and has reimposed restrictions on the State of Victoria.

In New Zealand, there continue to be new cases of Covid 19 – two each day. Logically, this is not surprising. New Zealanders are being repatriated, more and more each day, and are coming from places like India and Pakistan, which do not normally fly here. On RNZ’s early morning show, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assures Susie Fergusson that this it under control: that many more people are flying into New Zealand; that they are being quarantined under government control, and being tested routinely on day 3 and day  12 of their 14 day incubation period. We are reminded of the sob stories about funerals, dying relations, and humanitarian needs to fly back here; there were many voicing the need to open up the economy sooner, to fly foreign students in; where are those strident calls now? It is scary that two cases (a young couple from India) were asymptomatic. Previously, you couldn’t get a test here if you were asymptomatic. It is also scary that there is a theory that Covid 19 came to Beijing via salmon, i.e. via a food item. This raises all kinds of questions, and further makes the case for only buying local food products.

The short-term reactions of many are frustrating. You’re alive! For the most part, your family and friends and their families and friends are too! While the NZ economy is technically “in recession”, we remain in a stronger position in most ways than many other countries in the world. Be thankful!   This has been an emergency, and NZ has come through it with flying colours.  If some businesses have not survived, that’s sad, but, heh, stuff happens. Some things are out of our control.

Thankfully, the Australian company “Harvey Norman” continues to fund wraparound advertisements on the Dom Post and The Sunday Star Times, so we can’t immediately see the shrieking headlines of outrage. Get a grip, people!

Dr Ashley Bloomfield gave a press conference last Saturday. He is calming and reassuring, as ever. I want to believe him. There was a “Hero to Zero” headline in one paper. How ridiculous is that!  Dr Ashley, we still love and respect you, and are thankful to be here. It’s a very special place: why else would thousands of kiwis want to come home? Wherever they used to call “home”, home is here now.

More to come. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Friday June 19^th. Kia ora katoa.

It is one week since I last wrote for this blog.

Were we too blasé?  There was a wonderful cartoon in Wednesday morning’s paper. On Monday, we were “Feeling groovy”.  On Tuesday, “I’m never leaving the house again”. Our bubble had been burst with the addition of two newly diagnosed cases of Covid 19. These were two women, who had flown from England, via Doha and Brisbane, to Auckland, where they were quarantined, as all overseas visitors are expected to do; however, they had been granted an exemption from fulfilling their 14 days in quarantine to attend a funeral in Wellington. Accordingly, despite their long journey by air, they hopped in a car and drove to Wellington without using any facilities on the way. In Wellington, both had tested positive for Covid 19 and were in isolation on the property of another relation. The funeral they were to attend has been deferred. Apparently the relation had died sooner than expected. One of the women had a pre-existing condition (asthma) causing symptoms like those of Covid 19, which she put down to her condition.

This outcome, although probably not disastrous, evokes several questions.

• Why were they allowed to get in a car and drive to Wellington?
• Why didn’t they stop on the way to refuel, go to a bathroom, or have a snack?
• Did they take a thermos of tea and a picnic?
• If one woman had symptoms, why wasn’t she tested?
• Why weren’t they tested before leaving Auckland?

It further transpires that 350 contacts are being followed up; that they did stop on the way, having been confused by Auckland’s motorway system and taking a wrong turn, thus heading north instead of south, and that they contacted the person who had lent them the car and called on them to get directions. It also seems that two people who had been granted exemption from quarantine to attend another funeral had not returned to quarantine as expected.

This is a wake-up call for the vaunted system for quarantining all travellers from overseas, except, it would seem, Air New Zealand staff.   At least overseas travellers are quarantined under government supervision, which is a move forward. But there are alarming stories about people in quarantine being moved to Christchurch. No further funeral exemptions are to be granted. The Prime Minister is frustrated, as indeed many of us are. It is disappointing that the one rule for Covid 19 still in place, to quarantine all travellers from overseas under government supervision, has been mismanaged.

Questions have been asked about the Avatar crew flying in, and mixing with other guests at their quarantine hotel in Wellington; it seems New Zealand cannot be too proud of itself just yet. A further case of a traveller has been diagnosed with Covid 19, bringing the total of active cases to three; what about the staff at these quarantine hotels? How much isolation is actually practised?  What about hotel cleaning, cooking, leisure and maintenance services?

The truth, as usual, is difficult to find. Dr Ashley Bloomfield projects calm and reassurance, and I want to be reassured, but this news is disconcerting, even for those of us who want to accept what we are given from Dr Ashley; the facts as they drift out are alarming and raise further questions. I want to avoid rumour, speculation, and “shout” radio, but this news has burst our security bubble. One hopes that it is a good “wake up” call, about the need for stringent procedures. After all, this virus is unrelenting, and countries overseas such as China have had to reimpose levels of lockdown. If this were a hoax, as some suggest, it has hurt a great many people and economies.

