Day 95

Sunday June 14, 2020 I am currently reading 1968: The year that rocked the world by Mark Kurlansky.  The first thing that stands out is the similarities from that year to our current year. Of course there was no world wide pandemic, but social unrest due to civil rights and consequently protests and riots, an election year, and the feeling of isolation as people were pulled apart rather than drawn together.  The issues of our current state of affairs may be different than those in 1968 (such as the support and/or protest of the war in Vietnam), but some issues are rising to the surface again.  Most notably a civil rights movement rising like a phoenix after the death of George Floyd from the actions of a white police officer. And if you think it is only about police brutality then think again because between the death of George Floyd and the current virus outbreak the inequalities and opportunities provided to white and blacks is clear. The civil rights movement is in full motion and this time around we may see true reform in the area of police action.  And there is hope some other areas of inequality will be addressed as well or at least investigated more closely.  This being an election year is another aspect likened to 1968. The incumbent president in 1968 was Lyndon B. Johnson, who ultimately chose not to run for re-election opening the door for Richard Nixon after the assassination of Robert Kennedy which came a few months after the killing of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And it was these murders that led to protests and riots in which police tactics ranged from beatings to tear gas and use of rubber bullets. The riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention were particularly unsettling. This year we have an incumbent president who will run for re-election and is currently under scrutiny for his outlandish and outspoken tweets about protesters as well as his handling of the virus even before it entered the United States.  His language and actions since the virus has overwhelmed the nation are also questionable.  The lone competition is Democratic nominee Joe Biden.  The bi-partisan wars over the pandemic alone are enough to separate the people, but now you have police brutality, civil rights, the economy and unemployment rates as well as a continually swelling national debt.  It may take the next president four years just to get the country back on it's feet and that is if we can control the virus, known as novel coronavirus, with a vaccine.
Another interesting similarity was the broadcasting of news.  In 1968 same day broadcast was something new to the public.  This meant, for the first time ever, the people could see what was happening across the globe on their televisions in live action.  Obviously we still have this ability, but we also currently have millions of freelance reporters with their cell phones capturing everything as it goes on and posting it to a myriad of social media sites not just on your local news channel.
As in 1968, the people are torn apart over important issues involving every man, women and child.  The world is torn apart by an economic downfall not seen since 1939 and we are all suffering together through a pandemic that has infected 7.9 million people and resulted in the deaths of nearly half-a-million more. With the exception of a few (Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan and many remote islands) most countries are struggling to balance controlling the outbreak and reopen the economy. These are indeed turbulent times and the year is only halfway over. Buckle your seat belts, strap on your helmets and put on your life vests we are in for a long bumpy ride...oh and do not forget your masks.