Change in the time of COVID-19

Well now. Where to start? I can't possibly recount all that has transpired since my last post seven years ago. the death of my mother. The death of my stepdad. The overwhelming relief I feel that they are not here during this time of a rampant virus, growing civil unrest, and a psychopath in the white house now floating the idea of delaying the November elections...due to the out of control virus. Delay the elections for the safety of the public but funding will be denied to those public schools that don't resume in person classes for Fall 2020. A Corononavirus Bill that includes billions of dollars for the exclusive purpose of saving Trump's hotel, yet reduced food aid to those in desperate need. The funding the remodel of the FBI headquarters is to keep it in place instead of the planned relocation of to a new site. Why would this be an issue for a Trump hotel? If that building gets demolished and the land is sold, a developer could come along and provide competition by building a hotel on that site. When Mitch was asked about it, he had no idea it was included in the funding until a staffer confirmed that indeed, this allocation of funds is included. #priorities. I live in Texas. We watched as NYC and Seattle were hit by the virus in the early months of 2020. We heard day in, day out about what was happening, their pleas for supplies, for vents, the dead, the need for locking down and, collectively, flattening the curve. We invested a few weeks, grousing about our rights as Americans, some completely clueless that the point of quarantining was to slow the spread so that, as witnessed in those areas first hit, the hospitals could keep up and provide the necessary care to those adversely affected. Our cases were few, deaths minimal. And as those areas hardest hit early on began to see an improvement, we swaggered around saying we had succeeded. We had flattened the curve. We had dodged a bullet. Then those in power in our state started talking about the need for sacrifice. Think of the young people! What will they inherit? From the same people who destroy our planet, poison our water, land and air, we were told that it was time to reopen. For the economy. For our children. From these same mouths, as the cases now exponentially increase, mandate that children return to in person schooling. We grew restless. We needed a haircut. We needed a drink. We needed to eat out. So we reopened. And gosh darnit, our cases began rising. Who could have known? But those armchair doctors said hey, percentage wise the numbers ain't so bad. .001% of people are dying. That's nothing. Nevermind that those who tested positive and "recovered" have seen their lives dramatically changed. Chronic issues such as diminished lung capacity, amputations, reduced kidney and liver function. This is the thing. We are in the information age. We can fact-check and verify claims, statistics. We can clarify what is happening and follow along as those who are working to understand this novel virus. Yet, we don't. Our everpresent 8 second attention span refuses to allow us to delve in and determine the truth. Our impatience causes frustration with being told what to do. Compound this with people losing their jobs and in turn losing their health insurance, children not being in school, the inability to get away from reality, and then, yet another viral video of a black man being murdered by the police. And we are in a pivotal moment for our country. Now, in the middle of record joblessness, standing on the brink of economic collapse and homelessness while a virus runs rampant, we are faced with what a lot of us white people have allowed to continue. What doesn't affect you doesn't concern you. That is the mantra of the majority. As a white man holds a sign saying Black Lives Matter white people scream "you're white!". That speaks volumes. That explains everything. Why change a system that works for you? Black people aren't slaves anymore. Hell, we had a black president! When will you be satisfied? When will you start taking responsibility for your choices for the direction of your life? Nothing is stopping you but your continued embracing of victimhood. Stop being a thug. Stop breaking the law. It's simple. It has worked for us all our lives. Work hard. Don't expect handouts. Stop killing each other. These are not thrown out flippantly. These people really believe what they are saying. They have always been able to rely on the police to come to their aid. They have rarely if ever had a negative experience with the police. Do you remember how gay marriage resistance suddenly, like a massive boulder atop a hill for centuries, suddenly began to shift. The small rocks beneath it began to roll away and the rock teetered. And then, the boulder moved and as it picked up speed flew down, shattering at the base. How did that happen. It was entrenched for years. It happened because individuals spoke with individuals. Those with the most ingrained hatred and disdain for the gays were listened to, were understood and were spoken to where they were. And slowly they began to see the truth. It will take conversation. Coupled with a relentless fight to remove the systemic racism that permeates our society, we can do it. We can eradicate racism from our society. I am tired. I am, at times, overwhelmed with hopelessness. As I watch these people counter and dismiss and distract. As I see people in power refuse to acknowledge what is unquestionably and evidently in their face. As I watch decent but completely oblivious people say what about me doesn't my life matter? I am crestfallen. I understand the selfishness. I understand the fear that something might come along and take away what has always been and replace it with...what? I understand it but I don't get how that can exist in an age where you can research the truth. I sat with my stepdad and, before he died, he was understanding his privilege. He had hard times. He struggled. And he finally understood that even a poor white Cajun had an innate privilege. There were no fights. There were no arguments. It was just conversation. And time. And love. And compassion. But do not get it twisted. There will be fights and arguments. There will be riots. Because when you go unheard when trying to abide what is considered the "proper" approach to change, and nothing changes, you have to change tactics. You have to adapt and move to what will work. Power is NEVER given up freely. It is wrenched from the hands of those in control from the powerless. There are more of us than them. We will lose scores of people but we cannot give up. White people - this is our fight. It is our problem to solve.