The Footprint of Collective Unrest

Ghostly gas chambers dot the landscape of the nation of Germany and the countryside of Eastern Europe. An unpleasant reminder to a past people long to forget. But forgetting our collective history, our scars, our pains, is the last thing anyone should be doing right now. We've seen for the last week collective unrest in the United States, another country with a history of slavery, lynchings and hatred. George Floyd's murder is yet another symbol. The anger in this country by African Americans has exploded into violence. After the anger comes bargaining, then I hope a space for collective dialogue about how to change the racist systems in this country. White people must never forget our part in history rather we must learn to listen and have conversations with what we call Other. Other can mean communities of color, queer communities, Jewish and Muslim communities. We must conquer our racist systems but first we must address the racism that lies in our mind and hearts of each one of us. Then, once each one of us does this, our defunct systems will fall to be replaced by the just, humane ones. The pandemic, at this time, is about old things falling away and a great rebirth. Covid may be taking from us the old ideas, but it is leaving collective space for the new. Spending time in isolation should be time to think through what we once were and who we want to become.