Alone together or together alone

Are we in this alone together or together alone?

It is often the case that tragic events unify families, friends, communities, a whole nation and even the world. As humans live through these points in history, there is oftentimes an increase in collaboration, a greater sense of community and of belonging, a heightened and shared interest in strengthening the social fabric that holds us together. We are in this together, is probably one of the most common phrases we currently see pasted all over the internet to give a sense of hope, to indicate that we are unified against a virus that has defied all optimistic expectations.

As the pandemic’s strength surges, it is only pertinent to ask ourselves one fundamental question. Are we alone together, or together alone? If we were alone together, perhaps there would not be much of a disagreement (even anger), against measures aimed at slowing contagion and protecting the health not only of a few individuals, but of the whole community, the whole state, the whole nation. If we were alone together, there would be less aversion to the strengthening of social programs that would mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. If we were alone together, we would be seeing a more coherent political discourse, instead of one oftentimes distorted by disinformation tactics.

As days go by, I feel less optimistic about the idea of really being in this alone together. It seems more and more like we are in this together alone, defending our own interests, resisting any action in favor of the collective good, defending our allegiance to individualism, an individualism that confronted with the most catastrophic event of this century seems to remain unfazed. Marcelo Jebriela Porterville

Editor’s Note: The Recorder has agreed to include these testimonies as letters to the editor