Yesterday, 60 Degrees – Today, a Snowstorm

A few days ago, I had a discussion with my cousin about climate change. Personally, I believe that humanity is on a destructive path. My cousin, on the other hand, believes that the Earth is doing what it needs to do. He believes that this is what should be happening with the Earth. But, how is the Earth supposed to fix itself when it has been bombarded with foreign objects? Can you heal from surgery if the doctor left a sponge inside the wound? How about a material that does not degrade for thousands of years? What if the material kept being placed inside the wound? You cannot overcome that. With that being said, it is not the duty of the Earth to fix something we are in the process of breaking. Climate change is among us and at this point, there is no going back.

It does not matter what contraptions we create to clean plastic out of the oceans. It does not matter that we create zoos and safe havens for animals that are on the brink of extinction. It does not matter that we use less coal/fuel/oil than we have in the recent or past years. It does not matter because there are too many people and governments, collectively, that do not take accountability when it comes to the environment. You cannot put a bandage on a broken bone and expect everything to be okay.

 

Now there is no way we can mend the destroyed rain forests, melted ice caps, and bring back the plethora of extinct species in our lifetimes. But, we can stop the chaos that we have created. The most important step we must teach is accountability. Accountability to our children so that they know that it is and will become their responsibility to care for the Earth. Accountability to our government and politicians to create laws that are not compromises or create loopholes. Accountability to companies like Apple and Coca Cola to lower their carbon footprint, waste, and use of materials that do not degrade in a lifetime. 

Once we have accepted accountability to our only home, that is when the true battle against climate change starts.

Where was your first talk about racism?

America likes to claim that we are this “post-racial” country that has progressed so much since the Civil Rights Era. But, can you list 3 things that are proven to be better now? Why don’t we talk about this in school? Racism needs to be discussed in every branch of life and schooling is not excluded. Your first encounter with racism as a person of color should not be through a slur. Your first encounter as a White person should not be that fear that makes you lock your doors when a Black person walks near your car. Your first talks about racism should be in school and in the home. It should be taught by telling you that Christopher Columbus was no hero. It should be told that slaves were not indentured servants. It should detail stories of redlining properties and the 16^th street Baptist Church Bombing. You should know about the Tulsa riots. You should know the effects of colonization on Native Americans in present day. You should know about DACA and the DREAMers. You should know how brutal Asian internment camps were. You should know how hard it is to get citizenship. You should know the pay wage gap among races. This is where the United States education has failed us all.

The reason learning about racism in education is so important is because it does not allow the country to ignore its history. Textbooks pick and choose what is important to learn, even going so far as to saying slaves came over here as migration workers. If we try to erase the past of the United States, we will continue on the same path. The same path that made President Obama the worst, but our current president is only doing what is best. Racism is not something that can be swept under the rug. After so much sweeping, your rug becomes distorted. People have become so desensitized regarding racism and injustices because they truly do not know what it is like. Judgment is very easy to make when you’re not living that way. But, if we force discussions about inequality from the very first history class we take, you cannot avoid it. You will make everyone feel uncomfortable but will create an understanding of why it is wrong.

The question I want to know is: will this ever happen? I am hopeful but I am realistic. The way this country is going right now is a strong indicator of that answer being no.