Xinhua News Agency, Washington, November 23rd Reporter’s Notes: Shooting Inflation Superimposes Epidemic
Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Ding
Thanksgiving is coming up in America. However, the successive shooting incidents, the “high fever” inflation, and the imminent new wave of the new crown epidemic have cast a shadow over this traditional festival.
Brianna Taylor, who works at a Wal-Mart supermarket in Chesapeake, Virginia, was on the night shift on the 22nd. She and her colleagues were discussing the division of labor in the break room, but a nightmare suddenly came.
At about 10 o’clock that night, the night shift manager of the supermarket came to the lounge where Taylor and others were, and then opened fire. “I looked up and saw the manager open the door and shoot,” Taylor recalled. “He didn’t target anyone in particular, he just shot into the lounge, and I saw a lot of people fall to the ground either ducking or getting shot.”
Taylor narrowly escaped death, and the bullet was “only an inch or two (1 inch is about 2.54 centimeters)” from her. However, not everyone has such luck-the Chesapeake City Police reported on the 23rd that the shooting caused Six people were killed and four were injured. The gunman used a pistol to commit the attack and then shot himself. The motive for the crime is still unclear.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on the 23rd saying that because of yet another horrific and cold-blooded act of violence, there will be empty seats at the Thanksgiving table for more families in the United States. Biden also talked about a “gun reform” bill he signed earlier this year, but stressed that “it’s not enough” and that greater action must be taken.
This is the second serious shooting incident in the United States in a few days. On the night of the 19th, a gunman attacked a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing 5 people and injuring 19 others. The latest data from the US website “Gun Violence File” shows that there have been 607 serious shooting incidents in the United States this year that caused at least 4 deaths and injuries, and nearly 40,000 people lost their lives due to gun violence.
The epidemic continues to rage and social conflicts have intensified unprecedentedly, leading more and more people to choose to “own guns for self-protection”. The two parties in the US Congress have sharp differences on the issue of gun control. The lobby groups representing the interests of gun manufacturers have strong political influence and other factors. As a result, the chronic problem of gun violence in the United States is hard to get rid of, and it is increasingly falling into a vicious circle.
In addition to personal safety issues, many families in the United States have to frown on Thanksgiving food this year-due to inflation, supply chain problems and other reasons, the cost of Thanksgiving dinner has increased significantly.
Take, for example, the almost essential turkey on the American Thanksgiving table. A survey released by the American Farm Federation last week showed that the price of a 16-pound turkey this year was 21 percent higher than last year, and frozen pie crust, whipped cream, beans and other items Some of the ingredients used to make traditional Thanksgiving meals are also more expensive than last year.
Year-on-year inflation in the U.S. has remained stubbornly high in the range of 7% to 9% for the past few months. In the 2022 U.S. midterm elections that just passed, inflation was the number one issue that voters were most concerned about. Under the pressure of inflation, many households in the United States have tight budgets and are more budget-conscious than in previous holiday seasons. Roger Crane, chief economist of the American Farmers Federation, analyzed that the weakening of the purchasing power of American consumers by general inflation is also one of the important factors for the increase in the cost of Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will leave office next month. He attended the White House press conference for the last time a few days ago and left a suggestion: “This may be the last message I will pass on to you from this podium. The message…to protect yourself, your family and your community, please get the upgraded COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible if you are eligible.”
Fauci said frankly that the sharp political and ideological differences in the United States have caused some people to refuse vaccination for reasons other than public health. “As a doctor, this makes me feel painful.” If there is another “surge” of new crown cases in the United States this winter, those who are most at risk will be those who have never been vaccinated against the new crown.
American public health experts have previously warned that the new crown epidemic in the United States may usher in a new wave of “surge” cases this autumn and winter. Not only must we be careful of the recent accelerated spread of new subtypes of the Omicron strain in the United States, but we also need to be vigilant against new crowns, influenza, etc. , Respiratory syncytial virus superimposed threat caused serious pressure on the medical system.
William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University in the United States, pointed out that holiday celebrations such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as travel and close contact between people will usually become “accelerators” for the spread of the virus, because people spend a lot of time during the holidays. Spending time together creates an ideal environment for the spread of respiratory viruses.
In the United States, people celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November every year. This year, with the continuous shooting, continued inflation and the threat of a new round of epidemics, the American people may not have a good Thanksgiving this year.