Good Friday?

Since Saturday I have been quarantining at home dealing with persistent fever, fatigue, headaches, and general body aches. While I do not know for certain I have COVID-19, the doctors and city hotline said to assume I had the virus. Yet, I am not being tested because my symptoms do not raise to the testing threshold of a higher fever, coughing issues, or difficulty breathing. Additionally, my primary care physician has no testing kits, and I would have to go to the various city testing sites, where I could be turned away due to my mild symptoms. To add another level, I would run the risk of infecting anyone I interact with if I left my house to be tested.

I write this with extreme privilege; I am able to quarantine and work from home, my bosses have dropped off groceries and others have offered, and I have health insurance and a job in these times.

But if we pause and think, how many people are quarantining at home with symptoms or working in an essential industry who could be asymptomatic who will never be tested? Our government has obviously failed us. This government that is presumably for the people, voted in by the people, and held accountable by the people has only looked out for itself. We don't have enough testing kits, PPE, masks, gloves and other needed equipment for our healthcare workers. Children and families are starving in their homes. Those recently or chronically unemployed debate paying for rent, utilities, groceries, or other bills.

These short term failures have highlighted long term issues our republic faces. People have died everyday for years due to a lack of universal healthcare, our neighbors live in the streets and we do nothing, people are racially profiled and overcharged sitting in jail for crimes they didn't commit in a criminal justice system that purposely oppresses people of color. Gay and bisexual men still aren't able to donate blood because our government views them as second grade citizens with dirty bodies and minds. NRA funded politicians care more about guns than bodies, but still love to regulate women's bodies.

COVID-19 doesn't discriminate, even young people who are careful with hygiene and social distancing can end up being infected. But COVID-19 does disproportionately kill people of color because our white male elite government designed our system to oppress people of color, since the founding of our country. The Declaration of Independence was written by and for European landowning men; not for women, people of color, LGBTQIA+. This global pandemic has stripped away the veneer of how we have a democracy.

You've probably realized that most of my articles are on injustice and it has taken years for me to realize that's my passion. I am called to seek justice. I am imperfect and I have a lot of growth, but we all are shaped from the same cloth, woven together by the same songs, and released by the same winds. Our words are our most powerful tool and I intend to use my authentic words to seek justice. This COVID-19 pandemic gives us the potential to emerge out of a dark and egregious time to radically change how we live.

I call on everyone to do their part, so all folx can live fully into their life, in their terms, and not have a standard of living determined by oppressive governments and heteronormative society.

As Always,

He Climbs Mountains