covid diary: day 89

Coronavirus cases are spiking in 21 states, with several states (California, North Carolina, Arkansas, Arizona, Oregon) reporting the highest one-day increases in cases today. Indiana isn't among the 21 states, but I should note that locally (that is, in our county), our cases have doubled in the past week and are increasing at a high rate. This isn't over. It's far from over, but somehow it's not even close to being a national story anymore. And in some ways I think that's appropriate, because there truly is also a crisis in the way black people in this county continue to be treated. But also it says something important that huge crowds all over the country are willing to risk spreading infection or getting sick in order to be heard. That's how vital it is that we make some real systemic changes.

Particularly since we keep seeing more and more police violence in response to peaceful protests. There are videos of police slashing people's tires, beating people, shooting them directly with tear gas and rubber bullets, pushing them down and kneeling on them. Arresting anyone they want to. And inevitably, they then try to lie about it and blame the person they abused for "resisting" or "looting" or "being out past curfew" or whatever. Until video evidence emerges, and they have to walk back their lies, but they still largely face no consequences. This is state terrorism, and it can't be ignored. We need to radically change policing in this country from top to bottom.

At home, the weekend was pretty quiet. Liam spent most of his time at Klaudia's apartment dog-sitting for Judah. I spent most of my time working inside, and Mike spent his working outside. Max and Henry spent their weekend devising some kind of quest for themselves in the Animal Crossing game. My parents stopped by Sunday night because they found a ceramic bird bath for me (yay!) at Bailey's discount center, plus my mom made the boys more masks that are socially appropriate. 

Also Sunday night, my cousins Dylan and Cass made a cousins quiz challenge using Google docs, and it was downright delightful. Which cousins had pet ferrets? Who went to which school? Which cousin caused Uncle Kent to get so mad that he threw a Disney princess slipper at the offending child? Which Fort boy came up with the cuss "BF" for when "BS" just isn't strong enough? I loved every minute of that quiz, and unlike the ancestors one Chris did a few weeks ago, this one I actually did pretty well on. 

Mike is laid off again this week, which sucks but also doesn't suck because it gives him a chance to finish putting in his plants and doing other outside work, which makes him happy. This afternoon, he came inside filthy and exhausted but grinning about the number of things he managed to get done. So there's at least one silver lining.

Nationwide cases: 1,961,185. Deaths: 111,007