A couple of weeks ago, I was scrolling through my Twitter feed to see a video of somebody in New York City recording a video of the Blue Angels flying over the city as a salute to healthcare workers. I showed my mom the video and she said “this means absolutely nothing.” 

Mom is right. She’s also a nurse. She puts her life on the line everyday as she puts on her scrubs. That is her badge of honor. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I became increasingly worried about her. Seeing a Blue Angels flyover means absolutely nothing in one of the darkest times of American and world history. She also called the flyover slap across the face and a huge waste of time.

It makes me frustrated to see that essential workers aren’t given enough supplies in the midst of a global pandemic and in return they get a flyover from fighter jets for their return. The flyovers are more so an act of symbolism more than a matter of cost.  

Sure, it is a nice sentiment. But, if anything, these series of flyovers across major cities by the iconic fighter jets are the epitome of a waste of taxpayer dollars. According to an article by the Washington Post, a flight hour for the Blue Angels costs approximately $60,000. The article also stated that the planned flyovers were across 22 cities, which accounted for $1.3 million, enough money to purchase 20,000 ventilators. There’s nothing like sitting on your apartment rooftop watching the Blue Angels fly over…during a lockdown.

People are still dying every day. While there is some hope for a vaccine, there is still a colosal amount of uncertainty. Having a Jones Beach-like air show is not what the country needs right now. Healthcare workers don’t want flyover tributes: They want masks, they want other forms of PPE, they want hospital beds. What they don’t want is a spectacle.