Fair warning, this post is not happy and only ever so slightly hopeful. I just know how fragile we all are right now, so wanted to give a heads up in case you need to preserve your mental health. <3
It’s been a tumultuous year to say the least with the collective trauma we’ve all faced during the pandemic alone. Fold in the fight against police brutality and societal awakening that injustice is deep-seated and systemic, the tense conversations about the divisive political climate, along with the plethora of problems we all have individually, it’s a dang miracle anyone’s able to get anything done. Working through this trying time is unlike any other adversity. It is no small feat that people are pushing through right now and taking care of their families, themselves, each other while leadership on all levels continues to fail us in this country. Essential workers deserve so much for constantly putting themselves in harms way and yet some of them have to resort to supplemental income. One person did so in the form of OnlyFans and was obnoxiously shamed for it.
What has been really turning over in the ol’ noggin these last few weeks is how we as a nation continue to reconcile the failings of the US Government and our many institutions, specifically as it pertains to the pandemic. It hasn’t been said nearly enough: Our Government failed its duty to protect its citizens during a global pandemic and nobody is taking responsibility. It’s beyond the president.
Not only is the government feigning their hands are tied and embracing the narrative that Trump is the sole failure here, but both the Dems and the GOP are working on a bill, currently, that does not include stimulus checks but a hefty chunk of money for corporations and legal protections against being sued for virus exposure. The alarms are being sound and have been blaring for the last few months on the absurdity that 1200 measly dollars given ONCE months ago is sustainable or acceptable. Bills haven’t ceased, groceries are still needed, and rent may be on freeze for some but will be due very soon. Any sort of solution being presented that doesn’t include money to help cover these expenses is not only cruel but unusual.
This brings me to the main issue here which is this government’s obsession with maintaining a status quo that is literally killing thousands of people and how unsurprising this should be (still infuriating)) due to this country’s history of being cavalier with human life.
Shall I count thee ways, America…
- SLAVERY!!!
- Violent thievery of indigenous land
- Willful erasure
- Internment camps (right here on US soil)
- Jim Crow laws
- Greed in the form of social capitalism and glaring class disparities
- Rampant police brutality
With that said, the way in which the government somehow is trying to absolve itself of responsibility when it’s made up of literally hundreds of people who could have at any time made decisions that superseded this cry baby president, but chose chaos and death instead is indefensible. Just today I read a committee found evidence that a White House Appointed Official of the HHE, Dr. Paul Alexander was quoted saying, “Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected…” Though the White House (who lies about freaking everything) denies this herd strategy, the fact someone at this level was presenting this as an option is inexcusable. I’m sure this is just the tip of the ice berg. There have been elected officials across the country putting their constituents in harms way without remorse. Luckily, a lot of our representatives are fighting, but wtf are the senators doing?! Are they that indebted to this sagging orange blow hard that the populations they represent are deemed immaterial?! I firmly believe the people who were complicit in the downplaying and disregard of the severity of the pandemic should face CRIMINAL charges.
It’s been really hard to be positive these days, and I don’t know if it’s our fine friend seasonal depression or the fact that the sole reason we cannot spend the holidays with our families is because the federal government made absolute zero effort in containing this pandemic but is now taking credit for a vaccine apart of the worst named plan for vaccine development of the millennia - operation warp speed, or the scary unknown of next year when all of the “help” from the last bill runs out and people will be subjected to evictions and foreclosures at staggering rates, or the fact that even our new president was accused of sexual assault but everybody is ignoring them, or maybe it’s just because my sleep schedule has fallen to the wayside.
I know in my bones things will get better in this country eventually (thank goodness for the vaccine), but it’s just so hard to see the light right now with the darkness closing in. Literally. Is the sun even out right now?!!?
As a distraction, I will continue to watch this video and imagine myself in it cuz it’s beautiful.