Inequality: The Endless Pandemic

INEQUALITY: THE ENDLESS PANDEMIC

We've recently released our Inequality: The Endless Pandemic t-shirts. This seemed like the perfect time to do so. Many people are at home, quarantined and they have no choice but to see what's going on in the world. Sporting events have been suspended, you can't go to those clubs or night functions because of the invisible virus that has halted the universe. Now you're forced to pay attention to the pandemic that has been plaguing society for centuries - inequality. 

During this global pandemic, we have seen the worst come out in people. From Derrick Chauvin kneeling on the neck of a helpless George Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to Breonna Taylor being murdered by police officers, who recklessly barged into her apartment while she lay sleeping next to her boyfriend during a botched drug raid, it's clear that we need a complete reform; not only with police but with society as a whole. It happens far too often where people of a certain racial or socioeconomic background are murdered by police officers and no one is held accountable until there is global unrest. Would these things have escalated this far if the two above subjects were Caucasian? 

THE PROTESTS:

Then, the protests. When Colin Kaepernick peacefully knelt, he was blackballed by the NFL and there was nationwide outrage, saying that he "was disrespecting the flag" when in reality he was only protesting inequality. When people peacefully (for the most part) protested the George Floyd murder, they were met by aggressive residents. Residents who acted as if they owned the streets. Residents who were quick to utter "All Lives Matter" but were silent when the lives of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many others who looked like them were pointlessly taken. Did those lives not matter? Where was the outrage? Black Lives Matter!

THE DEFLECTION:

Then there is the deflection. When racial issues are confronted, many like to bring up topics like Black on Black crime. In reality, there is no such thing as Black on Black crime. Crime is heavily based on proximity and directly correlated with poverty. In America, the U.S. poverty rate is twice as high amongst Black Americans than White Americans. 84% of White victims are killed by other Whites every year, yet we never hear the term White on White crime. 

MEDIA COVERAGE:

Many media outlets irresponsibly fused the rioters and looters with the peaceful protesters, which hijacked the entire narrative. Peaceful protests continue to go on every day but they aren't getting as much publicity because there seemingly is no benefit in reporting positivity. 

KEEP PUSHING:

Despite all that's happened, we as the people have the power to demand the changes that this world needs to see. Everyone deserves to have an equal shot at living a happy, productive life no matter their skin color, economic background, or sexual preference. The fortunate thing about other pandemics is they eventually go away. Inequality, however, hasn't.