The Impossible Will Take a Little While by Paul Rogat Loeb reminds us that we are not powerless in the face of issues ranging from racism to starvation. Several authors in this piece reveal how many of us have accepted that we have no power to change what we believe is morally wrong in the world. Howard Zinn emphasizes how this negative belief in powerlessness has become “a self-fulfilling prophecy” (p.70). One can look at the world as a cruel and evil place, but history has shown us that pure evil cannot sustain itself. The reason why no one has conquered the world is that people will go against repression. I truly believe that Zinn’s argument is true because if we admit defeat, we will have given up on our humanity. Despite the pain and suffering, there is beauty in our world. Each moment where someone has died, someone new has been born in the world. Thus, it is our collective responsibility to uphold values of justice and respect each day.
This reading reminded me of how we can be virtuous right now. During this unprecedented time of quarantine, each of us has been encouraged and ordered to stay at home. While many of us are not nurses or doctors caring for COVID-19 patients, we can contribute to the effort of reducing the transmission of this virus. This pandemic is not a war we can ignore in the news or a natural disaster affecting a small nation, it is a global issue. The coronavirus has shown us the best and worst parts of humanity. I think it is better to remember the positive parts of humanity. So far, people have donated food, money, and resources to those in need for this virus. This can be seen in the viral donation campaign launched by Captain Tom Moore, a 99-year-old World War II veteran in England. Captain Moore managed to walk a hundred laps in his garden to generate money for the National Health Service and now is at the enormous sum of £14 million. This story shows that we are not powerless because we can do something small and even something big. Compassion and love for humankind can overcome many issues we believe are impossible. I think we shouldn’t count out humankind in the journey for what is right!
I felt the same way when reading this text, and I agree with you that the slowing of the global pandemic starts from our individual acts of virtue. Without these, we won’t see it dissipate any time soon. It is with virtuousness and compassion–by social distancing, donating, and assisting those in need–we can combat worldwide issues like a global pandemic. We’ve never seen anything like this in our lifetimes and I think this is a great time to reflect on the selfishness vs. the selflessness coming from different groups and individuals.
The idea of us not being powerless made me think of our responsibility to speak up when we see wrongs in our everyday lives. This can take on the form of microaggressions, bullying or even cat-calling. One person cannot end racism overnight, but they can choose to address it when they see it and advocate for respect. If more people behaved this way, we’d go a long way in decreasing the amount of -ism we see in the world around us.
I like how optimistic you are! Right now it is so easy for us to become cynical and feel powerless. I think it is especially important right now for all of us to remember that we still have a responsibility to be compassionate to others and do what we know is right. It seems like we are in a huge uphill battle right now, but our individual actions can go farther than we believe.