An Early Spring In New York City, 2020

An Early Spring In New York City, 2020

An early spring in New York City sends blossoms through Central Park, but the loopy New York Times claims “a pall of anxiety has descended on the city.” Really?

By David Stone

Recently, the New York Times joined one-time lesser lights, proving it learned that nothing sells like fear and anxiety. It’s irritating, but an article on March 7th stretched their fizzy clickbait frenzy higher.

New York in the Age of Coronavirus led with this sentence: “As the number of cases climbs, a pall of anxiety has descended on the city.”

Has it?

Well, yeah, in the fictional universe of mass media. In the real world, not so much.

The Times found one couple in New York City that moved their wedding up, so the groom could add his bride to his health insurance.

“We don’t know what the world will look like in three months,” the bride observed.

And that, according to the newspaper that once set a standard for excellence, was how New York City saw the earliest of springs after a mild winter.

But it’s not what we saw…

Instead of “a pall,” we saw mellow New Yorkers enjoying one of the first free jazz concerts by the lake in Central Park.

I admit, showing up the Times inspired me. But after that, it was all New Yorkers and the earliest of springs.

It’s still winter, officially, but don’t tell the colorful outbreak of blossoms all over Central Park.

Early Spring in New York City: What about the people?

Many think the unthinkable: “Am I next?” That’s the Times version.

But that’s not real.

“Am I next?” is, in reality, more like, “Can you believe spring came so early?”

Because 2,200 people are in some kind of quarantine in town, the Times reports “a creeping anxiety looms.”

But even without the tourists, there are 8,398,748 of us. You do the math.

Oh well, I’ll do it for you. That’s .026% under quarantine, the vast majority voluntary. Meanwhile…

Some are chillin’ in the sun in Central Park.
Others walk the paths in groups as meadows green up.

But in the New York Times New York Region section, 8 out of ten stories contain “coronavirus” in the headline.

Would someone tell the city’s biggest newspaper to wake up and smell the flowers?

Spring’s in bloom, whether the New York Times likes it or not.

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