NOTES,  9 MARCH 2021

Welcome, friend, on this early spring (actually late winter) day in early March. The people in my area are enjoying a glorious springtime, much needed at this point in our lives with so much darkness, death, and loss all around us. New birth is always refreshing, now more than ever after a year of the worst health crisis in a century. It is time to look in on the crises we have been following for the past year.

PANDEMIC. We are now reaching a full year since the WHO declared COVID-19 to be a worldwide pandemic. What a year it has been. Let us just take a moment to let some figures sink in. 117m people in the world have fallen sick with the coronavirus. 2.6m of them have died of it. In the United States, about 10% of the population have fallen ill with the virus. Over half a million Americans have died of the disease. This pandemic is on track to surpass the last great pandemic, the flu of 1918-19, and this is true in spite of modern medicines and now vaccines against the virus. We should all take a moment and reflect on the awful truth of the misery and death in our midst.

In spite of the reality of the year from Hell, at least in terms of public health, the pandemic is showing unmistakable signs of decline. All statistics show an easing of the spread and mortality of COVID-19 in the past few weeks. The best news is that we now have three vaccines that can at least minimize the effects of the coronavirus on the body.

According to our usual source, Worldometers, infections and deaths in the world are declining. Last week, March 1-8, new cases increased by 2.3%, an improvement over the 2.5% of the previous week (Feb. 22-Mar.1). As for deaths, there were 62,358 in the world last week, an increase of 2%, an improvement over the 3% of the earlier week. As of now, 2,606,833 people in the world have died of COVID-19. 

The U.S. is also showing clear signs of mitigation. Last week, the U.S. reported 441,707 new cases (2%), whereas the prior week had shown 489,942 new cases. Deaths also declined proportionally. Last week, the U.S. reported 12,063 deaths, down from the 14,645 of the earlier week. New cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have declined dramatically in most of America.

Our local southeastern states more or less follow the national and worldwide trends. Last week, South Carolina listed 9,042 new cases, a dramatic improvement over the 12,674 of the previous week. SC is now reporting a total of 525,865 cases. As for deaths, the state listed 224 last week, up slightly from the 206 of the preceding week. SC has seen a total of 8,754 deaths.

Charleston County SC is also showing much-welcomed decline in the plague. Last week, the county reported 590 new cases, well below the 802 of the previous week. It also listed 8 deaths last week, a big improvement over the 15 of the earlier week. In all, 460 residents of Charleston County have died in this pandemic. Let us take a moment and reflect on this too.

Alabama is showing that new cases are up slightly but deaths are down significantly. Last week, AL reported 6,567 new cases, above the 6,409 of the earlier week. Some 10% of the state of AL has contracted the virus in the past year. Of those, 10,149 have died of it. Last week, AL saw 220 deaths, well below the 337 of the previous week.

As signs are showing an easing of the plague, many localities are rushing to remove protective measures. This is true even though only 18% of Americans have received even one of the vaccination shots. Some experts warn against reopening too soon lest we see a new spike in cases and deaths. We shall see. We are all experiencing pandemic fatigue but we must not lose our vigilance too soon.

LITIGATION. As far as I know, nothing new has happened on this front since out last check-in. My best guess is that the Episcopal diocese and the new diocese will submit reply briefs to the South Carolina Supreme Court. If so, I will report on them as I receive them. After that, the SCSC will move to a decision. The issue at hand is the Episcopal side's appeal of Judge Dickson's decision and request for implementation of the SCSC decision of 2017. This is the ball game, as they say. What the SCSC rules will in effect settle the long-running dispute between the Episcopal Church and the secessionists in SC. As with the pandemic, we should not let exhaustion cloud our view of the significance of this moment.

POLITICAL. It seems to me the mood of the country has changed dramatically in the past few weeks even in spite of the bitter partisanship still gripping the government. The new administration is working hard to restore the pre-Trump order, to the great relief of the majority of Americans, according to the opinion polls.

My two bits on the Meghan Markle story. I am weary of over-indulged, over-privileged, spoiled narcissistic "victims" complaining about how they were mistreated. Give me a break. How about discovering the timeless values of duty, honor, and selfless public service, as say, perfectly embodied in Queen Elizabeth II? Privilege has a cost. Markle knew very well what she was getting into by marrying into the royal family.

Markle made two main points in her recent interview. One was lack of caring among the royal family. As I said, she knew what was coming. The second was far more serious. She implied that the royal family was racist, and then refused to give any evidence to back this up. Markle grew up identifying as white and enjoying all the privileges that came with that. She joined a white sorority in college. She was welcomed with open arms by the royal family. If they were really racists, she would not be there, and she certainly would not have been so joyously embraced by them. The bothersome thing about playing the race card is that it diminishes the authentic problem of racism that is all around us. Racism is very much a part of our lives and it must be removed to achieve a truly moral and democratic society. Accusing the royal family of being racists, and without any evidence, is well, sad and counter-productive. It diminishes the accuser. It diminishes the serious issue. If Markel really wanted to fight against racism, she could have stayed in the royal family and made herself an ambassador to the Commonwealth of Nations, the vast majority of which is non-white. Now that would have diminished the real issue that she now decries. 

This whole business brings to mind another American divorcee who captivated another not-very-bright royal person not so long ago. He became so besotted with her that he gave up the throne. The two of them went off into lonely and bitter exile for the rest of their lives, estranged from the royal family. It did not end well for any of them. The best thing that came from that was that Britain was spared a pro-Nazi king at the worst possible moment when the survival of the nation was at stake. At this moment, it is difficult to see how the Harry-Meghan situation will turn out any better than did the Edward-Wallis debacle of the 1930's. It is all rather sad, really. There are no winners here.

Please do not get me wrong. As a democratic republican and old student of the French Revolution, I am definitely not a monarchist. Yet, I admire the way the British blended old monarchy with democracy to create a model constitutional, democratic monarchy. (The Church of England followed this same model of historic amagamation on of old form and new substance.) This gives a certain historical unity and stability to the nation while it moves ever more into new realms of human rights. This has worked well for Britain, and the monarchy remains overwhelmingly popular among the ordinary people. 

Finally, spring is here, at least in the south and I am reveling every minute of it. Did we ever need new life more? I am enjoying these lovely days working in my garden. It needs me and I need it. Around me now I see:

Baby's Breath Spirea (Spiraea arguta) is covered with countless tiny white flowers in very early spring. This one is full grown at 6 feet.

Forsythia blooms in early spring covering itself with small bright yellow flowers before the leaves appear. Azalea is the most common early blooming shrub in the south, but, alas, it does not like my garden, for whatever reason. I have planted two dozen azalea bushes over the years and every one has died. Yet, I have only to ride around town to see masses blooming everywhere. So, I have given up on azalea and rely on other, happy, residents of my garden. Nothing beats Forsythia at this time of the year.

Fujino Pink Spirea (Spiraea thunbergii 'Fujino Pink') is another very early blooming deciduous shrub. This one is also full grown at 6 feet.

My best wishes to you, blog reader. We have been through a long, very long, terrible night. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is getting brighter. Although we are still in the tunnel, there is every reason to believe we will make it out, together. None of us wanted this darkness, but that was not our choice to make. We are here for the living of this hour. Peace.