But we have a lot to be proud of, too. The people of Pennsylvania were called upon to sacrifice for others, and did so admirably, giving up income, social contact, recreation, and foregoing lifetime occasions like graduations and weddings.
Now, as we move to create a “new normal”, we must look forward. This includes a critical, apolitical assessment of the crisis, so we can learn from it. The pandemic exposed the power that one government official can wield, major weaknesses in our preparedness, as well as our overreliance on foreign manufacturing. We must address all of these issues.