unfiltered: 1:30 A.M.

Disclaimer: these are my unedited spontaneous two cents in the middle of the night and I do not mean to harm anyone’s feelings or condemn any actions by other people regarding the recent movements and protests.

I just hope this gives you some food for thought.

We live in tumultuous times.

We live in interesting times.

It’s hard to imagine a world where we are unburdened with the constant flow of information on these glaring screens so many of us find solace in. To fill in the gaps of inactivity in our lifestyles, this was initially an effective means to communicate live updates on the worldwide COVID-19 updates. But it was equally efficient at propagating false information and controversial news. Within barely hours of George Floyd’s suffocation being posted online, there was a call to protest and across not only Pan-America, but also in their overseas compatriots, like in my country, India. As of the time of me writing this, my Instagram page, even late into the night, has posts and stories popping up everywhere showing video after video of police brutality in America.

Over the past two and a half months, India has been in lockdown like many countries and this sense of dullness has comfortably made itself home in my everyday routine. Initially, there was this sense of duty tied with this isolation, but it has faded over time, leaving many of us alone with our thoughts, the only clear purpose being to work and learn, something that I find increasingly difficult to do. My mind begins to wander — do we just see the #blacklivesmatter as just another movement that we want to unite with? To get that feeling of solidarity and community again? Social media has got me questioning the facts, but I begin to question the intent as well.

What are we trying to do sitting on our beds typing away at our phones?

One of the first lesson we first learnt as children that “actions speak louder than words”? As far as I can see, we are showing support, most of us through posts and stories and tweets and videos but how of us are genuine? How many of us really care? These are words, pictures which might as well be the equivalent of a Whatsapp forward on a more public forum.

In India, the majority of our population is brown to dark-skinned. What do we know about the treatment of the same population which is a minority in the United States of America?

How many of us can say we have been subject to racial profiling several times by law enforcement, especially on the basis of our skin?

Now I wonder if you can think of any similar unresolved problems our nation has had and still has? Do we still remember or is it all just a past memory?

How close have we come to fixing our own issues?

Can “I can’t breathe” only refer to George Floyd and all the racially charged deaths, but also the countless others across the world who’s lives were cut short as they were suffocated by their own societies?

Questions upon questions, who has the answers?

Originally published at http://ordinarypursuits10.wordpress.com on June 1, 2020.