My Sunday evening was spent bickering back and forth on Facebook about kids returning to school, privilege, and our broken systems.
It wasn’t exactly what I had planned, and I realized, as I prepared my mind for sleep, that I spend a good bit of time wondering why we seem to collectively have this notion that our individual needs are more important than others’. See, I don’t wish ill on anyone for a couple of reasons. I do believe that what we put out into the universe is what comes back to us and that we create a blanket of sorts from our words and intentions. Because I seem to have a knack for coming up against challenges and don’t need to bring anything else into my energy field, I choose to wish no ill.
I don’t want people to suffer for any reason despite my personal feelings toward them because no matter who we are, we’re someone’s child/loved one, so I become upset when people think their particular situation entitles them to a better lot in life.
I don’t know how to say that the right way, so let me explain. I believe that we all have a right to basic needs, such as health care, clean water, living wages, and safe and affordable housing, to name a few. I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done; these things should be afforded to every citizen, in my opinion.
Front Lines
Let’s talk about COVID-19: essential workers have been on the front line of this pandemic since March, most working for low wages with no health insurance or paid sick leave. These employees have loved ones, including elderly, children, and immunocompromised, but they weren’t afforded a lot of opportunity to cater to those circumstances because they were labeled as essential workers.
These workers have been out there from day one, commonly in constant contact with the general public, without the option to stay home or take a day off. They had to work when childcare centers shut down. They had to work when they weren’t allowed yet to wear masks and before anyone even knew masks were going to become a thing. Companies threw a few extra bucks an hour at them to acknowledge the level of sacrifice required to keep the essential businesses open and running. It seemed as if people were finally being seen as having value.
Or were we pretending? Do we really see working class folks as valuable? Do we believe that they are worthy of living wages? Healthcare? Safe and affordable housing? Clean water? Or do we believe that it’s survival of the fittest? Do we believe that only certain professions deserve workplace protections? Have we honestly not learned anything about compassion, empathy, or the broken systems in the past four months? Because after the conversations I had last night, I’m feeling pretty disheartened.
When we can’t talk about equitable treatment for all working people without someone bringing up the prejudicial “tattoo and cell phone” argument, then I don’t believe we’re any better than what we were before this pandemic struck. When we begin to make statements against the working class and working poor folks who haven’t had a break since this hit, need schools and childcare to reopen, then we haven’t had our hearts and minds changed at all. And when we start with the “hard work is required” nonsense as a lead-in to how one profession/socioeconomic class is more deserving of the right to live, then I think we’re doomed.
Powerless?
I get that we’re scared. I get that we’re stressed and tired. But do we have to continue to be so self-focused? What is it going to take to realize that we have to do better by all of us? That people are no more or no less worthy of basic needs based on what they do for a living?
None of what is happening in terms of COVID-19 makes much sense to me. I mean, we can go to fairs and festivals, bars and restaurants, but we can’t go to concerts. We can play summer ball and practice for high school sports, but we can’t visit our loved ones in highrise apartments. We aren’t involved in the decision-making process for any of these moves even though they affect us and our communities, and I get that we feel powerless, but do we really need to continue to perpetuate the same old tired biases and prejudicial judgements toward each other?
After all, you never know when that person you’re talking poorly about will become an essential part of your life.
Think about how you view people’s worth. Ask if you would want to be considered in the same way. And let’s work together to fix what’s broken.
Onward,
Amy Jo
