>>> GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO
A SPECIAL SUNDAY EDITION OF
"MORNING JOE."
IT IS MAY 24th.
WE COME ON THE AIR AS THE
NATIONAL DEATH TOLL APPROACHES
100,000 KILLED BY COVID-19.
IT’S A STAGGERING FIGURE
ILLUSTRATED IN STRIKING TERMS ON
THE FRONT PAGE OF TODAY’S "NEW
YORK TIMES."
HERE 1,000 NAMES, JUST A
FRACTION OF THE OVERALL LOSS,
ARE STACKED SIDE-BY-SIDE, TOP TO
BOTTOM, IN WHAT THE PAPER CALLS
AN INCALCULABLE LOSS.
THEY WERE NOT JUST NAMES ON A
LIST, THEY WERE US.
AMONG THEM, ROMI CONE, 91, FROM
NEW YORK CITY.
SAVED 56 JEWISH FAMILIES FROM
THE GESTAPO.
LAVINIA HENDERSON WHO WAS 44
FROM NEW YORK, A PROUD, SINGLE
MOTHER OF THREE.
ALLEN LUND, 81, FROM WASHINGTON.
A CONDUCTORS WITH THE MOST
AMAZING EAR.
TERESA ELOE FROM NEW ORLEANS,
RENOWNED FOR HER BUSINESS MAKING
DETAILED PINS AND CORSAGES.
AND KOBE ADOLF WHO WAS 44 FROM
CHICAGO, AN ENTREPRENEUR AND AN
ADVENTURER.
LILA FENWICK WAS THE FIRST BLACK
WOMAN TO GRADUATE FROM HARVARD
LAW SCHOOL.
WE COME ON THE AIR THIS MORNING
AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY, A TIME IN
WHICH THE COUNTRY PAUSES TO
REMEMBER ITS VETERANS, ALL THOSE
WHO GAVE THE LAST FULL MEASURE
OF DEVOTION, AND ALL THOSE STILL
SERVING TODAY.
WE COME ON THE AIR IN SEARCH OF
LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP FOR A
NATION IN CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE
OF A HUMAN CATASTROPHE, FOR A
PEOPLE DIVIDED, AND FOR THE
CHANCE TO GET THIS COUNTRY BACK
ON FIRM FOOTING.
ALONG WITH JOE AND ME WE HAVE
WHITE HOUSE REPORTER FOR THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS, COLUMNIST AND
ASSOCIATE EDITOR FOR "THE
WASHINGTON POST" DAVID IGNATIUS,
AND HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR OF "THE
SOUL OF AMERICA," JON MEACHAM.
>> JON, I LOOK THROUGH THESE
NAMES AND THERE’S DWAYNE VALK
FROM MISSION, KANSAS, A PROUD
ARMY VET WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR
II.
MARY SANTIAGO FROM EVANSTON,
ILLINOIS, WHO JUST LOVED BEING A
MOM.
APRIL DUNN, A 33-YEAR-OLD
ADVOCATE FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS
IN LOUISIANA.
THOMAS REEL FROM NEWTON,
PENNSYLVANIA, WHO WAS AT PEACE
MOST WHEN HE WAS ON HIS HARLEY.
LIKE "THE TIMES" SAID, THEY WERE
US.
A GREEN BAY PACKERS TICKET
HOLDER, THE LEADER OF A PRAYER
CIRCLE, A COLLEGE BASKETBALL
ASSIST WINNER, A TONY AWARD
WINNING WRITER, AN INNOVATIVE
HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, A NURSE
IN THE COVID FIGHT, AN ASSISTANT
PASTOR, AND A DAD WHO DEDICATED
HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO HIS CHILDREN.
AND, JON, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO
HISTORICAL PARALLEL THOUGH I
KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE REMEMBER
BACK IN 1969 WHEN "LIFE"
MAGAZINE SHOWED ONE WEEK’S DEAD
IN VIETNAM AND IT JARRED THE
NATION TO ITS CORE.
I SUSPECT THIS WILL SERVE AS A
WAKE-UP CALL FOR THOSE WHO
THOUGHT WE COULD JUST SORT OF
TURN OUR EYES AND MOVE ON.
>> I SALUTE "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
FOR BRILLIANT USE OF DESIGN TO
CONVEY A POINT, AND FOR THOSE
WHO SUSPECT THAT PRINT HAS NO
ROLE, EXHIBIT A TO THIS EDITION
OF THE NEWSPAPER.
