Large portions of this reading can be attributed to the happenings in our world right now. Honestly, it is a scary place where I think the majority feel powerless because of the paralyzing fear placed in our heads. However, one piece of the reading from Zinn’s essay has a bit of a double meaning right now. He states that we must remember that while those with power seem to be untouchable, we must always remember that they are in fact vulnerable if people begin to defy their authority and withhold any and all obedience. This statement is most likely referring to leaders of governments and societies, who seem to hold all the power and that nothing can hurt them. But the people with power who people deem untouchable have changed during this pandemic. I think these leaders are now the people only aiming to make our country safer and healthier.
The nurses and doctors who are risking their lives everyday to simply go to work to help those affected by COVID-19 and any other ailments truly hold a lot of power over who can be helped and how we can help them. “Generals become powerless when their soldiers refuse to fight,” Zinn wrote. Our fight right now is to stay home and stay healthy for the benefits of everyone in our city, state, and country. However, if we do not stay home we simply add on to the increasing numbers of those affected by COVID-19 and begin to overwhelm the doctors and nurses working everyday to save these people. We are taking away their medicine, tools, and hours of rest that right now all add up to the amount of power they have. We have always looked up to medical professionals and view them as saviors who cannot be harmed, but we are only hurting them and increasing their vulnerability by not following their simple requests.
I wrote something similar to you, but I really like the points you made about leaders and the people who seem “untouchable”. In the end, we are all trying to do our part during this pandemic, and our outreach may look different depending on a bunch of factors. At the end of the day, doing what you can is enough.
I definitely agree, these readings were very optimistic and helped put things in perspective. I have talked in my other classes about how it is a privilege to be able to stay home. As such, it is important that people use the power that they have to help those who do not have the same privilege. Things that seem initially insignificant, like small donations or a kind action for a neighbor, can have much larger effects than we realize. This reading really reminded me of that.
I agree how now more than ever it’s really easy to feel helpless being trapped at home while people fight the virus in the healthcare system. And its also a great point how us staying at home is using the power we have to help, and make the lives of those healthcare professionals easier.
I thought your initial comment about the majority feeling powerless was interesting. I often do find myself wondering how beneficial fighting for the minority is if it is hurting the majority. Yes, it is obviously important to demonstrate everybody’s views, but if this views effect the majority in a negative way, it may not be worth it