To think there should be some kind of national reflection on the pandemic?

[23rdmarch2020]

It’s coming up to three years since the first lockdown. In many ways, it feels an absolute age ago. From personal experience, my life completely changed in the space of a week and so many things happened in my life that never would have because of the pandemic (some good, some bad). For some, it has been an absolute tragedy. In the space of a few weeks we went from being in our normal lives to it being a criminal offence to step outside our homes without a valid excuse. Obviously people are keen to move on but AIBU to think there should be more reflection on the pandemic than there has been?

I think the ‘powers that be’ probably want to sweep it under the carpet.

covid19.public-inquiry.uk

There is a slow movement towards dissecting what happened on a national level.

I think Johnson has to testify to the Partygaye enquiry this week. I know that's tiny piece of the puzzle but there seems to be an order in which things are being unravelled.

I agree, there should be an opportunity for reflection- it was a massive upheaval and has marked and changed us all, individually and as a society. We need to take some time to digest it all and think deeply about what we should do differently if/when something comparable happens in the future. I want to say "without seeking to apportion blame", but I also feel that there should be justice for some of the more egregious fuck ups/transgressions...

Absolutely... and not only the response from the authorities and measures imposed but a reflection on the wider population's responses and willingness to adhere to said measures..

What would this look like in reality though? A collective week off work? People can reflect on it as much or as little as they want. I don’t think there was to be any collective act.

There are national inquiries set up /being set up, if that's what you mean.

It still feels like yesterday to me. I'm not over it at all.

What would national reflection look like, when we’re dealing with personal stories? Are the (many) people who can say “well, actually, I didn’t really obey the daft rules and it was a glorious summer where I dossed around whilst supposedly WFH and had loads of free time and really quite enjoyed myself” going to be equally welcome to openly reflect that way, or will only the opinions of those who had a terrible time be considered valid?

No, I think we should look forward and not back. And I speak as someone who lost a close family member and wasn't able to be there with them at the end.

People are free to reflect as much as they like, I intend to live life to the fullest and forget as much as I possibly can about ghe pandemic.

The trouble with enquiries
Hillsborough enquiry
Grenfell enquiry
Contaminated blood enquiry
Post Office Horizon enquiry

Four seperate enquiries and not one successful prosecution or prison sentence served.

Marie curie's national day of reflection 23 March started off as this- I note this year there's no mention of the pandemic instead it's about general 'grief'

Not yet - despite all the rhetoric, it's really not over yet.

Marie Curie charity organises a 'Day of Reflection' on March 23rd obviously not Government 'sponsored' as such but an opportunity to pause and reflect. Many churches will offer services of Reflection.

I think it’s too soon to reflect on it collectively. You need time and distance to be able to process these things.

In terms of an inquiry and ‘lessons learned’ for the government - sure, they should be cracking on with that.

But in terms of what it meant for us as a collective…too soon. We are still in it.
In my experience people are still very much focussed on how it affected/affects them personally and are not yet ready to reflect on it more widely.

It's over, look forwards, not backwards and move on with your life.

No, I don't want to reflect on my liberty being taken away.

I don't want to reflect on being told I couldn't visit my own Mother.

I dont to reflect on any of it.

I'm not over it either. The legacy of Covid is still with me. I cannot get over the fact that we have gone from harsh restrictions to nowt now. I thought I would lose my mind being forced to be hime aline and not see anyone face to face. Terrible dark days.

Honestly?

I don't think it 'Markedly affected us all'.

It was just something that happened.

And then it stopped happening.

Reflect upon what exactly?

I don't know about reflection but there certainly should be an enquiry held into what happened. And the enquiry needs to be a no blame environment or we will never learn any useful lessons from it.

There is no doubt people took decisions which turned out to be wrong, and which ultimately cost lives, but we need to understand why those decisions were taken and learn from them. Sadly I doubt in current society we are capable of it as there will be an obsession with blaming people, often unfairly given the information available at the time.

My reflection would be that some parts of the world went a bit mad with Covid monomania, but I wish that same resolve could be shown to fight against monopoly capitalism, which is slowly suffocating growing numbers.

For me I don’t want to think about it
Hated lockdown and just want to look forward

What are you thinking?

Personally I’m happy it’s over and that’s better than anything else.

I thought there were mistakes in the approach but it’s done now

No thankyou. Wtf would I want to reflect on a weird time like that? I don't feel particularly affected by it all tbh.

I agree with this, although I won’t ever forget as I was pregnant throughout lockdown and had my baby in the December of 2020.

I definitely think looking forward, not back.