This archive report was first published on 24 May 2020.
On May 24, 2020, the New York Times published a groundbreaking memorial to the nearly 100,000 Americans lost to Covid-19. The article, titled 'U.S. Deaths Near 100,000, an Incalculable Loss,' was a powerful tribute to the lives lost during the pandemic.
Minister Elizabeth Bukey praised the memorial, stating that it humanized the dead and reminded us that each person is precious, not something to be sacrificed for a growth economy. She urged that future epidemics be met with a just society and competent leadership, so that more of us will survive.
Other readers also expressed their gratitude for the memorial, with Margaret O'Hara noting that it made overwhelming numerical data so personal and Margaret O'Hara saying that it illustrated the breadth and depth of the losses endured by so many Americans.
Alfie Kohn, however, cautioned against focusing solely on the death toll in the United States, pointing out that more than 340,000 people have died worldwide. He urged readers to rise above nationalism and tribalism to affirm our common humanity.
As the pandemic continues to affect communities worldwide, the New York Times' memorial serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the pandemic and the importance of working together to prevent future tragedies.
