Week #15 Of The New Life

When this series started, the new life was one-dimensional entity that revolved around the pandemic. And now, we have a chance to make that new life multidimensional. And not only is the new life multdimenional, some parts of the new dimensions offer welcomed changes to the past rather than interruptions to what is now a cherished past.

The pandemic continues to live. My own state has done well to handle the pandemic but the fat lady hasn't sung yet. We need to proceed cautiously lest we lose precious ground that we have gained. Some states that had so far not experienced much pain from the pandemic are now experiencing that pain. Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Carolina and some other states serve as examples. And for as long as we have multiple states dealing with surges, the economy cannot fully recover. Such shows how interdependent we all are on each other.

So it looks like, except for major shareholders, we will be suffering from the pandemic for quite a while. We will be suffering until we can find a vaccine to the virus.

But not all is bad in the new world. The brutal murder of George Floyd, possibly in combination with the effects of the pandemic, has awokened many in America about the systemic racism Blacks have faced in America for 400+ years now. Of course there are many white Americans who stubbornly refuse to face that systemic racism. Most of them believe that racism in our nation either ended with Civil War or with the Civil Rights Movement.

When the subject of racism is brought up, many white Americans unknowingly demonstrate their privileged status when they express their first concerns. For their first concerns when thinking about racism is that of feeling guilty and possibly losing some pride in their heritage. In contrast to that, the first concerns for many Blacks when the subject of racism is thought about or discussed, revolve around being regarded and treated as being human if they are not treated as equals.

Thus we see a divide that has existed for almost the history of humanity. For while the marginalize struggle to improve their lot in order to survive, the privileged resist that struggle lest they feel bad about themselves.

We certainly want an end to the part of the new life associated with the Pandemic. But whether we maintain the part of the new life that is now calling for the end of systemic racism will depend on how persistent and constant we become in calling for the end of racism. In addition, if we follow the words of Martin Luther King Jr., we find that we cannot just isolate and oppose racism. For according to King, racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are inextricably linked. Thus to fight one of those evils, one must fight all of them.