The Commons

Underlying Conditions

In America, George Packer wrote, the coronavirus has revealed a sick and unequal society incapable of self-government (June).

I shall chew on this article for several days. The taste is bitter. However, it should be swallowed and digested; hopefully its nutrients will be absorbed.

Ian McHugh
Mattapoisett, Mass.

As I read this excellent article, I was struck by the clarity of the writer’s vision.

I was completely unprepared, however, to burst into tears when I read the last paragraph. The phrase “We can use this pause in our normal lives to pay attention to the hospital workers holding up cellphones so their patients can say goodbye to loved ones” conjured up such a strong image, I couldn’t hold back my tears.