The symbolic argument
More than 100,000 people have died from Covid-19 in France. According to INSEE, the death rate, inflated by the pandemic, jumped 9% in 2020 compared to 2019. No epidemic had been so deadly in France since the Spanish flu, which had caused 200,000 deaths in 1918 to 1920. This exceptional situation implies an exceptional commemoration.
The logistical argument
Several countries have already taken initiatives. Spain observed ten days of national mourning in May 2020. Canada has chosen March 11 as its national day of remembrance. Italy opted for March 18, and organized a ceremony in Bergamo, the most affected city in the country. A virtual memorial has also emerged in New York. There are plenty of options to honor our dead.
The psychological argument
The ceremonies were too quick or even nonexistent. Due to health restrictions, many French people have not been able to honor their deceased loved ones properly. These impossible farewells prevent the pain of grief from transforming into memory. Not to mention the figures given every evening over the news. We must put humanity back in this tragedy.
The symbolic counter-argument
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal himself announced: “The moment for collective national tribute and mourning will come (…) But, today, we are in the management of this epidemic. ” Who knows if new variants will not, alas, inflate these figures? It is too early to think about the commemorations. Were the war memorials of the First World War erected in 1916?
The logistical counter-argument
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, spoke in favor of a “place of active memory”. What date to choose? January 14 (date of the first death of Covid-19 in France), March 17 (start of the first confinement), April 15 (date of 100,000 deaths)? In addition, this tribute would induce an inappropriate hierarchy. The deaths of Covid-19 would be entitled to more honors than cancer victims (157,000 deaths in 2018).
The psychological counter-argument
The French need to turn the page. The spontaneous rituals of the first confinement, such as the applause at 8 p.m., have gradually disappeared, a symbol of weariness. Such a source of anxiety is not sustainable over time. So we watch every day the evolution of the epidemic and the vaccination campaign to project ourselves into the future. There is no point in plunging the population back into this difficult memory.