Reality Bubble (TW - political)

 

Over the years I have been gradually recognizing and reflecting on reality bubbles.  Over the past few days I have been reflecting on them again.

Why?

Because I have seen a meme to the effect that no matter who wins the election the person posting the comment will just go back to living their life - get up, go to work, just carry on living.

This reflection on the current American election kind of took my breath away.  (Don't get me wrong, the US isn't the only country dealing with...interesting...politics.)

It stopped me in my tracks because it was such an example of someone living in a reality bubble that ignored all the inequities that exist in the world. 

The person posting was indicating that *they* were secure in their lives.  They had a home, enough food, physical security, health care when needed.  They could move freely through life without having their very existence in their space questioned.  No matter who get in, they didn't expect their life to change in any significant way.

My conclusion is that those people (I saw the meme several times) are white, straight, probably some flavour of Christian.  North American society has been constructed for their comfort, and they know it.  Deep down, they know that their existence is not in peril, regardless of who wins this election.  (Refer to the M Neimoller quote I posted beginning with 'first they came for the socialists')

I am white, straight, sort of Christian.  I have a home, enough food, health care when needed.

But I am more than aware that not all people in my society are living with that level of privilege.

Because it is a privilege to be secure in the knowledge that I will have food today and tomorrow and even next month.  It is a privilege to know that I can move freely through my world without having someone stop me, request my identity papers to prove that I am where I am allowed to be.  That if I should fall afoul of the legal system in some way, I will get a hearing.  That the arresting officers will not throw me, handcuffed, to the floor.  Kneel on my neck.  Pepper spray or taser me.  Probably.

It is my belief, built on the lessons I learned at Sunday School, that all people should be treated with respect.  "Jesus loves the little children of the world".  Doesn't matter their colour.  

Freedom of religion means that you don't do something because it is against your religion.  Freedom of religion is NOT 'you can't do that because it is against my religion'.

If people don't know what I stand for by now, let me make myself perfectly clear:

All people should be treated with respect.  All people should be able to live, free from the restrictions of someone else's religion.  All people should have secure homes, access to food, the ability to have respectful health care when they need it.

All people should have politicians who are not actively trying to kill them.

As for the economy?  First we have to survive the pandemic.  Once that has been beaten, we can then focus on the economy, including climate change.  Because while the virus will kill us quick, climate change will kill us slow.  And if you are too ill to work because of covid long haul conditions or dead, it won't matter to you how well the economy is doing. The stock market health.  How many millionaires became billionaires in 2020.

So regardless of who gets in, in the US or elsewhere, there will still be things that need to be addressed.  There are things that need to be changed.  There will still be work to be done.

To my friends who do not have the level of privilege that I do?  I see you.  I send you love.  I did not, will not, vote for a party that wishes to harm you.