COUPLE HAPPY TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME
MELANIE CROCE AND JESHUA TAUCHER FEEL SAFE HERE BUT CAN’T HELP THINK ABOUT FAMILY BACK HOME IN THE USA AND NEW ZEALAND, THEY TELL
ENGAGED couple Melanie Croce and Jeshua Taucher live together in Courtown but they come from opposite sides of the world – Melanie is from Richmond, Virginia in the USA and Jeshua is from Auckland, New Zealand.
Both are grateful to be together during this challenging time, counting themselves lucky to be safe in isolation in north Wexford but they are acutely aware of what’s happening back home where their families remain.
The pair are particularly interested in how the political leaders in their homelands are handling the crisis in such contrasting ways, reflected in the number of deaths and cases recorded.
The number of Covid-19 cases in the US accounts for one third of the world’s cases with the death toll rising daily, while New Zealand has recorded less than 25 deaths in total after months of strict lockdown measures closing businesses and schools as well as implementing travel restrictions.
As both countries begin to lift restrictions, Melanie and Jeshua say they are thinking a lot about their families.
‘I’ve been living in Ireland for the last three years,’ said Melanie.
‘I’m from Richmond, Virginia, which is one of the cities where there have been public protests against lockdown measures. There have been over 20,000 confirmed cases in Virginia and that number is climbing by almost 1,000 per day.
‘I worry for my family there, about their health and welfare every day. I call them frequently to make sure they’re staying at home,’ said Melanie.
Meanwhile, things are somewhat different for Jeshua, who left New Zealand in 2015 to travel the world.
‘Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and an objectively beautiful, albeit busy city. The greater Auckland area has had around 500 cases of Covid-19, with only a very small number of Covid-19 related deaths.
‘I’ve got family spread across the whole country, Mum and Dad are up in Auckland, my brothers are still living in the South Island at university and grandparents in the Wairarapa at the southern end of the North Island. We’re all pretty healthy so I’m not too concerned, and I’m happy my grandparents have been taking precautions to ensure they stay fit, healthy and safe. There have been less than 20 cases in their wider area, and I hope it stays that way,’ said Jeshua.
Melanie and Jeshua met through travelling – something they both enjoy doing – when their paths crossed in Bodrum, Turkey. Going their separate ways, they kept in touch but didn’t see each other for almost two years.
After both spending time back in New Zealand and the US together, the pair finally settled in north Wexford late last year.
‘I feel extremely grateful to be exactly where I am. There was a little anxiety at first being so far from New Zealand, but Melanie and I made the best decision and decided to stay put, lock down and focus on developing our vision,’ said Jeshua.
‘I’m also very grateful we live in a less densely populated area, with a beautiful woodland area and the coast on our doorstep. I’m sure there would be significantly more anxiety if we lived in a dense urban area, with no access to nature. However, I think on the whole the Irish government has worked swiftly and efficiently, calling on the best available science to make informed decisions.
‘This pandemic has tested every country’s leadership body, and some have performed far better or worse than others. The prowess of the Irish government thus far has certainly made me feel as safe here in Ireland as I could hope to be given the circumstances’.
Melanie said she feels lucky to be in Ireland now.
‘I genuinely feel very safe and lucky to be here. The Irish government was right in putting safety measures in place early to prevent the spread from getting out of control and has been very proactive in providing financial support and helpful, consistent information for the people here. I also feel that the people of Ireland have really shown solidarity and cooperation during this time, and it is so inspiring to see people looking out for one another.
‘In my opinion, Ireland is doing a profoundly superior job in managing this crisis than the United States’ current leadership. In Ireland, the government has prioritised human health and safety, and has put supports readily in place to help families get through this crisis. They are also taking a cautious approach to easing lockdown, by testing the waters in phases.
‘The US Federal Government was very slow to react, and failed to take measures to contain the spread of the virus for over a month after they should have. They failed to flatten the curve’.
Melanie said that she feels the background of this goes back to 2018, when the US Federal Government disbanded the National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense – an office specifically designed to prepare against and manage a pandemic.
