The year 2020 has placed us all in an uncomfortable seat. This year has brought to light many issues that thanks to this digital age and social media, the harsh reality that many people are facing are in our feeds on the daily. Our nation is still grappling with the changes that COVID-19 has made to our everyday lives.
We were first introduced to the whole pandemic and how the economic and social difference in the country was highlighted by resources, immediate medical attention, the term “essential workers” and other people’s priorities and compassion.
However, now that much of the country is open and everyone is trying to get back to normal, this opens new questions. Now every event, action and thought is centered around trying to get around the new rules: Is this really our new normal? More importantly, should we really go back to “normal?”
Now that we are and have been in a position where we were forced to face the dilemmas of other people, domestically and internationally, does that mean that this is the right thing to do?
Does humanity — specifically looking at us in the United States — deserve to continue to live as though this pandemic and the nation-wide pandemic didn’t show the real colors of others?
Most of these questions cannot yet be answered directly since we are still facing the repercussions and still don’t know the long term effects. However, I think it’s still important to sit back and really examine our state. How the thought of “Oh I almost forgot my mask!” or ‘social distance shame cams’ at football games should be acceptable. This comes to show how bad this country is trying to squeeze itself out of the cobra’s grip.
