Freedom and Choices
Loved ones. Americans.
If you are seeing this post, those words unite you with everyone else in my life.
As a country, we have a national spirit. This spirit guides our politics and our daily lives, and it causes us to take action.
For far too long, the American spirit of freedom has been abused by white Americans to take advantage of their Black, Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, and other non-white humans. We’ve seen it in colonialism and slavery. We’ve seen it during the battles of the civil rights movement, and as we have unjustly invaded overseas nations to reap profit and build global power.
Last summer, our spirit of freedom was used to express anger at the killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery. Folks burnt buildings, beat each other, turned into mobs — they were reacting. That’s what we do as human beings, we react. These anti-racist protests were a reaction to centuries of violence and systemic oppression.
During the coronavirus crisis, our spirit of freedom has also been used for greed. Our leaders misinformed us early on, and took advantage of our fears to turn us against each other. Some of them even took the chance to profit off of the situation. Meanwhile, Americans used their freedom selfishly. We walk into public without wearing our masks, see loved ones without taking extra precaution. It’s killing us and damaging our bodies, en masse. Our personal freedoms have prolonged the redemption of our collective freedom to leave our homes and breathe without masks.
This winter, America reacted. Joe Biden narrowly defeated Donald Trump, while Democrats narrowly retained the House, and yesterday, reclaimed the Senate in a 50–50 tie after two critical runoffs. Democrats won those two runoff elections because they campaigned on direct aid for us Americans. They campaigned on $2000 dollar stimulus checks, freedom from the coronavirus through better vaccination programs and relief for the Americans who have bared the weight of oppression on their shoulders for longer than we have been alive.
Today, Americans woke up in two different worlds. Democrats were filled with hope and inspiration having watched Georgia elect their first Jewish and Black Senators ever. Trump supporters were angry because they knew that that result was the last hope for them to retain power — power that had not been earned.
Going forward, we have a choice:
If we choose to love each other, we’ll fight against racism and global oppression. We’ll be more responsible about our mask wearing and social distancing, and get the vaccine as soon as we’re able. We’ll help each other survive the economic suffering we’ve been through.
Or we can choose apathy. And all the work that’s come to this moment will go away.
Today, feel your emotions. Bottle them up, and release them when you feel you can do good.
I love you all. Please, set yourselves free and liberate your country while you do it. A new America is on the way.
Keep the hope, quell your fear, take some rest, and then wake up tomorrow and work for that new America.
Good night, y’all.
