In a recent article in the New York Times, Farhad Manjoo wrote about “Apathy” in terms of becoming “fixed upon this one man…stuck in eternal orbit around an expanding black hole, irresistibly sucked in.” He wondered about all the time and energy that we have spent on this one person and what we could have done instead.
But in every dark cloud…Manjoo claimed that when Trump’s rants and mounds of misinformation took aim at our trusted institutions like the FBI, State Department, and the CDC, many of us began to wake up and note how fragile these institutions are. This awareness compelled us to stand up against Trump’s “wrecking ball.” I think the election of Joe Biden proves his point.
Perhaps we have been waking up from a complacency of what we hold to be true. Mr. Manjoo noted that more Americans now favor expanding immigration instead of restricting it. Also, there is widening support for “Black Lives Matter.” More women and people of color are running for office for the first time. Recently lawmakers are questioning the role tech companies play in our lives and how social media fuels misinformation. And in this election, Americans voted at the highest rate since the early 1900s.
In the aftermath of this historic election, may we work diligently with our leaders to repair the damage caused by the last four years, but also renew our commitment to building “a more perfect union,” where honest dialogue is honored and finding common ground is paramount.
I’m Connie Seraphine, and that is my perspective.
