The impact of novel coronavirus Covid-19 is harming our most vulnerable communities. Houseless folks, people with both mental and/or physical disabilities, the immunocompromised, senior citizens, LGBTQ+, racial minorities (at a disproportionate rate to white communities), and the working class are and will continue to be disproportionally affected by the bungled response to Covid-19 from our federal government.

A State of Emergency Declaration, student loan interest forgiveness, extra test kits, canceled events, closed schools, reduced flights, reducing/eliminating caps on internet data, shelter-in-place orders, and emailed cleanliness updates from various businesses and brands, although helpful and valued, is not nearly enough to support our fellow Americans in this time of crisis.

Every single American, rich or poor, young or old, healthy or unhealthy, should have the fundamental right to engage in full social distancing until a vaccine is readily available. They should be able to do so without fear of losing their sources of support, income, or run an unreasonable risk of exposing themselves or others to Covid-19 inspired by a lack of PTO or any circumstance that would jeopardize their livelihood moving forward.

If we do not take swift and drastic steps to financially support our most vulnerable citizens we will not only fail at flattening the curve and thus overwhelm our broken healthcare system, but we will set a new immoral standard for future emergencies to come.

A STANDARD THAT SHOUTS: Only those who can drive themselves to the store, only those who can afford to hoard more food and supplies than they realistically need, only those with healthcare, only those with disposable income, only those who can work from home, only those who do not depend on tips, only those who do not live paycheck to paycheck, and only those who do not toggle the line of undue hardship with every plausible financial emergency, only THESE privileged individuals and families are valued enough to survive a pandemic and its economical effects. 

This new standard should not be allowed. Apathy should not be tolerated. This is not a disaster movie for the entertainment of the rich. This is not the Hunger Games or The Purge, but the moral clause of those fictional dramatizations is valid. 

We all deserve a fighting chance. 

We are calling upon President Donald J. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, all of Congress, every state and city government, all major streaming and social media platforms, all major corporations, and ALL AMERICAN BILLIONAIRES to prioritize similar and reasonable versions of the following demands:

- Temporary compensation up to $2,000 per month to any adult American unable to work or secure their normal income during the Covid-19 National Emergency and Quarantine.

- Immediate rent and mortgage forgiveness for at least one calendar year for tenants and landlords facing undue hardship.

- Order all sit-down restaurants to temporarily close with the exception of pickup and delivery services, and provide additional financial support to restaurant workers and small hospitality businesses.

- Support small businesses and mid-sized restaurant groups with fair stimulus packages to aid in giving workers ample PTO for the next two months.

- All delivery fees waived for various services such as Amazon, Instacart, GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash, Caviar, etc, giving support to our economy while encouraging further social distancing, while also helping control massive panic purchasing.

- Funding for additional care packages for all blue-collar workers who will not have the luxury to work from home in order to keep our economy stable and functioning through these most difficult first weeks. Free medicines, cleaning supplies, childcare resources, food, clothing, PTO, and assistance with PCP appointments should be provided in abundance to help stabilize and support the backbone of our society.

- Waive the waiting period for employment insurance and/or reimburse workers for Covid-19 related medical assistance while waiting for employment benefits to start.

- Provide additional childcare resources to parents who are unable to take time off work while their children are not in school and/or give stipends up to $1,000 as needed per child to help alleviate the sudden cost and hardship imposed by any government-mandated school shutdown. 

- Fully fund the immediate construction and staffing of emergency hospitals in every major city, or wherever most needed.

- Limit ALL panic-buying by encouraging stores to place caps on various bath tissues and home cleaning products so that such products are readily available to everyone throughout the duration of these first precious weeks.

- Make ALL public transportation 100% free at a national level.

- Make Covid-19 testing available on a remote/mail-in basis, where a sick individual can request to send a cheek swab or other similar test to an official testing facility. This will aid in helping hospitals to not become overwhelmed and stay organized.

- Extra disability and unemployment payouts for anyone currently disabled/unemployed, or any person who becomes disabled/unemployed due to the effects of Covid-19.

- Increase funding to homeless shelters to provide extra medicine, supplies, fluids, nourishment, and extra/spaced out sleeping arrangements for anyone enduring a period of houselessness. 

- Increase funding to all mental health facilities to provide extra medicine, supplies, fluids, nourishment, and extra/spaced out sleeping arrangements for anyone enduring a period of in-patient treatment, or for whom regular outpatient treatment is vital to sustaining their quality of life.

- Encourage rideshare applications Lyft and Uber to offer increased discounts and free rides to all individuals experiencing economical hardships related to Covid-19 on a weekly or bi-monthly basis for at least four months.

- 100% free highway tolls for one calendar year.

- Encourage streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime to show FREE content on the following: Updated and ongoing information on Covid-19, best safe practices, and local resources.

- Encourage social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to swiftly remove wrong information, limit paid ads and replace with updated and ongoing information on Covid-19, best safe practices, and local resources. Also to host, sponsor, and spotlight support group blitzes allowing folks with means to financially help folks in need by sharing PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp UNs.

- FREE doctor visits and/or medical reimbursement for all uninsured or underinsured folks who are in high-risk groups and/or are very sick and require testing and hospitalization. 

- Additional funding to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and other similar organizations to help raise awareness and provide support for ALL Americans, to help educate and prevent widespread panic, and to help curb/reduce/calm suicidal thoughts and tendencies during this period of extreme social unrest.

- Additional funding to LGBTQ+ organizations (i.e. The Trevor Project) in an effort to support the LGBTQ+ community, particularly the transgender and non-binary communities, who receive disproportionately improper medical care compared to straight and cis-gendered Americans.

- Encourage all celebrities in the music, film, television, and online industries to raise awareness of resources and best practices, to lead by example through their public platform(s), and to donate their millions to worthwhile charities and/or directly to individuals in need. (They should sign and share this petition too.)

- Research, observe, follow, adjust, and enact successful practices implemented by other countries to both support citizens in need and reduce the spread of Covid-19.

- A REQUEST TO CITIZENS TO: Hold every politician either currently in office or running for office accountable for every action made during this Covid-19 emergency. Write, email, DM, @, and call them constantly. Encourage every local, state, and federal representative to reach out to their constituents early and often with research and analytic updates in addition to information on any new available resources. (They should sign and share this petition too.)

- All of the above, PLUS any other reasonable and fair means to support hard-working Americans of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, political affiliations, class levels, and mental/physical ability. 

Some wealthy Americans are seeking refuge in "Survival Condos" located in abandoned nuclear missile silos. (Source: Vice.) They are choosing to spend their money on selfish, panic-induced grandiosity instead of doing what is right by everyone in society who helped to make them rich.

The Fed will inject $1.5 trillion in Wall Street bid to prevent "unusual disruptions" in markets. (Source: The Wall Street Journal.) If the federal government can do this now but not provide the same level of financial support to those who will need it to survive, our markets are doomed no matter what.

We have to act NOW.

As Americans existing under capitalism, our power and choice to purchase goods and services is the beating heart of millionaire and billionaire fairy tales of success. Without us, rich individuals and huge corporations would have nothing to show for themselves. It is time for the privileged at all levels to shift their gaze from their mirror to their feet and help those struggling on the ladder rungs beneath them.

In this time of crisis, we demand all governments both local and national join together with the star power of all persons and companies that can afford to help and put their money where their mouths are.

Help us now and we will remember.

Fail us now and we will never forget.

We are all in this together.

If you are able, please sign and share this petition.

Thank you. Be safe, be smart, be kind.