Some of the funeral exemption requests are very sad and very moving, but you have to accept that in wartime, or other emergencies, travel may be difficult, if not impossible. You may not be able to be with a loved one who is sick or dying. You took that risk when you went away, or chose to love overseas. Sometimes it is preferable to visit those left behind after a funeral, after the immediate impact of loss has passed. It is not always possible, or even desirable, to attend a funeral. With technology it can be Zoomed, live-streamed, or recorded; and people can talk about their memories of it afterwards.

Meanwhile, there is little evidence of Kiwis taking care. Most places have a QR code to be scanned; some have hand sanitiser, but the cafés are full again, eftpos terminals are sticky, sports practices and games are on, and most activities have returned.  This news, however, has shaken us up, as did last night’s earthquake: this woke me. The shaking, although not intense, did seem to go on for quite a while. Thankfully, I went back to sleep afterwards.

I guess we felt confident that there was extensive testing available in New Zealand; that there had been widespread community testing; and that there were no known cases here. There would be cases in future, but these would be managed. All overseas visitors were being quarantined for 14 days in government-monitored facilities.  We were free to go back to being scared of catching whatever we were trying to avoid before – influenza, colds,  respiratory infections, and tummy upsets. Within that, we tried to keep healthy – keep in touch with friends and family; go to stimulating activities; do some exercising and walking; attend to our spiritual needs; have the occasional treat, be it an item of clothing, a new pair of shoes, a meal out, or something nice to eat. Now, there is again a feeling of violation, of invasion. We coped with a strict lock down, and now this happens? We went without going to church, seeing friends, seeing movies, eating out, or even having takeaway food, for this to happen? We were glad to make sacrifices, while Jacinda Ardern was thanking us, and the government had our back. Now there are multiple views on just what constitutes “an emergency”.

While it is upsetting to have three new cases of Covid 19 in New Zealand; it is not entirely unexpected. But whereas before, when everyone was brought down to a similar level of existence, now the different rules for different folk emerge. It is truly upsetting that there are loud and angry voices of shock being put forward – why weren’t the rules more strictly enforced? From those who argued previously that the lock down was far to strict, and why wasn’t it being lifted? Why couldn’t people go to funerals? Well, now you see just why (not).

Overseas, things continue to be very interesting. The UK has scrapped its much-vaunted tracing application. BLM (Black Lives Matter) protests and marches continue in many countries but especially in the US, where a process of education is going on, and a gradual acceptance by some conservatives that black people don’t deserve to get shot to death by armed police, and that there is systemic racism and discrimination in America. Whatever happened to the legal due process? It has been fascinating to watch this realisation. Of course, no one is racist at all until this issue affects them personally and  they have to give something up.

It is so interesting to see and hear these conversations taking place, about the need to be sensitive to the moment, and not to discount the spirit of disquiet by saying these marches have been overtaken by terrorist or anarchic elements, or there are some “bad apples” in the police.  Meanwhile, Covid 19 marches on, and on, and on, now hurting different US states such as California, Texas, Arizona…while Michigan, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey now see their rates falling at last, after severe amounts of death and disease.

Meanwhile, Trump and some Republicans seem increasingly tone-deaf to grievances.  Other Republicans, who still support Trump, are scared for their own election outcomes. The Lincoln Project continues to produce scathing advertisements; the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of employees’ right to keep or be selected for employment, despite their sexuality, and has ruled in favour of DACA recipients. John Bolton’s book (or rather, leaked excerpts of it), proclaim further depths of Trump’s unfitness to be US President.  This has shocked many of us, who thought we could no longer be shocked.

Back in New Zealand, my hymn-singing group reconvened on Wednesday at the Khandallah Presbyterian Church in Ganges Road. It took us at least 30 minutes to get there in the car, We left home at 8:20 am. Despite the rain, it was not too cold. Afterwards I caught a bus into town, where I met another friend. She taught me to use my eftpos card’s corner to tap the numbers for my PIN. This, I found, works on some terminals, less well on others. I made my way to Tea Pea in Grey St, and had lunch at the Astoria Café. It was very busy, although they didn’t have their usual range of cabinet food. On my way home, I picked up a library book from Waitohi.

In Thursday morning we had singing again, and my son and grandson came to visit in the afternoon. I expected someone to come and help with cleaning on Friday, but no one came. I had lunch with my cousin at Simmer Café, which was extremely busy.

This voice of reason and calm is to be continued! Have a great weekend!      

Today is Friday June 12^th. Kia ora katoa.

On Wednesday I went to town, determined to do my bit to help the local economy.  I started at Unity Books, where I bought a new Anne Tyler novel, and looked for Camus’s The Plague (La Peste).  They don’t have it in stock, but it is on order.

Then I went to New World Metro in Willis St.  They didn’t have anything I wanted to buy – neither my favourite doughnuts or the grated carrot salad they sometimes have, so I didn’t buy anything.

I worked my way back down to Lambton Quay, as I usually do. I stopped for lunch at Smith the Grocer – a bagel and a long black; thankfully it wasn’t quite as busy as it sometimes is.

Then as I was walking past Glassons, something caught my eye: a rack of pale green knit-like jerseys. I tried one on (there was one medium size left), and I bought it. The store was humming along.

