As a long-term survivor from the 1980s AIDS pandemic, I feel like I am going through a very painful crisis again with the current pandemic.

Again, I’m witnessing a leader failing our country with a lack of leadership and denial. I see what I thought was an intelligent person scoff at science and facts. Why is history repeating itself? Why do we continue to elect leaders like this? Many of us have an education and critical thinking skills, but we still defend people like Trump.

Our nation is suffering from a textbook pandemic and social unrest not seen since the 1960s, and we have a leader who continues to defy facts and science with so many dying. Why do we close our eyes to this? Why do we rationalize or accept this? I’m just asking, why?