A People’s History of the Pandemic
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The next century’s generation of people needs to remember the history of the COVID -19 and how it brought the whole world to a standstill. They need enough information of a global pandemic which attacked all people, regardless of their gender, race, age and the place of residence. By reading the history that will be written currently by historians like Howard Zinn, this generation will understand about a global pandemic that confined people in their houses like caged animals, for several days. I know they will be amazed by this battle that was fought with water and soap instead of firearms, and one which was fought inside the houses instead of a battleground. This is the reality of the COVID-19 Pandemic that has taught people how perishable they are and how social status matter least in life in comparison with love. This whole story will be a people’s history of the Pandemic.
If I were Howard Zinn, I would narrate the history of the Pandemic from the perspective of the people but not of the heroes. Just as Zinn wanted every American child to remember the story of the discovery of America by Christoper Columbus, the next generation should remember the history of COVID-19 Pandemic and how it came to subjugate people, the same way Columbus came to enslave the Arawak. It should remember that the COVID-19 turned people to “a starving population, the rich richer, the poor poorer, and a ruined peasant class (18).” The tone and structure of the whole story will suggest its familiarity with the historical events that Zinn explains in his work. According to Zinn, there was nothing noble about the expedition of Columbus to the New World. His goal was just simple; to steal as much gold and wealth as possible. He was, therefore, a murderer and a thief because of his genocide acts.
The next generation should also know that there was nothing noble about the COVID-19 Pandemic. It came to steal wealth and suppress the economy by stopping people from working. Just as Columbus left a dark legacy in America, COVID-19 will be known as a murderer and a thief to the economy because the virus has murdered a huge number of people across the world. In Zinn’s “Conversation with History,” he is teaching us about the consequences of disobedience to the Indians in America that made them lose their valuable resources. The future generations should also learn how disobedience in fighting the COVIS-19 cost people their lives.
Whenever historians give an account of something, they must choose the essential facts to emphasize and the target audience. In most instances, historians will highlight Important facts and bury others, but the ideology presented is important for the progress of a nation. Zinn wrote people’s history because he believed that the history of a country justifies its existence by reporting the truth of what happened. He said that “the most critical way in which people are deceived by history is if it has been omitted “(24:30). In my case, the People’s History of COVID-19 Pandemic will serve as a reminder to future generations as the protagonists. According to the way Zinn narrates the story, the ignorant people may fail to agree because of the data given for infections and death. History teaches the nation the importance of alertness in case of a global emergency.