Further on, I went to Whitcoulls, but didn’t buy anything.  I did go to Farmers, though, where they had a special on cardigans. I bought two, with my discount voucher thrown in. Then I walked to Bed Bath and Beyond, but didn’t buy pyjamas. I couldn’t find nice baby rattles at Toyworld or at David Jones, but both stores were quite busy.

Then I bought some unscented deoderant, and some hair spray.

Then I caught a bus to Johnsonville, and another to Churton Park. It was sunny and quite warm, a nice trip.

The next day, on Thursday, our singing group was to meet again at the Khandallah Town Hall, for the first time since before lock down. We were able to have morning tea, too, and go till 12:30 – new freedoms! We talked lots about how good it was to see everyone again, and how nice it was to sing together. Some faces were missing, but there was a good turnout.

Afterwards, I walked to the local store. We are back to the not-so Good Old days. The trolley had a sticky handle, the hand  sanitiser holder had run out; there was sanitiser for the trolley, but no paper towels to wipe it with, and the woman at the counter did not offer to pack the few goods that I bought.  There seem to be no more raspberries. I made sure to wash my hands extra carefully when I got home.

Today I posted a parcel to my grandson in the US, with masks and disposable gloves; goodness knows when it will get there. There is still a Post Office in Johnsonvillle Road, but no Kiwibank now. Unlike the nice post office in Ganges Road in Khandallah, where you can buy all kinds of things, there is now nothing to buy here except posting stuff.

It is now over two weeks since George Floyd died at the hands of four Minneapolis policemen, and mostly peaceful demonstrations continue.  There is a profound feeling aroused in many Americans, and many of us around the world, a new realisation about the desperate cruelty of slavery, of colonial treatment of colonies, of the need to establish different mechanisms of safety and security and justice (“Defund the Police”). Statues are being evaluated, and pulled down. The chapter in history that is slavery and mistreatment of native peoples is being re-evaluated and re-assessed. Although there are detractors, there is a feeling that things are going to be different.

Two things have astonished me during this unrest. One is the education of conservatives in the US, who had no idea that the hurt and harm was so pervasive. I guess they just took it for granted, as with feminism. That movement has grown and changed so much since the 1970’s and 1980’s. One of them spoke of watching the movie “Selma”, and now realising just how important voting rights are.

The other is that I have listened to story after story in podcasts told be well-educated black people who are highly regarded: journalists, lawyers, actors, politicians, who recount growing up knowing they were different; being taught to fear the police; and having an amazing amount of close relatives and friends the victims of shootings or other violent deaths at the hands of those in authority, and of feeling that however respected they might be, they could barely function in the white man’s world, knowing how unfair the situation of black people and ethnic minorities is.

One lawyer described how hard it is to get safe running water; letting go of environmental protections means the air can be dangerously polluted; it can be hard to afford to buy good food locally; there may be no hospitals; it’s known that the US has a rising infant and maternal mortality rate.  While some white people have it really hard too, and have horrible things happen in their lives, for the most part they tend to have things easier financially and in every other respect. Someone noted that black people tend to have high blood pressure because they’re so angry. We have seen some of that anger expressed in the marches that have followed George Floyd’s death. It’s well known that black people are worse affected by the coronavirus.

At Mr Floyd’s funeral service in Houston, the Rev Al Sharpton spoke very movingly again, saying that the stone rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone; and also saying that God made George’s neck, and no one had a right to kneel on it. This had me in tears, again.

But things are changing in the US, for many people, although the President seems increasingly alone, and unmoved. He is concerned about his re-election prospects, which aren’t great at present. Meanwhile, the coronavirus continues to cut a swathe through US States. States, including some that were previously less affected, are now having more cases of infection and sickness and death. There seems to be a general feeling that changes must be made; the total number of Covid 19 infections has reached two million, over 110,000 people have lost their lives, and the stock market fell badly today, after a more optimistic streak, despite predictions. It seems that infection will continue to plough a swathe through the US people, and thus their economy. People seem to be ignoring the President as best as they can.

So here many of us have mixed feelings. We have been so well looked after, and we have come through this phase of the virus quite well. I keep saying that we haven’t had to watch our loved ones dying, although of course we wouldn’t have been able to watch them. We feel so much for loved ones overseas, but at least they don’t have to be worried about us. There’s a bit of angst here – guilty pleasure as we get on with our lives and get back to whatever used to seem so important. I remember saying early on that This too shall pass. Thankfully, for us, it has, and I trust we’re all somewhat the wiser and better for it.

I can still pray, and I can still sing. There is a great deal to be thankful for.

Nga mihi nui.

Today is Tuesday June 9^th. Kia ora katoa.

We are now at Level 1. Activities are getting up and going again – hymn singing, my normal singing group, painting, and I’m waiting to hear from the Tai Chi folk. I will have to get up early again! And it’s cold now! Back to – the future. But things have changed. Somewhat surprisingly, we survived the restrictions engendered by the novel coronavirus quite well. Many of us enjoyed the peace and quiet, and found that we could do quite well without the things we thought we couldn’t do without.