IN THE BUSINESS YOU CALL SMALL
TYPE AGATE TYPE.
THEY HAVE MANAGED TO CONVEY
SOMETHING THAT THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES IN MANY WAYS
DOES NOT WANT CONVEYED, WHICH IS
THE SCOPE AND SCALE AND DEPTH OF
THE COST OF THIS PANDEMIC.
AND I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT ABOUT
THE "LIFE "MAGAZINE PIECE.
I REMEMBER "THE TIMES" ALSO DID
A REMARKABLE JOB OF 9/11.
>> RIGHT.
>> WITH THE LIVES WE LOST.
AND IT’S A REMINDER THAT FOR ALL
OF OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
POLITICS AND PERSONALITIES THAT
FUNDAMENTALLY THIS IS ABOUT
PEOPLE.
IT’S ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS.
AND THE ROOT OF THE WORD
POLITICS IS FROM CITY, A
COLLECTION OF PEOPLE.
THAT’S THE MEANING OF IT.
AND I THINK THAT THE PANDEMIC
HAS, IN A WAY THAT EVEN WAR DOES
NOT HAVE, THIS UNIVERSALITY OF
THREAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND I THOUGHT
LOOKING BACK BEGINNING OF MARCH
PERHAPS WE WOULD AVOID A
PARTISAN PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE NOT.
BUT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY ALWAYS
TO ADDRESS OUR ISSUES WITH SOME
NATIONAL PURPOSE IF WE HAD THE
RIGHT LEADERSHIP.
>> WELL, I WILL SAY, MIKA, IF
YOU LOOK AT WHAT AMERICANS HAVE
DONE, IF YOU IGNORE A LOT OF THE
DESTRUCTIVE NONSENSE COMING OUT
OF WASHINGTON AND JUST LOOK AT
WHAT AMERICANS HAVE DONE, WHAT
THEY’RE TELLING POLLSTERS BUT,
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE FACT THAT
IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, FOR
INSTANCE, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN AND
THERE’S BEEN REPORTING THAT JUST
FOLLOWING CELL PHONE DATA THAT
FLORIDIANS SHELTERED IN PLACE
AND BEGAN PROTECTING THEIR
FAMILIES EVEN WHEN THEIR LEADERS
WERE BUMBLING ABOUT.
AND WE DID BEND THE CURVE.
WE DID THAT AS A NATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, SO MANY
POLITICIANS, AND, YES,
REPUBLICANS MAINLY, BUT THERE
WERE SOME DEMOCRATS WHO WERE A
LITTLE SLOW IN MOVING FORWARD.
AMERICANS DID THAT.
AND STILL ONLY 8% OF AMERICANS
ARE SAYING THEY DON’T WANT TO
WEAR A MASK.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY ARE
NOT ONLY WORRIED ABOUT
THEMSELVES AND FAMILIES BUT ARE
ACTUALLY CONCERNED ABOUT OTHERS.
>> AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE
LOSSES, JOSEPH W. HAMMOND, WHO
WAS 64 IN CHICAGO WHO STOPPED
WORKING TO LOOK AFTER HIS AGING
PARENTS.
STANLEY TERA, 77, A NEW YORK
CITY DEVELOPER AND A FRIEND OF
THE PRESIDENT.
MARY LOU ARMER, 43 YEARS OLD
FROM SONOMA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA,
A VETERAN POLICE DETECTIVE.
DANIEL SPECTER, 68, FROM
MEMPHIS, A MENTOR TO OTHER
ARTISTS.
DALE THURMOND WHO WAS 65 FROM
LEXINGTON, A TAILOR KNOWN FOR
HIS EXACTING WORK AND STRONG
OPINIONS.
AND THOMAS WATERS WHO WAS 56
FROM NEW YORK CITY WHO ARMED THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING MOVEMENT WITH
DATA AND ANALYSIS.
>> DAVID IGNATIUS, THESE ARE
THOSE WHO WE’VE LOST AS WE MOVE
TOWARD 100,000.
AS JON MEACHAM BROUGHT UP, WE
ALL REMEMBER READING "THE NEW
YORK TIMES" AND THE FACES OF
THOSE WE LOST ON 9/11, AND THAT
LOSS SEEMED SO INCALCULABLE.
>> UNIMAGINABLE.
>> WE LOST THAT MANY PEOPLE IN A
SINGLE DAY IN THIS PANDEMIC.
