Bob P.'s American Life

We live in hard times. We must contend with a silent killer that forces us to lock ourselves up in our houses, keeping us away from friends, family, and the greater community at large. We can't go out to a ballgame, a restaurant, a movie, or even to a house of worship. The stock market tanked in an awful hurry, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 35 percent of its value over the course of five weeks in February-March. That's a big blow for folks who were planning to retire this year. An astounding 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment the week of 16-20 March, nearly five times the previous record. Hard times, indeed. You know all this because you're living it, too. Nevertheless, what none of us need is someone telling us that the wheels are coming off the wagon. It's disappointing that the Washington Post chose to do just that in an article on Monday, 23 March, entitled, "Pandemic tests whether America can rise to the occasion." Disguised