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  2020-04-13

  Coronavirus Political Cartoon -- Tomb of the Unknown Delivery Guy

  This political cartoon plays on an iconic symbol of US national chauvinism: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This tomb, located in Arlington National Cemetery, commemorates the lives of soldiers that were given for our country whose remains cannot be identified. The cartoon draws this tomb and, in place of the original inscription, reads, "Tomb of the Unknown Delivery Guy." In these unprecedented times, Americans have turned to relying on delivery men and women to bring food to their door in order to limit social contact, and thus prevent the spread of the virus. As such, these delivery people's jobs are deemed "essential," whereas they still hold low status within our economic and capitalist system. They are being compared to the unknown soldiers because of a key word: unknown. They are risking infection to supply Americans with food, yet they are still under-valued by those eating the food they supply. While the country's situation should allude to the importance of low status jobs, including but not limited to the delivery people, it is highly likely that after the pandemic has ceased, these workers will continue to be unknown. By employing a well-known "American" symbol, this comparison and social commentary is made abundantly clear to the American people without needing textual explanation.