The general feeling of kindness helped immensely. At first it was strange, but the fact that the government “had our back”, understood and thanked us all, and gave us honest information, made a huge difference. New Zealand was a much more egalitarian society – we were all levelled down to the basics of survival. There were some great acts of generosity, too: the buses being free to ride, the libraries extending all due dates, the deliveries of goods and friends and family ringing to check that we were all right. Amazingly, we stayed well-ish. There were no nasty flare ups or attacks of colds or flu or bronchitis. And the weather was kind, too. We got used to pay Wave, to not using coins; and we marvelled at the sights of empty cities and cathedrals and tourist sites that used to be full of people. We read, too. And walked. And listened to wonderful music. And marvelled at the kindness of food store workers.

Now we are getting on with our lives, in a different way. Some activities we will enjoy again, but with a difference; I trust we will all take more care to wash our hands, to be considerate to others, and to be especially kind to folk who have been hit hard financially. Unusually, for we have weathered many crises, we came through this one rather well, hoping that some of that spirit – of kindness, of non-violence, can be carried forward: that Labour will be re-elected, and can address issues like housing, child poverty, treating all workers well, encouraging local authorities to clean up our waterways, and realising that well-being matters just as much as having a good economy; having a sound economy enables the government to ensure a good lifestyle for all, but we don’t want a great economy based on environmental damage, and the enrichment of a few at the expense of the many. The progress made with Maori people, and the ever-widening use of Te Reo, are strong steps that have been taken, and can be built on. There is much here to celebrate and be thankful for.

Overseas, there are still protests and marches for Black Lives Matter; they continue, in many countries, especially in the US. But the tone has changed, it seems. The protests/marches are by and large peaceful. Curfews, imposed in some American cities in an effort to control the crowds, have been lifted. And the police, for the most part, are not being violent. There are calls to “defund the police”, but what these really mean is not to do away with security or protection, but to allocate funds instead for social programmes, rather than being aggressive towards black people. It seems that years of racist practices, and of discrimination towards black people, and their extreme difficulty, almost impossibility, of getting out of a negative situation, has erupted into one demonstration after another.

This BLM movement is really serious. Many have tried to change American policing methods over the years, with some local success but little overall, where a “warrior” culture prevails. They should try being doves, instead, methinks. There are calls to “Defund the police”. By this, they mean, fund social and mental health problems, instead; keep police for policing, not for addressing social issues. Oh, and don’t pick on black people! There is a lot for conservatives to get used to, here. Systemic discrimination, unrealised by many, is now being called out. Years of anger and rage are now coming to the fore, now that some of these events can be recorded on film shot by any camera. Many black people have pre-existing health conditions. Some wag noted that many have high blood pressure, because they’re angry all the time. It’s also noted that America has a pre-existing condition: it’s called racism. Black people have had enough, and everyone should be sensitive to this moment, and take note, and act accordingly.

A profound change seems to have taken place, in that the marches, mostly peaceful, are now being met with a peaceful, non-violent response on the part of the police. There are still some dreadful incidents, like a car being driven into protesters in Seattle and a man shot, but such incidents seem to be the exception. In Washington, it is said that Trump has called off the National Guard. So what is left, one wonders? Armed soldiers with bayonets? Helicopters to scare people?

With regard to the pandemic, leaders like Trump, Bolsonaro, Boris Johnson and Vladimir Putin now give this crisis scant regard. After all, you can’t stay in lock down forever, can you? Well, it’s certainly much harder if people don’t see results. There is talk that in some places sickness and death would have been much worse if they hadn’t locked down; but it really seems that you need readily available testing, contact tracing, and isolation for a lock down to be truly effective. You also need to house homeless people, ensure a basic income and food supply, and make adjustments for people in care, be they elderly, “special needs”, or incarcerated, or working closely together as in meat processing plants. The greatest gift to anyone working in healthcare, or a first responder, is to stay well, to not get sick!  After all, as has been said many times, you may be fit and healthy, but you wouldn’t want to pass the disease on to anyone else.  The US figures are terrible indeed, with now well over 100,000 dead (that milestone was reached back in May), but Brazil is catching up, and now refusing to allow their figures to be published. The UK, given Dominic Cummings’ shortcomings, further portrays an attitude of not really caring, having failed to meet their testing targets, having vague rules, and general confusion and chaos. A number of songs have been recorded ridiculing Cummings: “I can see clearly now, the Covid’s gone”, and “600 Miles”. Even when protesting in the UK, people do not appear to have the same regard for social distancing as they do in the US.

Regardless of other pressing issues, no one should feel that getting sick doesn’t matter. It does matter – to them, to their loved ones, to those marching or protesting with them, and to any health-care workers they come into contact with.

I walked to the local store this afternoon. It was about 3 pm, the children were out from school, and although it was sunny, there was a real chill in the air, very different from summer. You can’t help knowing it’s winter now.

