Voices: Keeping America’s deadliest days in perspective

Screenshot of a viral graphic tweeted by @careycomments.

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As daily deaths from COVID-19 in the United States reach their highest levels since the pandemic began, the amount of collective sorrow and frustration we feel seems to be rising as well. Some think others are not taking COVID-19 seriously enough and have been critical of casual reactions and responses to the virus.

On Dec. 7, the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Twitter user @careycomments created a graphic purporting to show “Deadliest Days in American History” through Dec. 7, 2020. She said she wanted to highlight, “the stark differences between American society’s reaction to Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and this pandemic…” The graphic went viral.

I found the graphic off-putting and the rationale for creating it equally troublesome. In my mind, the COVID-19 pandemic is drastically different from the attack on Pearl Harbor, which is drastically different from the attacks on 9/11.

I want to be clear: My intent is not to diminish the seriousness of this pandemic or the havoc it continues to wreak. Virtually everyone knows and loves people who have been infected with this virus.

Many people have lost loved ones due to the virus. We grieve this pain and loss. I have had two family members hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 infections. As I write, one high-risk family member remains hospitalized.

Make no mistake, this pandemic is a national tragedy. But this tragedy is drastically different from the attacks of Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Why shouldn’t we expect and anticipate that our national reaction would be different as well?

Looking at the numbers

I need to state a critical caveat: I am not a statistician. I’m not even good at math. In fact, I chose to be a philosophy major and to earn a law degree, in no small part, because it was an educational path with the least amount of math required. Still, there are certain aspects of the “Deadliest Days in American History” graphic that catch even my attention.

On average, nearly 8,000 Americans die each day. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. Heart disease and cancer combine to kill nearly 3,500 Americans each day.

With the exception of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, every tragedy listed on the “deadliest days” graphic led to fewer fatalities than the number of daily deaths in America. In other words, by itself, the COVID death total for a particular day does not make any individual day the “deadliest” in American history.


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It’s possible some of the days from the past few weeks end up being the deadliest days in American history, but that depends on how many Americans died from other causes on those particular days.

Here’s another measure: The U.S. population has increased over time—146 percent since Pearl Harbor. Comparing raw numbers between 1941 and 2020 without accounting for the increase in population distorts the effect of the tragedies.

Why a person dies affects our response

Life is precious, and the loss of any life is tragic. When it comes to death, we as human beings ascribe great significance not just to “how” someone died, but “why” that person died. This is why murders, and in particular premeditated murders, shock our consciences more than accidental deaths do.

In that way, the intentional, heinous attacks on 9/11 and Pearl Harbor are not comparable to deaths from COVID-19. That’s not to say we don’t ascribe fault or blame for COVID-19 deaths.

People like to find fault in others. Many people are certain the selfish behaviors and mistakes of others have worsened the pandemic and cost human lives. Still, mistakes and selfishness don’t trigger the same psychological response as when someone intentionally tries to end the life of another. In criminal law, this concept—called mens rea, coupling conduct with intent—is critical in assessing wrongdoing. Intentional death elicits a different response.

Comparing apples and oranges

Death is particularly harrowing in its finality. However, death is one of many factors and not the sole means of measuring the effect of a tragedy.

It’s possible for both of the following statements to be true simultaneously:

• COVID-19 is serious, deadly, should be taken seriously and cannot be measured in death totals alone.
• It’s not fair to expect this pandemic to elicit the same response —psychologically or otherwise—as other tragedies throughout American history.

Unlike Pearl Harbor or 9/11, the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t a one-day or even one-week event that vanishes as quickly as it appeared. Unlike Pearl Harbor or 9/11, the COVID-19 threat is invisible to the naked eye with no human face to assign to it.

We shouldn’t be frustrated or shocked that Americans aren’t responding to this pandemic in the same way they respond to a terrorist attack or even a hurricane or earthquake.

A Christian response

My purpose in writing isn’t to attack @careycomments or her graphic. My purpose is to offer a different and, I think, better way to respond.

We should recognize we can’t respond with the same emotion every day for nine months as we respond to a tragedy that occurs as a singular event.

As Christians, we should extend grace to each other. We should try to remember everyone is struggling, and everyone is coping as best as they can. As Christians, we are called to be salt and light in this hurting world. We’re in this together.

John Litzler is an attorney and the director of the Church Law Division of Christian Unity Ministries. This article is adapted from a Facebook post by Litzler. The views expressed are those solely of the author.


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