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by Janet Lovera, ’23<\/p>\nby Janet Lovera, ’23<\/p>\n
\u201cThe worst thing we can do is let fear guide us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmerica is not just a place, but a vision of what we want it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
———-<\/p>\n
Over the past few years, we\u2019ve once again been engulfed in a time of uncertainty. The pandemic shocked the nation, impacting the lives of everyone, and we are still learning to navigate our new reality. We\u2019ve all experienced pain and loss, in one form or another, throughout this time. Yet, we as a nation, have struggled to find unity in this shared experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe worst thing we can do is let fear guide us<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n As I sat in my room watching Divided We Fall<\/em> virtually, there were various aspects of the aftermath of 9\/11 depicted in the film that resembled what we have once again experienced as a nation throughout the pandemic. We let our fear guide our hearts. During this period of the unknown, we allowed ourselves to become divided instead of unified. We drove each other away in the hopes that we would never have to grow accustomed to the new \u201cnormal.\u201d What we managed to achieve instead was causing more pain to those who we associated with our fear.<\/p>\n Valerie Kaur spends her entire film revealing the need to tackle the fear we face during times of uncertainty and loss because of the pain that is inflicted by it. People are hurt, communities are persecuted, and injustice becomes justified. If we accept that we fear the unknown, that there is so much we don\u2019t understand, we are able to look for ways to overcome it. We do not become blinded by that fear, and we learn to grow from it. We educate ourselves, reflect on what we\u2019ve experienced, and reach out to others instead of pulling away. Let our hearts be guided by compassion, knowing that we\u2019ve all experienced pain and loss during this time. Let our hearts be gentle in the way we interact with others as we all continue to navigate the new reality of our lives.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Janet Lovera, ’23 \u201cThe worst thing we can do is let fear guide us.\u201d \u201cAmerica is not just a place, but a vision of what we want it to be.\u201d ———- Over the past few years, we\u2019ve once again been engulfed in a time of uncertainty. The pandemic shocked the nation, impacting the…<\/p>\n