At the store, the Perspex put up at the checkouts has gone, as have the social distancing/queueing lines. It feels very strange. Still the checkout operator won’t pack my bags, and I really buy too much heavy stuff to carry home.

Before I go to bed, I watch a Washington Post visual compilation of the events of Thursday June 4 that led to Trump’s photo-op before the Church, holding a bible. Seeing this just adds to one’s cynicism about the whole event. 

That’s it for now. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Monday June 8^th. Kia ora katoa.

I started writing this blog last Thursday, June 4^th.

Back before then, the main item of news was the continuing devastation wrought by the novel coronavirus pandemic and its multi-faceted responses; the effects on communities, on air pollution, on the world’s economies, and how people all over the world were complying with, or resisting, the various lockdown restrictions imposed by their governments.

Since George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25^th, there have been, and continue to be, marches and mostly peaceful demonstrations not just in all fifty American states, but in many cities of the world, protesting against racism. The main slogan is “Black Lives Matter”, but secondary to that comes “I can’t breathe”, “Justice for George”, “George Floyd”. Other countries such as Britain, Australia, and New Zealand examine their own records with regard to racism towards their native peoples (Aboriginal Australians, Maori and immigrants). In the US, police have continues to demonstrate just what people are protesting about – their seemingly natural reaction, for the most part, to quell any uprising with violence, sometimes extreme. Now some police have joined those marching, but for the most part reactions by those in authority have been violent and excessive.

I have listened to story after story about the dread experienced by black people in the US, the fear of police, the almost constant mourning, the ongoing sense of frustration, and being unable to win or  succeed against the largely white militarised forces against them.

I have also heard a number of republicans saying “I had no idea this discrimination and treatment was so bad”. One is tempted to ask: Where have you been?

The marches continue. There is no sign of this “unrest” stopping, any time soon, in spite of fears of the coronavirus.

The Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at one of the first memorial services for George Floyd in Minneapolis. His eulogy was extremely moving, as he spoke of white America collectively having its knee on George Floyd’s neck. The Rev Sharpton is normally not this emotional. I also heard Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson on Chuck Todd’s Meet the Press, and he (normally so buttoned-up), echoed what Al Sharpton had said – “Get you foot off our neck!”

The protests seem to be intensifying, after Trump’s aggressive response. His “photo-op” last Thursday was widely condemned, with many military leaders including James Mattis very upset at the idea of using the military, including unnamed men (“little green men”, anyone?) to put down peaceful protests. The fundamental right of Americans to march, to protest, is being stressed, and the apolitical nature of the armed forces. There is shock and horror at Trump being “walled in” at the White House, and at the military at the Lincoln Memorial. Today Senator Mitt Romney is pictured marching with Evangelicals at Washington, and Colin Powell (George W. Bush’s National Security Advisor) has said he will vote for Joe Biden in November’s presidential election.

The marches now seem more focussed on being peaceful, although a reporter said that this was ever so, but the media like to portray more violent responses, which I believe are isolated.

There was a haka in New Zealand, a mark of respect for George Floyd. There have been other very moving moments. I just watched some footage of a protest in London. The UK police handle protests very differently from their US counterparts. In the US, there are challenges to defund police departments, whatever that means; it transpires that the police unions are in many instances the main force standing in the way of progress in how the police treat people. I say people, because although their violence is mainly against black people, white people too have experienced violence at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect them. The marches go on, still, and this feels different.

While there have been marches before, to protest gun violence, these actions carry on, and many of us hope for change. None of these folk are armed. We hope that they stay safe, and there won’t be an upsurge of Covid 19 cases as a result of these protests.

In New Zealand, there have been no new coronavirus cases for days now.  Today, there are no active cases. Today the Prime Minister announced that at midnight tonight, we will go to Level 1; i.e., the borders will remain tightly closed, and we will concentrate on rebuilding the economy, and industries such as tourism that have been so hard hit by Covid 19. New Zealanders are encouraged to travel and holiday locally, mindful of the fact that people are keen to travel to Australia and the Pacific Islands again. Jacinda Ardern and Dr Bloomfield acknowledge that there will be more coronavirus cases here, but we will be in a better position to manage them. Jacinda did a dance with her daughter; Dr Bloomfield allowed himself a broad grin. So that is great news, and something very special indeed.  We have moved through this crisis, and now we can rebuild. There has been no destruction here. It is now winter, but the weather was kind during the level 4 lockdown; it is now cold, but there are some fine days, to enjoy the sunshine, for a few hours in the middle of the day.

There are no more feijoas at the supermarket, but there are still raspberries.

I have finished reading “Stalingrad” (at last!). It was a great novel, although (spoiler alert), I did know the ending. It seemed appropriate, somehow. Thankfully, we have come through this war relatively unscathed, and our rebuild should be much easier. Let us keep New Zealand relatively untainted.

Nga mihi nui.          

Today is Thursday June 4th. Kia ora katoa.

