These past few months have been a shock to the system and our accustomed way of life. This past week however has been a slap in the face to many that weren't paying attention.

All the illusions many have held about the US, it's exceptionalism, and its greatness have been revealed for the shallow falsehoods they are. We are not perfect. We are not an ideal. We have a lot to address, and fix, and these past few months have given us as a nation an unasked for, but necessary look in the mirror. We're no longer staring through rose-tinted glasses of patriotism and national pride. We're seeing what we've become as a nation, with all the flaws and ugliness revealed, alongside the attributes we've prided ourselves on for so long.

So, the question is, what do we do about it from here? Not just on a national level, which honestly those of us on here have pretty little control over until enough of us speak together. But on an individual level. In our daily interactions. In our mindsets. In how we view each other. So much needs to change, and it won't come about until enough of us work to make it happen.

If you saw the videos of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, if you heard about Breonna Taylor, if you've seen the videos from the past few days and heard the stories of treatment from police towards protesters, you know that something needs to change. And if you call yourself a citizen, if you have any pride in this country and maybe not what it's stood for in the past (and still does today), but what it CAN be based on the ideals so many of us hold to, you need to act. Because society doesn't improve organically. Civilization doesn't just happen to get better as a matter of course. Progress is fought for, and won after much toil, sweat, blood and sometimes lives.

So I implore you to get out and affect change. Protest. Donate money to official causes. Help protect your local small businesses from those unscrupulous people who are taking advantage of the rage and pain so many are feeling to sow chaos. Lend your voice, ideas and talents towards boosting awareness. Or, and this might be the most important thing I say in this entire post, look closely at everything going on and WHY these protests are happening.

If this was never on your radar before, or if you sided completely with the law enforcement establishment, listen to the stories of those who have been affected. Watch the videos, many of which are out there, of brutality from the people that are supposed to protect us, and who are given ungodly amounts of trust, money, equipment to do so. And realize that the system as it stands is broken, and that if you're supporting LEOs with no reservation, you are complicit in the issue that is tearing this nation apart right now.

So much is in flux. So much is uncertain. We're still in the midst of a pandemic, still not past the first wave, with a second likely to roll through in the fall or winter. The floor has dropped out under the economy. You look around the world trying to find somewhere, anywhere that's stable and safe, and it's almost impossible to find.

If we're going to hold things together, if we're going to preserve what is worth preserving, and get our footing under us so we can work to improving what needs to be improved, we need to jump in and work. If you're standing to the side doing nothing, you're no better than those swinging hammers at pillars, working to bring the ceiling crashing down on everyone.

So I implore you. This isn't the time to stand on the wall. This isn't the time to let the world just pass you by. Shifting the rudder of an entire nation isn't something any one of us can do. But if enough of us push in the direction we're wanting, we will see it move.

!unlock