The invisible war. During this coronavirus pandemic, we think of medical professionals such as the nurses and doctors in hospitals. But there are also those who bring the meals, clean the sheets, or empty the bedpans. Think of the Americans who drive and staff the ambulances and the nursing homes where life may be cut short. Even then, it is almost impossible to take a very few seconds on television and turn that into true understanding. The cameras do not show them with a dying patient, a sick young person, or a neighbor. During the Vietnam War, the news was much more graphic and should be that way today, because without seeing, how do we appreciate the toll of this invisible war?
It is hard to have hope when we are afraid. The fear that this Donald Trump imposes upon us is intended to drive any hope away and leave us shellshocked.
There is something especially interesting about the hope that President Barack Obama ran on. When we feel safe, we can relax and take in the idea of hope. The same is true of learning. If kids are fearful, sick, hungry, or in pain that drives out the ability to reach the grounded point where they can receive knowledge. Obama brought to us for eight years a fairly safe place, then offered us hope. He is bringing it again in his Labor Day tweet:
‘This Labor Day, let’s thank all those who’ve kept our country going this year—nurses, teachers, delivery drivers, food service workers, and many more. We can honor them by building our system back even better—so that essential workers are treated like it, pandemic or not.’
Our Obama is also thinking of the shoppers for the big box stores and the people who replenish the shelves with food. Add those who drive trucks to carry it into the cities and the ones who carry it out of our homes. As Donald Trump tries to destroy the US Postal Service, we come to recognize how vitally important these workers are and how much damage the politicians have done to their lives.
There is nearly an endless list of “essential” workers, jobs that do not let workers have the luxury of staying home and working from a computer. So this Labor Day and the days after let us try to follow Obama’s example.
Then, when our Democratic candidate Joe Biden wins the election in November and Republicans lose Senate seat after Senate seat, it will be time to make some changes. We have a magnificent opportunity to build a more compassionate nation where people only work one job and earn enough for a safe middle-class life in a world filled with hope.
Twitter world went wild wishing that the favorite president was still in the White House. Check out some of our favorites below:
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