This morning we had a lovely singing session via zoom. This afternoon one of my sons and his family visited, and a dear friend called from Auckland. So, despite the weather being awful, it was a good day. In the late afternoon we went shopping. It is nice to be able to shop together again now,

In the US, unrest and demonstrations continue. These particular actions have been inspired by the death, in police custody, in handcuffs,of George Floyd. It seems as though a vast area of despair, frustration, desperation, and grief has been tapped, and, like the virus, that is a genie you just can’t put back in the bottle. It seems as though a pressure-cooker has been heated too long with no effective relief, and the resulting explosion still carries on. You can’t say “Don’t come in here!” You can’t limit the effects of this anger and rage, anymore than you can limit the spread of the virus – except by taking steps to address it. As with the virus, some steps may be effective, in some places; the only really effective practice seems to be isolation.

The unrest is still prevalent, despite the fact that George Floyd died on Memorial Day, May 25, over a week ago. Many people are taking part, including some police. There is talk that unsavoury elements have been brought in, and are wreaking havoc, while there are requests to honour MR Floyd’s memory, and not be destructive of property. I don’t think it is wise to devalue this unrest. Others are saying “This feels different”, and comparing this to 1968. While there was certainly a lot of unrest then, this does feel different.

While there has been some burning, and some looting, I don’t think that human life has been attacked by protesters: the burnt buildings were empty before they were set on fire. While there have been calls not to destroy property, there is a sense of desperation, that feels frightening, and one can sympathise with. One hears stories of the many efforts to address issues of systemic racism in America, and yet, for the most part, these have failed. Surely this is enormously frustrating, to most viewers. Ironically, part of the reason that America is a “rich” (i.e. wealthy) country, is that much wealth was built on the backs of slaves. To put it another way, white Americans practiced “looting” on black people, on slaves. Still, African-American people, while not the only poor people in America, tend to do worse than white people in most areas. America is rich indeed in resentment, unfairness, and preoccupation with money, although they claim to be a religious country.

While protesters have been by and large peaceful, the president has spoken of ‘thugs”, the attorney-general of terrorists, and the Defense Secretary of the battle space. He has met peaceful protests with tear gas, rubber bullets (which really can hurt people), violence, and a helicopter in Washington which flew so low that branches broke off trees, signs fell from buildings, and people had to run for their lives. So, this was a violent response.

I don’t know if they realise that videos can be seen around the world, that there is shock and horror at police meeting protests against police violence with even more violence. The Australians were appalled when their reporter was viciously attacked by police in Washington. Most people were shocked when a CNN journalist was arrested. The President talks of taking control of the situation, not of addressing any of the wrongs and injustices inherent in the way coloured people are treated. Now there is Covid 19 to contend with as well, where people who were already struggling, are now dealing with death and loss, large scale unemployment, and consequent loss of health insurance, reduced wages where they do have jobs, and systemic discrimination. Where they do have jobs, they tend to be crowded together as in, for example, meat processing plants. They are just generally worse off, lower paid, and furthermore, encounter discrimination daily.

I have listened to many podcasts which speak of the agony of trying to be respectful, while limiting damage to property – hurting themselves, at times. It’s pointed out that while properties can be replaced – people’s lives can’t.

One thinks back to the book “Profiles of Courage”. Some have shown true courage, but not the President, who hid in a bunker when afraid for his life. He has a perpetual sense of grievance, such that it seems impossible for him to show any kind of empathy. It seems that even the virus shows a sense of discrimination, in not infecting him, in spite of his refusal to take precautions like wearing a mask, even when it’s mandated.

Today I heard former President Obama speak. It is always inspiring and uplifting to hear him speak. I hope it is uplifting for millions of American people. I also hear Chris Cuomo speaking recently to a priest on his CNN show, acknowledging that unborn life is important, but saying what about life after birth? Surely that should be able to be a good life, with the ability to get good education, a good job, and enough to eat?  The priest seemed not really to listen. This is the first time I have heard an American TV Host state such seemingly obvious facts.

I will finish this blog-post now, but I will have more to say on this. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Tuesday June 2nd. Kia ora katoa.

Yesterday it was cold and rained in the afternoon, after drizzling in the morning. Today it is fine and much warmer.

I was rather shocked to read a couple of days ago that a film crew had arrived in Wellington, direct from Los Angeles, in a Boeing 787, to work on a sequel to the James Cameron blockbuster “Avatar”. Furthermore, these folk are being quarantined at the taxpayer’s expense, in a Wellington Hotel. Now at least it’s not Rio Tinto (more on that later), and James Cameron is a rich American, vegan, and lives in the Wairarapa where he has a vegan restaurant in Carterton. All this is well and good, and surely it’s good to stimulate the economy in this way. But even so, I (and I think some others) feel a sense of violation. We have just been through a severe lockdown, where you couldn’t even buy takeaway food, and so dodged a bullet, and proved we could survive quite well during this special time, and it seems like sacrilege to bring these folk in, when many family members are effectively stranded, separated by the pandemic, and having to stay put wherever they find themselves. Furthermore, many of us have sons, daughters and grandchildren overseas, stuck wherever they are; the places where they live may have made good sense when those decisions were made, but they are now hotspots for the pandemic. The fact that a Los Angeles – Wellington direct flight is not an option for us – you can’t fly there from Wellington, just adds to the sense of pique. I guess money talks, loudly. You can’t say this government isn’t doing things to get industries going again, and New Zealand is now an attractive safe haven, away from a Covid 19 hotspot in Los Angeles. But given that a Boeing 797 could apparently land without incident at Wellington Airport, I see no need for another runway extension. We live on shaky ground, as we have been reminded several times during the last few days, with earthquakes centred north-east of Levin and in Taranaki.

