We are living in a crisis of our own making. I do not mean to be unsympathetic those suffering and mourning. I write this at the edge of hope. Our communities need support, but we must realize that our economy is built on an unsustainable foundation where workers, ecosystems, and cultures are expendable.
One of the worst mining accidents in the United States occurred on May 1, 1900, in the Winter Quarters coal mine near Scofield, Utah. A planned detonation ignited a build-up of coal dust, causing a cascade of unplanned explosions and cave-ins that trapped 200+ individuals inside.
This event occurred ten years after the closing of the American Frontier but at the height of the Gilded Age. At the time, the economic growth seen was unmatched. It was a time of deregulation, vast income inequality, and growing nationalism.
In the last 4 years, we have seen the normalizing and acceptance of ineptitude as a qualifying trait for political office—the creation of a kakistocracy. We have individuals leading our country who view mass burials as “doing a very good job”. They believe that the wealthy deserve health care, better health care, because “that is life”. In short, we have exactly the wrong type of people leading our country.
At this edge of hope, I long for a better world. In solidarity with those who mourne, I believe now is a time to organize.