I'm not sure if America is stupid, and since I'm part of America I guess I am calling myself stupid. Stupid may be harsh, but to be honest, that's how I feel with how we have been handling COVID-19. I think as a country we should be embarrassed about how we are reacting to the pandemic.

I am in no way innocent but I am better at following protocols. At the start of the shut down in March, I was reluctant to wear masks and hated them. I hated not being able to see my friends. As things got worse, I started to see the severity of the situation and sucked it up; I wore my mask, social distanced, kept my social bubble small, washed my hands, and whatever regulations they recommended I followed and still continued to follow. I would experience here and there; my boyfriend and I went to a restaurant outside and we thought it would not be crowded but people kept passing up without masks and not social distancing. To me, there is a difference between trying to do what's right and trying to be human and then just being plain ignorant and dumb. My boyfriend and I never went back to that restaurant and we only go places that are not crowded; if it's crowded upon arrival we leave. We tried to go to an amusement park one day, wearing masks and following all protocols, but we were too naive to think others would follow regulations; we never went back and quarantined for two weeks. I know people who self-isolated for months from others and the one time they saw one friend of theirs, they were possibly exposed; that is being human though and trying to do their best during COVID times. For those who continue to travel, throw large parties, and walk into stores without masks, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

For the person from my high school who threw a 50 person Fourth of July party; I want to ask, are you not prone to the illness? Do you think you can't get it? Are you special or something? I truly want to know what goes through your head when you decide to have a 200 person wedding party during a pandemic. To the person who says “I won't get others sick," do you have superhero powers or something where that's not possible? To people who think they don't have COVID because they are asymptomatic, do you realize you can still give it to vulnerable individuals even if you don't feel ill from the virus, which is why they want you to social distance? When you were walking outside across numerous people at the park without a mask, do you think you don't have the odds of getting it? When a mom decides to have a surprise party for their daughter and invite 100 plus people, what were you thinking? What are the nurses thinking that break protocols, especially thoughts that work in the health field? Everyone should have a small circle of 10 people or less that they trust to be responsible during the pandemic, but some people don't care.

I hear things such as “the pandemic isn't real" or “I just don't care" but there are people dying. Do you think about your sibling with immune issues? Your mom with respiratory issues? Your grandma who is very old and sick? You think you won't get COVID and spread it but it can happen to anyone. Stop being ignorant.

Other countries have a handle on this and America doesn't because we as people don't care. We could have had it under control if we wore masks but people didn't want their rights of breathing taken away; well now the pandemic is still going. Those who complain about the pandemic are the ones who keep throwing parties and breaking regulations making it continue.

We are an embarrassment when facing this crisis. A true embarrassment. Get your shit together America.