Meanwhile, I discovered, from listening to a podcast (it’s amazing what you learn!), that Rio Tinto have blasted an Aboriginal site (Pilbara) where there is evidence of human life 46,000 years ago. I also read this story in a small column in the Dom Post. An Aboriginal group were about to hold celebrations there, when they discovered that Rio Tinto had obtained government permission, without consulting or even informing them, to blast the site for a mining development.

I would have to record that I think the Australian government’s treatment of the Aboriginal people has been appalling. There was little news of them during the extensive bush fires from November through to January; I haven’t heard one word about how they are faring during the current pandemic.  I hope that, unlike black and coloured people in most places, they are not badly affected, but I fear that this illness will add to their general sense of desperation. It’s as though the Australian white people, having been themselves victims of a cruel British justice system, are determined to wreak that on the indigenous people of Australia.  Aboriginal people have a rich heritage of art and survival and of making beautiful and intricate things. In a pandemic, as in any emergency, we are surely reduced to basic survival needs. There may not be much room for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, keto, or other dietary persuasions – you may have to eat whatever is to hand and be thankful.

Meanwhile, unrest/peaceful and not-so peaceful protests aroused by the death of George Floyd in police custody continue in many large American cities, and across the world: London, Berlin, Auckland, and even in Perth, Australia. I doubt if there were several thousand demonstrators in New Zealand, as reported in the Guardian, but there were significant numbers. These are large and meaningful movements of people, most wearing masks; there has been some burning and looting, but to my knowledge those protesting have not threatened human life. Americans’ shocked reaction prompts again the question: Just how is it acceptable for black people to protest?  Now we have incident after incident of police violence brought up again; some, we had probably forgotten about, but while the US police are scary, they remain terrifying to black and coloured people. Their “warrior” cult enforces the thought that might is right; that black lives are somehow less worthy than white lives, and that black people don’t really count for anything or do anything useful: a CNN reporter, who happened to be black, was arrested.

So just how should black folk protest, what would be acceptable? What will it take for things to change? Many have tried to change police culture over the years, as many have tried to reduce gun violence and mass shootings. The rest of the world looks on amazed, terrified, and astonished, that these things are still such major issues.  There is argument, as there was in Martin Luther King’s time, about how to protest, successfully, and acceptably. Some police are in sympathy with those protesting: some, like Colin Kaepernick, took a knee. The Houston Police Chief spoke very movingly to Christiane Amanpour on CNN. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke yesterday saying that violence doesn’t solve anything; he spoke in a much more moving manner today, having empathy with some of the systemic wrongs and injustices that black people face on a daily basis. The President, meanwhile, just seemed to make things worse, as is his wont. Talk about pouring gasoline on the fire (a comment heard frequently); he demonstrates time and again that he does not intend to address the issues causing concern; rather, he talks about “thugs”, “terrorists”, “shooting” (as a response to looting) and calls democratic governors “jerks” for not getting things in their states under control. This came after he took cover in a bunker when Washington protests became personally threatening. The epitome of courage and leadership he is not.

Meanwhile, the spread of Covid 19 is now no longer the matter of prime concern, if it ever was. Trump is so over it, as I suspect Boris Johnson is too. But you can’t say No to the virus, or nuke it, or even know its battle plans. Perhaps it’s just as whimsical as these so-called leaders, or heads of government: perhaps it likes chaos, too. One feature of all this, as leaders have abandoned leadership, is the lack of good scientific advice. This demonstrates time and time again that there is so much we still don’t know about this virus: we do know that it’s very infectious, it loves crowded gatherings, it can make you really ill; we still don’t have a vaccine, or an effective treatment.

While scientific and medical knowledge has been decried, some formerly respected institutions have seriously undermined their own credibility, such as the CDC, and Stanford University. At a time when we would look to scientists for knowledge and advice, this seems to be sadly lacking. Test results have been shown to be flawed, in many cases; test results have been mixed up (the CDC); testing has been seriously hard to get in many areas; contact tracing has been largely ineffective; and then there are asymptomatic carriers: perhaps there are so many, they would make the numbers look better? Nonetheless, the numbers, probably largely understated, tell their inexorable toll – that this virus is very infectious, and that some people get very ill indeed, and that up to 10% of infected people die of it. And now we’re all afraid of a second wave. We dread opening up our New Zealand borders  for fear of what my happen.

During any kind of protest, or demonstration, it’s difficult to maintain so-called “social distancing”. One hopes, more than ever, that people will be safe, from illness or any kind of violence, and that their sometimes desperate struggles will not be for nothing.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Sunday May 31^st. Kia ora katoa.

