It’s strange, isn’t it? Some people are now “tired” of hearing about the “same old things” over and over again, but just because it has been mentioned over and over again doesn’t mean it’s over.
For the first month or so, coronavirus was the most serious, most discussed topic, and students were cautious, hiding from the outdoors.
But now, nobody is talking about it. People meet their friends and go to beaches and parks without masks. If nobody is talking about it, it doesn’t matter anymore, right?
People are forgetting that a virus is not a trend. Similarly, activism for black lives and people of color, is not a trend. People should be thinking about this for as long as it is relevant, and for the latter issue, it will always be relevant.
When a vaccine is ready to be administered and the majority of people have recovered from it, COVID-19 could be disregarded without many negative results. Currently, though, the situation is worse than before, the range of people affected has widened, and the hospitals are overflowing with people.
How can it not matter anymore? How are wearing masks and washing hands and regularly applying hand sanitizer seen as optional now? And when people do carry these actions out, why are those people seen as overreacting, and strange?
For the first couple of weeks after the death of George Floyd, all of my classmates and friends were absolutely outraged and furious. Students were posting materials and resources that we could use to learn, having difficult conversations with their parents, and signing petitions.
Gladly, the rage hasn’t died down as much. But the fire is definitely dimming, while the news about COVID-19 has been completely snuffed out.
It’s like we have forgotten that there is still a pandemic going on. Scientists say that there will be a second wave around autumn or winter, and it will be even worse than what we have experienced. At a time all of us should be even more careful, we have started forgetting. Most students have, likely, already forgotten.
The current issues don’t work like trends. Just because we stop paying attention to it doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter anymore.