A SINGLE DAY IN APRIL WHEN THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
SAID IT WAS GOING TO MAGICALLY
GO AWAY.
THE SAME PRESIDENT WHO IN
JANUARY SAID THAT THIS WAS JUST
ONE PERSON COMING IN FROM CHINA
AND IT WAS GOING TO GO AWAY.
LOOK AT THE 100,000 DEAD.
IT DIDN’T GO AWAY.
OR WHAT HE SAID END OF FEBRUARY.
WE SAID IT ON THE SHOW BEFORE.
END OF FEBRUARY, HE SAID IT’S
ONLY 15 PEOPLE.
SOON IT WILL BE DOWN TO ZERO.
WE’VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
THERE’S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
OR IN MARCH EVEN HE WAS ASKED
AFTER RECEIVING PANICKED CRIES
FROM HIS OWN ADMINISTRATION OVER
A MONTH AND A HALF AGO.
PETER NAVARRO SAYING OVER
100,000 SOULS COULD BE LOST.
THAT WAS IN MARCH.
WE HAVE A PRESIDENT RUNNING THIS
WHO STILL IS SAYING HE’S NOT
WORRIED AT ALL.
IT’LL GO AWAY.
ASSURING REPUBLICAN SENATORS,
DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.
SO WE LOOK AT THOSE NAMES.
WE HEAR THOSE STORIES.
WE LOOK AT THE INCALCULABLE LOSS
AND THERE’S A GREAT CONCERN
ABOUT WHAT’S AHEAD OF US BECAUSE
WHILE WE’RE BEING WARNED ONCE
AGAIN LIKE THE PRESIDENT WAS
WARNED BEFORE, THIS TIME WE’RE
BEING WARNED ABOUT THE FALL, WE
HAVE SOMEONE ENGAGED SAYING
DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE FALL.
IT’S NOT COMING BACK.
>> JOE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT
"NEW YORK TIMES" FRONT PAGE, AND
I THINK IT WILL STICK AND
REMEMBER WHAT IT LOOKED AND FELT
LIKE, IT LOOKS ALMOST LIKE A
TOMBSTONE, ALL THAT BLACK TAPE
YOU SEE AS A MARKER OF WHAT
WE’VE LIVED THROUGH.
AND YET AS YOU BEGIN TO READ THE
STORIES, IT’S NOT A TOMBSTONE,
IT’S ALMOST A MOSAIC OF WHO WE
ARE.
YOU READ EACH LIGTTLE FRAGMENT.
EACH OF THESE LITTLE STORIES
THAT CAPTURE SMALL DETAILS ABOUT
PEOPLE, WHAT THEY LOVED, WHAT
THEY’RE GOOD AT, WHAT MATTERED
TO THEM.
I THINK WE’RE ALL FEELING THAT
IN SOME WAYS THIS IS A WARTIME
LIKE FEELING, RIGHT BEFORE
MEMORIAL DAY SO OBVIOUSLY THAT
COMES TO MIND.
I FOUND MYSELF THINKING WHAT ARE
WE FIGHTING FOR IN THIS WAR?
EVERY GENERATION THAT HAS
ADVERSITY I THINK ASKS TWO
QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, IS THERE UNITY OF
EFFORT?
ARE WE ALL PULLING TOGETHER FOR
THE SAME GOALS AS WE’RE IN THIS
TERRIBLE STRUGGLE?
AS WE SEE THE DEATH TOLL COME
BACK.
I KNOW THAT WAS TRUE FOR MY
PARENTS’ GENERATION, MY
GRANDPARENTS
GRANDPARENTS’.
THE SECOND THING IS WHAT COMES
AFTER THIS?
WHAT’S THE WORLD THAT WE’RE
FIGHTING TO BRING INTO BEING
THAT WILL BE DIFFERENT WHERE THE
THINGS WE SEE AND THAT TROUBLE
US AREN’T SO PRESENT?
THAT’S WHAT I HOPE WE’LL THINK
ABOUT THE DAY AFTER AND THE DAY
AFTER.
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
WHAT DO WE WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE
ALIVE FOR?
AND I THINK IT HAS TO BE A
DIFFERENT KIND OF COUNTRY.
IT HAS TO BE A COUNTRY THAT
FEELS FAIR.
IT HAS TO BE A COUNTRY LESS
CRAZILY DIVIDED.
WE CAN’T KEEP LIVING THE WAY WE
ARE NOW.
A DIFFERENT AMERICA WILL EMERGE
FROM THAT LIST OF NAMES, 1,000