2020 — the birth of the ‘Humanity First’ campaign

Ten years from now, the year 2020 will be remembered as the ‘The year when the world came to a standstill’ or “The year of the Pandemic’ or the ‘The year of the CoronaVirus’ or something similar to that. The year 2020 saw death, destruction, carnage, and chaos on a global scale. To say that this pandemic has wreaked havoc on humanity itself is probably an understatement. Millions of Americans lost their jobs, and thousands of businesses have closed their storefronts forever. Some lost their grandparents, and some lost their parents, some even lost their children — oftentimes without even getting a chance to say ‘goodbye’ to their loved ones. This year will remain forever in the history books for the death, destruction, and carnage it brought with it.

Though there is a lot we can say about this destructive year and the negative impact on day-to-day lives, I want to focus my attention on the undeniable courage displayed by humans everywhere. Many law enforcement professionals served at the front lines of serving and protecting our civilians, often risking their own health. The essential workers that tirelessly worked for us at grocery stores, fire stations, state and local government offices, meat and produce processing plants, and countless other facilities we needed to keep our families fed, clothed, and protected during this crisis. Our politicians at all levels, whether it’s a county, state, and federal governments, have reacted to this challenge with utmost courage, highest focus, and diverted funds to help the ailing economy to prevent a global financial collapse. Most importantly, the ‘Heroes’ on the frontlines — the doctors, paramedics, and the hospital administrators that risked their own lives and their families’ well being, every day, to keep as many of us alive and well as possible.

This pandemic has seen the worst of nature, but we have also seen the best of humanity in response to this crisis. We have seen that humans can unite and rise to any challenge. Domestic, international, or even alien forces cannot break our spirit of collective conscience. I realize that such a positive outlook does not bode well for the families that lost their loved ones, people who lost their jobs, or families adversely impacted by this crisis. Still, I hope I am not alone in seeking a ‘silver lining’ out of this devastating year.

As hard as this year has been, the year 2020 gives me hope for good things to come. As Nietzsche famously said, “Out of life’s school of war — what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” I am optimistic that the year 2020 has laid the foundation for a ‘humanity first’ populist message that will resonate throughout the world. If humanity resolves itself to solving global problems, there is no problem we cannot solve. Viruses, political strifes, and even aliens from outer space are no match to our collective resolve.