Impossible Response

Coronavirus Warning

The Political Paralysis chapter by Goska discussed the importance of individuals embracing the power people have to make an impact in another person’s life through small favors and actions.  In reading it, I thought about our current situation with the coronavirus pandemic.  As of recent,  our society has been recognizing the individuals who have been delivering groceries and working in essential stores as well as the medical professionals who are on the front lines as the “heroes”.  I’ve been reading articles centered around this, and their looming question is whether these occupations and individuals working the jobs will be as admired after we return to whatever “normal” will be.  Reading the first chapter brought those questions to mind, because the “normal” before the pandemic often overlooked these individuals and their necessity.  I imagine this pandemic will be transformative for many people, but I wonder if individuals will be more reflective of their actions and the influences we can make through small favors for others.

Additionally, I was drawn to the last chapter titled “Despair Is a Lie We Tell Ourselves”, as it calls on each of us to “maintain our world by changing the world”.  Kushner relates this to being politically active, which I believe is important to establish a democratic society.  However, I continued to wonder about the actions on the individual level.  Being an active voice in important at the national level, but it should not neglect the actions of the individual on a community.  This chapter was a good conclusion, as it left me feeling optimistic about the possibilities for change and togetherness.  I think there is some truth to claiming tragedy brings people together – this period of isolation and social distancing has only changed people’s view of how to spend time with others, and I find that to be a positive in all the uncertainty.

4 thoughts on “Impossible Response

  1. Rashel Amador

    I hope after this pandemic, people will remember that small acts of kindness can lead to incredible change. I agree that the last chapter brought the idea of unity in tragedy for people. Especially at a time like this, I can imagine how close knit everyone will feel after this quarantine.

  2. Megan Geher

    I really appreciated your comment about individual voices being important because this is certainly people do not take note of enough. The power of individuals coming together and speaking out is incredibly powerful and people do not recognize this factor.

  3. Nadia Iqbal

    It is really interesting to see how our gratitude shifts when it comes to certain careers. We also often overlook these jobs prior to COVID-19 because they seemed to be “easy” labor jobs that are easily forgotten. But now we are seeing that it is through the hard work of these people that the very mechanics of our society can continue.

  4. Nikhil Mehta

    I interned with my local government during high school, and saw how much it did for the community in ways that the federal government could not, mostly as the result of a few dedicated individuals. Their contributions so often go overlooked, but my local community could not flourish without them.

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