Life
This has been a brutal, uncompromising year. One that surprised us all, one we were ill prepared for.
Many of us lost everything we knew and loved, including our family members.
Our homes.
Our livelihoods.
A global plague was misrepresented stateside until the bodies continued to pile to the point that it made it impossible to continue to do so.
We had to settle into a new normal of constant personal protective equipment, social distancing, homeschooling and basic essential shortages.
Hospitals and front-line workers are stressed beyond their capacity on a constant basis with little to no end in sight as cases continue to spike.
Xenophobia created a new wave of “Yellow Peril” that rivals its predecessor.
Hate and colorism took on new flavors as alt-right extremist groups, police and government officials alike continue to spread their vitriol unchecked.
Our friends, family, and neighbors became strangers as their hidden prejudices came to light.
Democracy as we know it was jeopardized as a despotic fraud wanted us to return to the isolation of the 19th century, with no real understanding of what that truly means.
The United States became the laughingstock of the globe.
Seemingly strong relationships crumbled as love was tested in quarantine.
Our society reached a new low as arrogance, schadenfreude, and consumerism took the place of common sense and critical thinking.
SCIENCE was mocked. In 2020.
In. Twenty TWENTY!
How is this possible an era of constantly advancing technology? In what’s supposed to be an “enlightened” society?
I was fearful that he would win again. So fearful to the point that I was going to empty my accounts, sell all my belongings, and become an expatriate. I don’t want my son growing up in an environment where his life is in constant danger because he has the audacity to exist.
That’s EXACTLY how it feels. Like we have the AUDACITY to exist. What a terrible burden to carry. Who would want that for their child?
We’re still in a constant state of limbo, though. There’s so much going on in his lame duck period that stands to have lasting, horrifying effects. The issue with mining on native lands is one of the most pressing because the continued promises broken to our own indigenous population is beyond disgusting.
Not to mention his pardoning of actual criminals instead of the men and women who are innocent and are scheduled to die.
Before I end this, I’d like to use this platform to also shine a light to the SARS, Uyghurs, the farmer’s strike in India, the missing indigenous women and girls in Canada, and Black Hills issues that are happening right now. Some of these problems are getting little attention, and that’s fucking awful.
I’d like to see the world become a better place. I’m hopeful that in my lifetime it will happen. We need it to happen, for no reason other that it should.
Stay safe, and Happy Holidays to you all.
Liz K
I wrote this on Christmas Day. Life often grabs you by the balls and you get diverted from your objective…
Classy With An E 