Living in coronavirusworld 47: We Will Survive

5/8

There's a whole string of these guys on 114th. sometimes it just feels that way

My first “virtual” doctor's appointment on a new app developed by Weill-Cornell medical was less than successful. It was with my dermatologist. I was supposed to photograph the areas on my back which I was concerned about which turned out to be virtually impossible. When we finally connected, we were down to seeing each other in the screen mouthing the words “I can’t hear you” to each other in loud voices (at least in my case) as if that would help. We wound up with an old school telephone conversation. Somethings you just need to do in person.

Spend time working with my friend Steve on how to link a ZOOM concert with Facebook Live. When it came time for our open mic, I couldn’t get my prescheduled meeting to open so I had to frantically start a new meeting and post new links. And we lost a couple of people along the way. BUT I successfully got the show onto Facebook! I take every even minor victory. Producing musical events on ZOOM And linking them to Facebook was not something I expected to master.  Again, we had performers from the US, Kazakhstan, Toronto and Baltimore. And one audience member from the Philippines. And these events  are tiring.

Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of what we in the US refer to has Victory in Europe, or V-E day, when Germany surrendered. Yesterday we heard from German  friends, colleagues in the International Sanctuary movement. Here are a few of their words:

Democracy is not just only the rule of the majority but the rule of law, the freedom of press, the human rights, respect for minorities and much more. We have to keep in mind: Fascism came to Germany through democratic elections. And today again authoritarian regimes are being elected by their people. The city of Berlin has decided to make 8th May 2020 a holiday in order to commemorate this day the liberation of Europe from Nationalsocialism 75 years ago.

... On the graffiti they have the motto of the actual Corona Crises, „leave no one behind“, and the name of the inhuman refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesvos „Moria“ indicating one of the responsibilities we have today. At the moment many activist are fighting for a program to bring these refugees to safe places in Germany and other European countries.

It’s rare for  country to celebrate it’s own defeat. It’s the rare quality of the Germans to mark this day as the liberation from Natonalsocialism day.  My son once took me to one of the most moving memorials in Germany, the memorial for the Soviet War Dead, those who died liberating Berlin.  He couldn’t get over how a country could honor those who died to free their city. 

Our friends’ words about how fascism came through elections are chilling. Day by day in the US we are losing rule of law and the other marks of a truly free society. Lost in the coronavirus headlines are the deportations of sick immigrants back to their countries and now the deportation of unaccompanied children. We require a level of vigilance that is sadly not guaranteed. Much hangs in the balance.

This all is beginning wear on people. I spent an hour on the phone the other night with a depressed friend. I feel it myself. Cracks are appearing.  

They had to stop Brian Stokes Mitchell from his nightly singing of To Dream the Impossible Dream out his Upper West Side  window. Too many people were coming to listen. 

I know the rent is in arrears, the dog has not been fed in years

It's even worse than it appears but it's alright

We will get by

We will get by

We will get by

We will survive

—— Robert Hunter