Columns, Opinion

Politics Philosophized: Happiness in 2020

It’s been a difficult year for everyone. No matter who you are, we have all been affected by something.

We are facing a public health crisis with the coronavirus, and wildfires are threatening to burn down Oregon and California. That doesn’t even cover politics.

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a devastating blow this week, we are anxiously awaiting the upcoming election in November and we’ve felt the weight of Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality all summer.

Somehow, you and I both have been affected by things that are outside our control. And with everything that’s going on right now, it’s a struggle to see where one might find happiness.

The truth is this: COVID-19 has infected more than 31 million people globally and nearly 7 million in the United States. In the U.S. alone, more than 200,000 have died. Wildfires currently raging across the West Coast have so far burned 6.7 million acres. To top it all off, there has been a massive uproar in response to police brutality in America.

George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by a police officer who sat on his neck for eight minutes. His death sparked protests across the globe demanding police accountability — repeating the original demand of the BLM movement since the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin and many instances of excessive force used on civilians since then.

Right now, you could be grieving the loss of a loved one due to the coronavirus, or you could be mourning the communal loss of those who have become the faces of the BLM movement. This year has been a trial by fire for all of us, and so far we have made it through. It has been no simple feat, but if you’re reading this, that means you’re still here.

I have been incredibly lucky this year in not losing anyone to COVID-19. This year has also been the start of my experience at Boston University — I am a transfer student from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This is a crazy way to start my BU experience, but I am enjoying my time here nonetheless.

The little victories within your own life are what make the years count. Whether it’s mastering the art of making bread or finishing an important book, it’s the small victories that will make 2020 livable. Everyone is struggling with similar situations — just know that you are not alone.

This is my first column for The Daily Free Press and I wanted to start on a lighter note. While this article may be less political than future ones, I hope it gives you an introduction to who I am and what I’ll be writing about in the future.

My goal is to tackle complex political and philosophical content and make it more digestible. I would rather have my articles read by more people than make them overly complicated and intellectual, and thus inaccessible. Hopefully this article gives you some sort of hope for the future, as it is not going to be dark and gloomy forever.

More Articles

One Comment

  1. Very epic