A Firm Stance in Loving Memory

There is a lot going on in the world and in my personal life currently. The past 24 hours have been some of the hardest I’ve had to ever deal with. While this blog is, for the most part, about writing and storytelling, you should know by now that I’m not shy about taking a stance against the numerous levels of wrong that continue to poison this world — and in this case, my stances on what I’m about to touch on have been amplified by what I’ve been through recently.

I already have no remorse for anyone who never took the pandemic seriously. Had more people done so, perhaps the lockdowns wouldn’t have lasted as long, perhaps the vaccines would hold up a lot stronger, and perhaps COVID would have been successfully extinguished from this world altogether. Obviously, that has not been the case at all. COVID is here to stay, the pandemic — whether you’ll admit it or not — is still going on, and as a result, a lot of time was taken away that could have been spent with loved ones; time that will never be regained.

There are certain people in this country who have been quick to blame Asian people for the pandemic. If you’re one of them, you’re both delusional and a racist. We are not to blame. The blame falls on those who never took this pandemic seriously and only thought about themselves. That especially goes for certain so called “leaders.”

On another note, it seems that recently, people are finally started to see just how twisted Kanye West is when he publicly spewed anti-Semitic remarks. Uncalled for, especially in a time when fascism is already experiencing a resurgence in this country.

Already there is something to be said when there was (rightfully) outrage over this, yet radio silence when he made similar comments about the Black community. But one thing I will add is that I don’t ever, ever want people asking me again if I’m a Nazi, solely because I’m part German. This dangerous remark from this dangerous man should make it especially clear that not all Nazis are German, and not all Germans are Nazi.

I write all this in the aftermath of losing my grandmother, who immigrated to this country from Germany three years following the end of World War II. She never supported Hitler’s dangerous ideologies, nor was she part of the targeted groups that eventually led to the Holocaust. Like any of that would have mattered, especially when she spent nights in bomb shelters and her childhood home was debris by the end of the war.

My grandmother meant the world to me, which makes it especially hard that these last few years of her life were robbed because of the pandemic. The few times I got to visit her wasn’t without a negative COVID test, a mask, and no physical contact. The last time I gave her a hug was Christmas 2019.

My position is clear on both matters and how even more firmly I stand by them after what I’ve been through recently. If you’re not for it, you can show yourself out. For everyone else, speak up, hold those accountable, and if you’re in the United States and 18 or older, make sure you VOTE! Do it for those who came before us and for the benefit of those who come after.