Clapping for the NHS at 8pm on Thursday is frightening my cat bigtime. Yes, my cat is terrified of the current habit of clapping for the NHS every Thursday at 8pm. It’s five past eight right now and my cat has run off somewhere to hide possibly putting his life in danger because of an unknown “predator”. Yes, he associates the sound of clapping as some strange animal coming to get him and he runs.
His reaction is similar to the reaction of cats when fireworks are set off. It is not pleasant. This is an unforeseen consequence of this new routine. Does anyone else live with a cat who’s scared of this mass clapping phenomenon? The idea is a nice one. I agree. But I have reservations about it now.
To be honest I don’t clap these days. Reluctantly I feel that the NHS in general does not deserve to be clapped. The organisation makes too many errors. They are being sued for over a billion pounds in compensation for botched surgeries. Their nurses often lack compassion. You can’t find a doctor to discuss matters with for love nor money. I have seen how they work many times because a person I know well is in hospital a lot. It has not been great. Often the experience has been average at best. Certainly not worthy of clapping every Thursday. And the administrators have screwed up with PPE.
The front line staff who have risked their lives deserve a clap. That’s clear. But now they are fully protected with decent PPE they are doing their job. The local guy who opens his newsagent every day and serves customers is also risking his life because he is in contact with people who might be infected. Supermarket staff are also taking risks. We don’t clap them.
I think John Doe who’s been forced into self-isolation deserves a clap. The government did not have to lock us all down. Sweden and South Korea did not do it. I know they are special cases but I have doubts that the lockdown has resulted in a net gain in the longterm. It has saved lives but it has also killed people or it will kill people in the future because of a badly damaged economy. Less tax revenue. Less money for welfare and the NHS. It is a long term disaster. Think of massively increased national debt for decades to come. How will that affect today’s youth who’ll be adults when government support will not be forthcoming because of this debt.
The clapping should stop now for the sake of my cat and other cats who are terrified by it. Today, 23rd May, I read in The Times newspaper that the person who started the craze, Annemarie Plas a Dutch lady living in south London, has asked that the clapping stop. She said that it has been politicised. It is at its peak and enough is enough. It has been going on for ten weeks. Great. I agree with her.
