I've recently added a "diversity studies" certificate to my Ohio University curriculum because I believe that diversifying our experiences, perceptions, and outlooks on life is essential to living an understanding, honest, and harmonious existence. Many of the issues our country has been faced with recently with the outbreak of the coronavirus, while more serious and extending to a larger group of people, have actually been around and plaguing many of the American people for generations.
Yes, some of us face some of these realities for an entire life.
I'm going to detail just a few of these issues I've been learning and thinking about recently just to show you how some people are being affected by this and have been struggling before the coronavirus has become the problem it is.
1. Everyone should have access to realistically affordable healthcare
How is it that celebrities not showing symptoms are being tested before your everyday American that is actually showing symptoms and is sick? Why is it that all of a sudden trillions of dollar bills are being proposed to get tests out to the people? Why can't we just have available and affordable healthcare for all to begin with? Medicine prices are so high those that can't pay them face some of the most difficult moral decisions and situations. It's all so upsetting that I don't even want to continue elaborating on this one.
2. Minimum wage workers should be paid more
As a minimum wage worker who spends each hour on shift thinking about how I don't get paid enough for this, there is no better example than right now to back up this claim. I've worked at a drugstore for almost three years now and I can't even imagine what the poor high schoolers working at the grocery stores and the like are going through. The madness, the panic-buying, the crowds — it's absurd.
Additionally, adults who work these same jobs full-time are not making what they should and are crucial to the survival of everyone coming in and out of those supermarket doors if we go on full and total lockdown. Does anyone off the top of their heads know how much money you actually make a year with the federal minimum wage working 40 hours a week? Not a lot. It's hardly, if at all, scraping by.
Now that many of these workers are out of jobs, all with bills to pay, some with mouths to feed, that struggle on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis, they're essentially screwed. Luckily, some areas have halted evictions due to the current situation, which is helping right now, but again, many Americans face situations like these that are almost entirely out of their control — no matter how hard they work for their American dream.
3. Many jobs can be done from home
We've all learned now that it's not impossible. Therefore, those that request to or have to work from home should be allowed. People with disabilities? There should be no excuses to discriminatory hiring now that we're all forced to work remotely. Mothers that can't afford childcare? This is a valid option if — and this applies to anyone working from home — they get their job done in a satisfactory manner. Maternity leave? Before or after a baby is born, whether parents want to or can work, this shouldn't be a problem anymore. Paid. Leave. People. Especially if you're sick, mentally or physically, which leads me to my next point...
4. Mental health days are essential
If someone's feeling icky, there is no reason why someone can't work from home for a day if it's realistic for whatever job they're working. Doing anything up to standard is tough if you're struggling. This can come in handy for so many different situations depending on the person and what they're comfortable with that I'm having trouble coming up with a situation where this wouldn't benefit everybody, honestly. To be your best is to do your best.
5. Discrimination is never OK
It certainly doesn't help that the president of our country is using language offensive to Chinese Americans and essentially every person of Asian descent by calling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus." I'm sorry if you disagree, but it's making me absolutely sick. He needs to stand by all American people — and, honestly, the world — right now, not degrade nearly two-thirds of the world's population. I was traveling during the beginning of the outbreaks in America, and the dirty looks people would give anyone if they were to cough or sneeze in public. It was the worst for anyone that looked remotely non-white.
We need to band together, everyone, during a time like this. Not discriminate. Not fight other people in the grocery stores. We have to all be in this together if we want to beat this. All. Of. Us.
These are just a few of the many indicators that something needs to change. The uneven distribution of wealth, the near-impossible rags-to-riches stories, the well-off, and the struggling to make it through the month, the week, even the day.
There needs to be a change after all this is over. I hope everyone out there is beginning to realize that.
Wash your hands. Stay healthy. Be kind. Stay inside.
And help and pray (if that's your thing) for those that need it.