Herd immunity vs. herd insanity, that seems to be the current prescription for dealing with the novel coronavirus, in many places overseas.  Herd immunity requires a high percentage (which varies) of the population to have had the coronavirus, so that there is a natural resistance and few then get it. It’s generally accepted that until an appropriate vaccine is widely available and used, herd immunity is not a wise approach. In fact, to many it seems insane to think that this approach is suitable.

Here in New Zealand, we rejoice as things are opened up again: local travel, local tourism, churches, cafes’ cinemas, to name a few, but in most places people are still really careful. There is a note of cautious optimism – I think many people feel that we have dodged a bullet here, in handling the pandemic, and we certainly don’t want a second wave to come.

Yesterday we went to a movie. It wasn’t a great film, but it was nice to go to one again, and feel safe. You had to book online, and you could only book every second seat. It’s a small theatre, so we had a nice, uncrowded experience. This afternoon we went to New World in Thorndon, which was busier than last Wednesday, but it still felt fine. I do like going there, they have a far greater range of stocked items than our local supermarket, or even the ones in Newlands or Khandallah.

In the US and the UK, it had become apparent that black people and ethnic minorities are far worse affected by Covid 19 than white people.  There was an article I read recently entitled “A Modest Proposal”, taking the title from the great English satirist, Jonathan Swift. The argument was that letting primarily black people get ill and die of Covid 19 was a way of “culling” that population, pointing out that when slaves were emancipated, their health costs, hitherto ignored, became quite expensive. Therefore, from a cynical point of view, it makes political and economic sense to have fewer of them (or their inheritants). I cannot quite believe I am saying this, although I have written previously about the so-called pro-life, pro-family values party being quite prepared to not only make testing really difficult and hard to get, then not to report the results, and to treat workers as disposable and less than human, offering them low wages, little or no leave, little or no paid sick leave, low wages, and crowded working conditions.

In our country, and in many countries, there is a big focus on making workplaces safe, for both customers and staff; for making it attractive to come there, and still we are nervous about our new freedoms.

In the US, the desperate situations experienced by many on a daily basis, were made far worse by the coming of the pandemic: there was already huge poverty, a difficult and impractical safety net, little if any savings, limited access to health care, and all of this was exacerbated when people became unemployed and those that had previously had health insurance now lost it. Meanwhile, people still need to eat, to pay rent and utility bills, and just survive.

Into this ghastly mess, where there seemed to be no plan for dealing with the pandemic, arose the case of severe police brutality in the death of George Floyd. A group of four policemen were arresting Mr Floyd, who was handcuffed, when one of them kneeled on his neck for several minutes. A bystander filmed this incident, and Mr Floyd was heard to say “I can’t breathe”, and ask for his mother. He eventually died.  No one intervened, not the other three policemen, or any of the bystanders. This has caused frustrated disbelief of many in the US and around the world that the police, who are supposed to protect people, used extreme violence in this case. And no, he hadn’t killed or threatened anyone, but he matched the description of someone who had presented a fake $20 bill. So this was not a serious, drug-related, or violent offence. Mourning for his death has led to protests in Minneapolis and many cities, with some burning and looting, on a scale that has stunned everyone.  The protests by armed men in camouflage that stormed Capitol Hill in Michigan and Wisconsin were egged on by the President, encouraging them to “liberate” states that were under lock down; instead, he called these folk “thugs”. It seems that the police brutality leading to George Floyd’s death has unleashed a huge wave of anger throughout the US, and exposed the already deep divides in this society. What have black people got to lose?  What will happen next?  This reminds people of the protests of 1968 against the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights peaceful protests, but this is different, and scary.

Meanwhile, people have had it up to here with lockdowns and restrictions, although we hear each day of new areas in the US being hit with Covid 19 cases, some of them very sick, and deaths. It seems many are flouting any sensible “rules” or recommendations, on order to be “free” to be foolish, as crowded scenes at beaches and the Ozarks and parties would seem to demonstrate. The economy is in a dreadful state, with millions unemployed, and the healthcare system in tatters, without elective surgery to keep its coffers boosted.  The whole system has had its faults laid bare: consumerism and waste gone mad, extreme income disparity, millions living in poverty, suffering poor health, obesity, and an opioid epidemic, as well as a weakening infrastructure, where dams and nuclear plants are threatened by more frequent storms. And then there’s climate change, which, like the virus, is coming, whether we’re ready for it or not.

When I worked as a project manager, one of the first tasks for every project was to compile a risk register, of risks from the perspective of likelihood and impact. Knowledge of this would drive the test program.  I think that you do the same in the current situation, assessing each journey, and each shopping trip, each activity, from a risk perspective.

I believe this is what our government has been doing, and now we should all resume doing it for ourselves. In fact, in the past, I assessed everything on this basis: how would I get there, and home again; where were the restrooms; how was I feeling? What contingency plans did I have in place, etc etc.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi nui.