‘They are now leading the world in coronavirus deaths, and are already easing lockdown restrictions in the name of saving the economy. What I find troubling is that the very people who are putting their lives at risk by fighting to go back to work are doing so because they don’t have government supports in place in the first place, like living wages and affordable healthcare.
‘In Virginia, minimum wage is $7.25 (or €6.63) per hour which is almost half that of Ireland’s minimum wage. Additionally, healthcare costs are outrageous across the US, and Americans literally risk losing their homes if they get sick. Instead of questioning the system that keeps hard working people in poverty, lacking the supports that most other developed countries enjoy, they are putting their lives at risk to return to that broken system. ‘The only financial relief they have available for individual Americans since Covid-19 is a one-time payment of $1,200, that many Americans have still not received.
‘In addition, the US government funding they put in place to rescue small businesses during this time was handed over to profit driven banks to distribute. With so many small businesses at risk of going under due to the continued favouritism towards the wealthy, and low income individuals desperate to put food on the table because they aren’t getting sufficient aid, explains why many people are panicking and desperate to go back to work despite the continued threat of the pandemic.
‘From the outside, protesting for the right to expose yourself to a deadly virus seems crazy. But when you take into consideration the system that Americans have become conditioned to expect, where they can’t trust their own government to support them and fairly distribute their abundance of resources, it starts to make sense that people feel they need to take matters into their own hands. The US government is not only escaping the blame for this ongoing wealth inequality, but has actually used this pandemic to further fuel division and confusion through mis-information’.
Jeshua said that he believes the greatest disparity between the two countries responses to pandemic comes down to the underlying trust in governments.
‘On the surface, our cultures are very similar and I felt quite at home when visiting Melanie’s friends and family in Virginia. However, it’s difficult to ignore the massive difference in ideology between our current governing body and theirs. If I can quote Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern here to represent this disparity: “I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong.” Compassion is something the American capitalist complex has completely undervalued. My mother is a clinical psychologist and I have been brought up with compassion being a central driver in all decisions we make.
‘I’m certainly very proud to be a Kiwi and although New Zealand has its issues, the current leadership has guided the country to shine on the world stage. In New Zealand, we are taught from a young age that Kiwis are bold and creative leaders, hungry to take our place in the world. Jacinda Ardern has embodied this societal construct, with phenomenal responses to all the challenges she comes up against. I believe New Zealanders trust in our current leadership and their response to this pandemic, has been essential in the country taking control of the spread of Covid-19. I’m sure the easily accessible social welfare support, lockdown measures, rigorous testing and contact tracing, and constant formal and informal updates have all been essential elements of Kiwis getting through this trying time. It will be interesting to see how New Zealand’s transition out of lockdown will impact socio-economic and environmental dynamics. I hope that New Zealand society learns from this pandemic and takes this valuable opportunity to recalibrate our values’.
Melanie said that she does not hold the same strong feelings of pride that Jeshua holds about his own country.
‘This administration of the US Government has not listened to science based evidence or expertise in the past and certainly hasn’t started now. Trump’s briefings demonstrate a profound lack of understanding, and intentionally spreads dangerous mis-information. It’s disheartening to see that he has chosen to take this as an opportunity to further divide Americans, instead of unifying. What’s even more surprising, is he is encouraging people to protest state government safety measures that have been put in place for their own safety, and risking destabilising those areas during a crisis by doing so. The number of new Covid-19 cases in the US continues to exponentially rise, yet they are re-opening non-essential businesses prematurely. This will undoubtedly lead to an explosion of new cases and a great deal of preventable deaths.
‘I hope that someday I might feel proud to be American again, when there is new leadership in place, but I don’t see myself going back any time soon. I have also worked very hard to be in Ireland, and am very proud and happy to live and work here. The US under Trump’s leadership has become a hateful, divided place which prioritises corporate greed over human health and the health of the environment’.
Both Melanie Croce and Jeshua Traucher work at Seal Rescue Ireland based in Courtown and have been involved in a number of community environmental projects. They would like to point out that the opinions expressed in this article are their own and do not reflect the charity Seal Rescue Ireland.