Protesting
Many people confused protesting with looting. Most of the protesters are not looters, just peaceful Americans and others who would like to live in a better world where all people are equal. Looters and protesters have been confused with one another because some looters took advantage of the circumstances in which activists were protesting after George Floyd’s assassination in Minnesota in May 2020. Certainly, most protesters care about helping others to understand their plight. They are right when they ask that the police not abuse or kill innocent citizens. In addition, people accused of a crime have the right to be heard and to a fair trial.
In some cases, racists injected themselves into protests because they expected peaceful protesters to look like arsonists and hooligans, one of the reasons many peaceful Americans feared joining the protests. They fear that they will be taken into a trap and accused of having broken windows or hurting others. At the same time, many journalists fear covering the protests, knowing that many have been injured in the process, whether by the police, by violent intruders or by accident. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo was correct in suggesting that protesters should now write down on paper what they would like to change and make efforts to change the laws through the legal process.
The author of this article, a former art student, believes that destroying sculpture and art to protest the ‘Old South’ (which existed before the American Civil War) could be considered a crime. If the protesters do not want such sculptures on display, they could ask the authorities to remove them and place them in history museums. Otherwise, opponents of the sculptures might ask for educational posters to be posted nearby, posters explaining why they think the sculptures are objectionable. Another option would be to display new sculptures of African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, and other diverse people close to you with their stories. Such diverse sculptures would educate the public and tourists about the beauty of all races. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Langston Hughs, and WEB Du Bois were famous Americans who could feature among the new sculptures. Although the ancient Romans weren’t always fair and just, their ancient sculptures have not been demolished. The same could be said of the ancient Egyptians who built pyramids, but despite the misery and anguish of those slaves who built the pyramids, people still study them because it is crucial not to ignore history.
Private versus public education
American Citizens (2020) is expected to save around 150k for every child to pay for private college education in the United States. Even public education can cost up to $ 90,000 for four years in college. That said, society could benefit from an education that is affordable, if not free, for all students who want it. Some Americans think public schools should be privatized, but that would make it harder for gifted and commendable students to access fundamental knowledge. Undoubtedly, young people who have access to education will reward the community by making this world a safer place to live, possibly solving many of the problems that humanity now faces. How sad it would be to deny a curious mind a proper and first-rate education! Perhaps providing everyone with an excellent education and knowledge about the people who have been depicted in sculpture, no matter how disputed, is more satisfying than destroying the art that history represents.
It’s exciting that Ed X, Future Learn, Udemy, and others are offering Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for anyone wanting to learn more about a variety of topics. However, many people are gaining knowledge without having access to proper college degrees. Being self-taught is admirable, but people need access to valid university degrees that allow them to achieve their goals, with the aim of contributing to the common good.
Food and safety net
Most Americans don’t have a safety net when they lose their jobs. Without a safety net, they cannot buy enough food or find a place to stay when they lose their job, develop health problems or other psychological difficulties. It may be easier to live in a car in the United States than it is to live in a car in Europe, where people must declare their whereabouts to the police, who then inspect their homes. Without a doubt, Americans have more freedom to get in their cars to travel far to another state where they can find new jobs. Still, not knowing where one will sleep at night is still overwhelming and happens to people of all ages and backgrounds. Many Americans go to churches to ask for food for their families. People feel bad and even humiliated when they have to ask for sustenance from strangers, even worse when their families say ‘no’ to their pleas. Often the free foods are not fresh and come in cans or frozen. Those who ask for this much-needed help feel pressured to change their religion or belief system in order to make ends meet. Therefore, it would be better for them to get help directly from the government. Unfortunately, getting government help is easier said than done in a heartless world run by lobbyists.
Health care
Barack Obama tried to reform the health care system. To some extent, it was successful, but it didn’t take it far enough. Although it prevented insurance companies from denying health care to people due to pre-existing conditions, it did not create universal health care for everyone, including care for those who lost their jobs. If health care were universal, this would mean that all poor people without work could receive care. No one should have to worry about not being treated, but many Americans were afraid to go to the hospital for help, as they understood that a cure for COVID-19 could cost them more than $ 30,000. Lives were lost for fear of having to pay overwhelming hospital bills. The COVID-19 emergency has taught us that it is a mistake not to take care of everyone when diseases are transmitted to others if they are not cured.
Coat
Even today, the unemployed and people with psychological disabilities are often homeless at night through no fault of their own. Some don’t even have a car to sleep in! In fact, a rich country like the United States could find safe havens for these people, whether they are alone or with their families or not. A homeless teenager does not know where to go to school. (In one Georgia county in 2004, high school teachers had to request that a homeless teenager be allowed to attend their school!)
Additionally, runaway teens and battered women need safe havens with counseling. If policing is to be improved, the police could help the homeless to find shelter, as it would undoubtedly reduce crime. Homeless people could also receive addresses that they could use to receive their voter registration forms so they no longer have a hard time voting for the change. Without a doubt, the United States must raise its standards and live up to the dreams of the founders who sought a dignified life for their citizens.
Works
For many reasons, people are out of work through no fault of their own. In many cases, robots and artificial intelligence have taken away their jobs. Technology was supposed to make life easier so that people could work fewer hours a week and share jobs. A solution to this problem could be to share work or convert twenty hours into a full-time workweek, allowing people without work to work. Most people feel much better about themselves when they contribute to society through meaningful and exciting work. Often times, people have to work too long for barely surviving pay while others cannot find a job, as much as they would like to have it: cooperatives (community enterprises may help solve this problem.
Surveillance
Countless Americans have lost faith in the police, although not all are corrupt. There are good and bad people in every profession, and one bad apple doesn’t ruin the whole basket. Many experts believe that police records showing police crimes should be public knowledge. Perhaps sharing that information will be helpful in determining who is fit to patrol the streets; society will be able to weed out the corrupt cops while keeping the good guys at a high level. In addition, the educational curriculum of the police can be modified to improve training, focusing on a more humanistic service for the good of society. A police officer needs ongoing training throughout his career to be benevolent. Since it is clear that the United States has systemic problems, it is time to work together to fulfill the dreams of the founding fathers who aspired to achieve peace and freedom for all, regardless of race or creed.