I have written in this space about the short attention span of the American people. It is true that with the explosion of information and its rapid dissemination, we don't seem to focus for long on anything. Could it be different this time around? Much has been said about the confluence of crises in America: COVID-19, profound economic uncertainties, and racial disparities. Will these shocks focus us in a way we have not been since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the world war of the 1940s, and 9/11 of this century? As opposed to those shocks that united the country, we are now in a divided country. Will these issues drive us further apart or enable focused common action? One other example may be instructive. The Vietnam War was a protracted crisis that divided the country but, over a subsequent long period, united the country. Now everyone is against the Vietnam War (but those who served in it) and would probably have been against the subsequent ones if we still had compulsory conscription instead of a voluntary professional military. Our current situation may mirror the Vietnam experience in a compressed time frame. Major divisions in attitude and blame permeate the population. The failures of infection control and the resulting economic shocks, ever so painful, will be addressed eventually. Perhaps the hard lessons learned will unite the country behind strengthened public health and support for the agencies empowered to anticipate and respond to public health emergencies.