Tonight (of all nights), after a year of preparation, @playhousesquare @TheCityClub @CuyahogaLib & other partners are hosting me to discuss *Palaces* and our need for #SocialInfrastructure, for the #OneCommunityReads program. The timing is either disastrous or perfect. (Thread)
Palaces is about the vital role of public, accessible, well-designed gathering places in democratic societies. #Libraries #Parks #Schools #Playgrounds It argues that we have failed to build & maintain them, that we exacerbate problems, like distrust & division, as a result (2/6)
At first, the call for better #SocialInfrastructure seems at odds with our current emergency, #COVID19 Mitigating it requires #SocialDistancing. Quarantines. Maybe more. But getting through the #CoronavirusOutbreak demands we do more than hunker down at home. (3/6)
W/ #COVID-19 the most vulnerable people –old, sick, poor, segregated, uninsured– need extra care, compassion, and attention. They are least likely to get it. Bad #SocialInfrastructure intensifies their vulnerability. It deprives them of connection, support, & access to help (4/6)
Good #libraries #schools #universities #publicspaces are our best defense against lies & misinformation (including from Trump & the White House). Libraries are esp important, bc they promote gathering in good times & are digitally accessible if/when we need to keep apart (5/6)
We cannot look out for each other if our needs are invisible, if we hunker down in safe houses and turn our backs on those in need. Today, more than ever, we need a collective solution to a public crisis that our govt is making more dangerous. We cannot get there alone (6/6)
Mitigating a #COVID19 pandemic requires much more than social infrastructure. We need: Science-based public health policies. Paid sick leave. Protection for healthcare workers. Guaranteed access to meds. Massive investment in medical supplies. Data transparency. Honest leaders.
So, Gov @MikeDeWine declared a #StateOfEmergency as I was writing this thread. Three cases of #COVID19 confirmed in Ohio, all in @CuyahogaCounty. I stand by what I wrote above. It's time for a genuine #PublicHealth campaign. Distancing is not enough.
