We are losing the plot and our humanity

A few days ago, I found myself thinking about the 9/11 attack and the people on Flight 93. To refresh your memory, the first two planes that were hijacked hit the World Trade Building, the third plane hit the Pentagon, and the last plane—which was believed to be headed for either the White House or the U.S. Capitol—ended up being diverted to an empty field in Pennsylvania after the passengers, led by passenger Todd Beamer, decided to revolt. Beamer’s last words after saying the Lord’s Prayer were “Are you ready? OK. Let’s roll.” The bravery of the passengers on Flight 93 no doubt reduced the casualties of that horrible day in U.S. history.

In thinking about that day, it dawned on me that had that horrific attack happened in today’s world, the odds of getting the passengers on a hijacked flight to work together are probably close to nil.

In 24 years, we have become a society where working together with strangers for the greater good is less likely to happen. For starters, most people on a plane today would either be live-streaming the event on TikTok or wanting to ask the political affiliations of the folks on the plane. Or simply disconnected from reality and in their own universe.

Just when I was thinking that maybe I was being a bit too harsh on my fellow humans, it was announced this weekend that former president Joe Biden has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.

The media and public response to this news has been nothing short of chilling and, frankly, disheartening. Donald Trump Jr., the son of the current occupant of the White House, said that Dr. Jill Biden (Joe’s wife) either failed to be attentive to her husband or she was part of a cover-up. Trump Junior implying that Dr. Jill was a bad physician. Here’s the catch: Jill Biden holds a doctorate in education; she isn’t a physician. I repeat, she isn’t a physician, aka a medical doctor. Of course, this theory is now spreading across all social media platforms, with even JD Vance, the current vice president of these not united states, stating that Biden was not healthy enough to be president and suggesting we need answers around Biden’s health when he was in office.

By the way, as these two numbnuts are making wild accusations and speculations about the previous president’s health, the current president spent the last few days attacking famed rock and roller Bruce Springsteen after Springsteen opened a recent concert criticizing the regime, opps administration. Trump has also suggested that celebrities such as Oprah and Beyonce need to be investigated for their campaign support of Kamala Harris. If that wasn’t bad enough, Trump was also sharing AI-created videos portraying himself as a rock star.

As you can imagine, followers of this administration are running wild with these accusations, with Trump’s one-time rumored side piece and super MAGA fan extraordinaire Laura Loomer making a poll on the X platform asking how many days Biden has left.

Lest you think the folks left of center are unified in expressing their condolences for this news, you would be wrong. There are also many left of center questioning whether there was a health cover-up, with a certain contingent expressing the sentiment that because of Biden’s actions or lack of action regarding Gaza and the Palestinians, his illness is deserved. Others stating that he is a war criminal and good riddance.

Look, you are free to not like the man, but when we start to sound as callous and frankly as off our rockers as the other side, that is when we would do well to take a beat and a deep breath and think before we speak.

Here’s the thing: Maybe there was a cover-up but there is also the fact that for men over 70, annual prostate exams are not required if there is no cause for concern or family history. Which means that if Biden wasn’t having any symptoms and there was no reason to be on the lookout for issues, given his age, it is entirely in the realm of possibility that this is an organic situation. Having had a parent who was diagnosed with advanced cancer despite regular healthcare visits, this isn’t an unusual situation. It happens.

While Biden’s situation may truly be organic, our lack of empathy and compassion and just common sense is a very self-created problem. We as a collective are rapidly losing touch with our own humanity and while many attribute it to late-stage capitalism, I can’t quite buy it.

As a Black American in my 50s, I know this country has always been on rocky terrain for certain people. Black folks have historically always earned less and had less opportunities. Hardship is baked into our existence in this country and still many of us have historically been capable of compassion and empathy, even towards the descendants of our enslavers. Even now, many of us, me included, get on these platforms to teach and build despite the lack of monetary compensation. To be fair, others do it as well, but as a member of a historically marginalized group, we have always known that community and connections are what keep us afloat. It is why mutual aid is built into our existence even online.

Overall, though, there is a communal dehumanizing going on and the through-line is technology. It is podcasts and online spaces where we silo ourselves away; it is media that plays to the lowest common denominator in the race for ratings and clicks, now under siege by a leader with a cruelty streak.

For all the talk of building something better, how exactly does that happen if we the people are so filled with anger and disillusioned that we accept dehumanization of ourselves and others as the new norm? It literally costs nothing to be a halfway decent person and not buy into and peddle conspiracy theories that are based on nothing but hate.

If we are serious about change, change should start with ourselves. It should start with examining what we say and think—and why. It should start with developing self-awareness of when we are going down the rabbit hole of fuckery and then checking ourselves and holding ourselves to a higher standard of being. Just because we are surrounded by hateful chuckleheads doesn’t mean we have to sign on to such behavior.

Our country is teetering on the brink of collapse but that doesn’t mean we have to allow ourselves to lose what humanizes us in the process. We need to lean into our humanity and hold ourselves and one another in grace or at least not assume the absolute worst when it isn’t even based in any known reality. Otherwise, we will completely lose the plot and our humanity and, if that’s the case, what are we even fighting for?

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