by Allison Lee
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the half-time of 2020, a year that all of us had excitedly drawn up plans and resolutions for, only to be mercilessly shot down like a queue of glass bottles on the wall (although, by the time you’re reading this, August would already be right around the corner).
Succeeding the lineup of monthly events as if the world were plunged into a round of Jumanji, we held our breaths at the edge of our seats, wondering how things could escalate in the latter half of the year.
For some of us, it’s unbelievable that we’re already so far into the new decade; for others, it’s devastating that the year is trailing on with no end in sight. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, dear reader, life goes on day after day and we here at Getting It Strait are still ever-dedicated to empowering youth commentary on global happenings.
Lately, our timelines have been fed to the brim with news regarding the passing of civil rights leader John Lewis and U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillén, the internet’s obsession with cancel culture, the absence of Palestine on Google and Apple maps (spoiler alert: it was never on the maps in the first place), Xinjiang re-education camps, and more. A common feature spotted among these topics is the permanent erasure of people, beliefs, or sentiments unwillingly, all of them being swept Under The Rug.
Most of the aforementioned issues will be awarded a commentary of their own in proceeding articles, but it’s barely feasible for us to churn out a full-length piece on all events, so consider this Editor’s Note a quick dose of update, if you will.
First up, the good news: The COVID vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford has indicated promising outcomes after an initial round of testing. Results published in the Lancet medical journal show that the vaccine triggered the manufacture of antibodies and T-cells targeted at the virus – in simpler terms, the vaccine works. However, it is too early to know if the vaccine will be effective on everyone in all situations, so we’ll have to await larger trials before it can be widely available, which could take a few more months. Needless to say, precautions are still necessary.
Onto the topic of elections, Americans are watching a live game of Trump vs. Biden. Come November, only one among the two will emerge victorious and commence (or continue) their four-year term and hopefully bring America back on its feet after the nasty wave of virus – or will it?
Believe it or not, Kanye West is launching his campaign to join the presidential race of 2020. The rapper held a rally in South Carolina, one which still left people baffled as to whether or not he was seriously partaking in the election. The media have suggested that West’s contest for the White House could be a mere promotional stunt for an upcoming album.
At the rally, West spoke about abortion and made comments regarding Harriet Tubman, the latter of which angered many. “Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people,” said West. Rest assured, West’s name will not appear on the ballot this November; though his recent activities had left fans concerned for his well-being.
And though protests and demonstrations regarding the Black Lives Matter movement are no longer being covered by the media, that does not mean that it has died down. The largest movement of the year is still ongoing all around the world as we demand that the officers who killed Breonna Taylor and many other of her brothers and sisters be prosecuted, and at the same time, to have a reorganized and restructured police force.
On top of that, the world economy is still recovering from the earlier hits, students were at risk of being deported, and governments are tightening their grips around the citizens’ throats. What with new problems piling on top of old ones to create an illusion of an unconquerable giant, many of us are looking at the future through bleak glasses – and it is with a solemn heart I say, none of us feel safe.
However, time does not slow down in tough times. With every passing second, we are either advancing toward a better, brighter future, or a catastrophic one. All we can do as individuals is to make smart choices in our waking moments and maybe, just maybe, our collective choices will propel us toward the former of the two futures.