For many years now a generational separation and conflict has been brewing ... with austerity measures after the financial crisis and the large inequality causing real income for the masses to fall behind. Politicians and even in tv commercials there was an underlying message of blame and envy of the older generation who were better positioned in pensions and sometimes in welfare from the state.

This I found to be emblematic, a letter to a Dutch newspaper in the hard hit South of Holland recently .... it loosened many tongues.

"Houdoe Mien, I'll be there shortly": the loss of hundreds of grandpas and grandmas | AD.nl |

Opinion: Jacqueline Klaassen from Etten-Leur sent us a letter in response to the article about the couple Mien and Henk Van Lith who died from the consequences of the corona virus. Her letter sparked a storm of reactions. Ranging from indignation to readers who agree with her. We have collected all letters from the past week.

Jacqueline's letter

Children are more important
"Goodbye Dad, Goodbye Mom, Goodbye Granddad, Goodbye Grandma."  Nice story though. But shall we stop pretending this is a terrible drama? Actually nice, isn't it? If you may go together at that age, after a relatively short illness? Rather write about all those children who are currently lagging behind in school, who are in potentially dangerous home situations, who are not getting enough exercise. About all people who cannot be treated in hospitals now. Or entrepreneurs who break down. I am very concerned. The remedy is many times worse than the disease. What if we don't build resistance to the possibly much worse second wave by sitting inside? What if that wave does hit our children? The schools are only closed due to social pressure. Where is the much needed counterweight? We sacrifice the future of our children for a large group that barely had a future.

* Houdoe is a local expression - meaning from Wikipedia.

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Of course in The Netherlands the numbers of lives lost add up into the thousands, elderly dying in anguish with no medical staff like St. Thomas in London. St. Thomas the doubter. The grandmas and grandpas dying in loneliness, separated from their loved ones.