Curious lack of riots
July 31st
The rain came in the evening and stayed strong overnight. This morning, I had to use all of my willpower to get up from bed and do something. That something was a morning walk, from which I came home soaking and cold. The streets were empty, sidewalks too. Few people were to be seen, sprinted along hiding underneath umbrellas. Rain was washing pavement and asphalt from the dust and dirt and pollen and the imprinted summer heaviness of all the footsteps and tire marks of the weekend.
Emptiness in the city is expected on Sunday morning. That’s when I like to go out and visit places where I usually don’t go — places that are always swarming with people. And the rain and unusual July cold were only helping. I didn’t even mind getting wet, I knew that at the end of the road there is a warm and safe place waiting for me. But those empty streets and sidewalks and plazas made me think about something curious:
Where the hell is everybody?
And I don’t mean today on the rainy Sunday morning. Where are people, who bitch and complain and struggle and slowly see deterioration of any hopes for the future? Why aren’t they on the streets? Not necessarily rioting, but protesting. There were plenty of protests recently where I live — against the ruling government and their dismantling of the constitution and independent judiciary. There were demonstrations for and against LGBT rights and acceptance. There were demonstrations against mask rules and social distancing requirements during the height of the Covid pandemic. So where is everybody now? Why are we taking the current situation with a shrug and only internal anger? Government has no clue what they're doing, inflation is only getting to be even worse, and money is given out freely to particular groups of people when we all are in difficult times and struggles together. What gives to the lack of directed anger toward lies, cunning, and outright thievery? Is it because of summer? Because of vacations that people are taking, trying to find some enjoyment and forgetfulness in the sea of depression and hopelessness? This apathy is very curious.
