It is often said that it is darkest just before dawn. This is, indeed, one of the recognized truths of our life on Earth. Another undisputed truth is that we are experiencing dark times in America; very dark times. The bigotry that is evident is not confined to one race; it is a characteristic of all races.
Recently we heard about a case where a Black man, who had previously killed his own mother, viciously attacked an elderly Asian woman. According to witnesses, the attack was unprovoked. Bigotry against Asians is on the rise due to blame placed on them for the alleged origin and spread of COVID-19.
And we already know the trials and tribulations that Black people face. Last week’s editorial discussed the idea that the Black community is under siege as evidenced by voter suppression and more. And another attack saw a beleaguered young 25-year-old African American male ram his car into a barricade at the Capitol Building killing a police officer. He was killed by another officer.
Violence is rising all around. The number of mass shootings is on the rise. At least 20 mass shootings have taken place since the metro Atlanta spa attacks left eight dead. Hatred is blanketing America like a toxic cloud. The Internet is a cesspool of meanness, with people snapping at each other.
Moreover, people are stealing identities, hacking Facebook and Instagram accounts, and attempting to solicit money from others for various and sundry reasons with those accounts. Deception is rampant. Telephone fraud is at an all-time high, with some people receiving scam calls all day long. From various reports, people are driving automobiles in a reckless manner endangering the lives of others.
In addition to all of this, the idea of spirituality seems to be evaporating like smoke in the wind. Ministers are being caught up in ridiculous scandals, which further help to erode the faith of would-be believers. Couple this with political corruption and wide-spread child trafficking, and the world looks bleak, indeed.
More and more people are tending to believe that there is no meaning to life: that we live and die and that’s it. Nothing more.
Ultimately, it feels like America is turning into a spiritual wasteland where people are not aware that there are consequences for their bad behavior. They totally don’t seem to relate to the idea that anyone who exhibits bigotry will dwell in the land of bigoty themselves. In other words, “what goes around comes around” is becoming an irrelevant and nonsensical concept to many people.
Actually, things are progressing in a way that is natural in our world. If we look at nature, we can see that the hallmark of all life on this planet is struggle. Everything scuffles to exist. Dog eat dog is the way things work on Earth. The entire planet is like a jungle with danger lurking at every turn.
The struggle for survival is real. The strong feed on the weak, and this is true from the lowest animals all the way up to the highest primates, human beings. The current COVID-19 pandemic bigly demonstrates the predatory nature of organic life.
This is probably why so many people have lost faith. They can only see the dark side of life. Black people in particular have had a hard time. Everywhere Black people exist the stark face of hardship meets them. Black people are a bruised and embattled group.
But there is a light at the end of the road. We are on the precipice of hope. Because of the current darkness we should understand that its outcome can be the light, the dawn of understanding. Stress brings enlightenment, which is the formula of achievement on a world where stress and conflict serve as a planetary rite of passage. Those who prevail grow and achieve. Accomplishment comes out of friction, that is apparently the law of nature.
As stated earlier, African Americans have experienced a great deal of friction and stress. As a result, it gives us an opportunity to rise above all obstacles and meet with consequent victory. This is turning out to be true, because within the extreme hardship that we have endured, slowly but surely, we are rising out of the mire.
Black people are achieving in every endeavor. The chief obstacle we now face is self-love and cooperation. If we demonstrate unity in the face of adversity, we can accomplish anything that we target. Now is the time. A Luta Continua!
