The passing of the Covid-19 relief package is good news for all Americans. The Biden Administration has done a great job so far in showing us that our government can and does care about our needs. Is it enough? Not just yet. The good news is that it’s a great beginning. It is clear that in order for all of us to get back on our feet and return to some sense of normalcy, we need to get as many people vaccinated as possible. A substantial amount of money and resources has been provided to achieve this goal. Our success will largely be determined by our willingness to cooperate. Unfortunately, we are still having problems in this area due to several factors, but I believe the majority of our population will cooperate eventually and get the vaccine. It is important for all the doubters to recognize that the government has implemented mandatory policies concerning vaccinations, of which most of us have cooperated in the past. Our children cannot attend school, for example, without certain vaccinations and children must attend school in most cases. A similar, logical approach to the Covid-19 vaccination needs to be understood within that context.
As far as Congress being unable to include a substantial increase in the minimum wage with this package is a disappointment, but a minor setback overall. It’s probable that this will be introduced in separate legislation in the very near future. 15.00 an hour is honestly not a living wage either, but again, it’s a great place to start. It could not be clearer the need for every individual to have the ability to take care of themselves. There are basically two ways to go about this. We can pay insufficient wages and then have the government ensure our survival through welfare subsidies and the like, or our government can insist that all businesses and companies pay a decent living wage. The latter would be much more efficient in terms of cost-effectiveness. Even more importantly, it would provide for an individual a stronger sense of self-worth and responsibility in their life. In order for a person to feel a sense of purpose in terms of being successful, they must be fully engaged in every aspect of living, rather than feeling like they’re being taken care of by an outside influence. Not having control over our own life is never a good thing in the long term.
Before concluding these brief remarks today, I wanted to take a look at the increase in racially motivated violence against our fellow Asian brothers and sisters. Humanity at large has the unfortunate reputation of using scapegoating as a means to problem-solving. All throughout our history, there have been dilemmas we have had to face. The Covid-19 menace is no exception. We all feel victimized by this to a certain extent, but the solution cannot be found in the blaming of others. As I have said many times, there are certain things that happen that are outside our control. If we insist on finding a scapegoat, perhaps we could use God in this case. It should be obvious that isn’t going to work out very well. What are we left with, then? Our responsibility lies with ourselves. The first step is always to accept what we have been given, or we cannot move forward. The existence of this virus is nobody’s fault. It has adversely affected every person and every race. Hating someone else is not going to cure it. Accepting and loving one another certainly will.
All my love and support, stay safe and be well