I often hear folks saying that people have “lost it” since the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. A friend said to me this morning that the people who only had one wheel left on the rails lost that last support during COVID-19 times. The pandemic left a damaging legacy — a shortness of patience and empathy.
The recent shocking display of violence by Will Smith — a (perhaps formerly) well-loved and respected public figure — at the Academy Awards is one highly visible example of the level of stress and sensitivity prevalent in society.
Violent crimes, assaults, “unruly-passenger” incidents, hate crimes, road rage … the stats are up across the board. Lots of people suffered during the pandemic, but it’s well acknowledged that those who were at the lower rungs of the economy suffered most. It’s like they were holding on for dear life and then lost their job, lost their child care, lost their security — lost their grip.
Sharply divisive politics, cries of “cancel culture” and resistance to mask-wearing are all enough to make some people react physically and throw a punch, a kick or a shove, when a few years ago, the altercation might have ended with words and blue air.
According to The Atlantic, “in 2020, the U.S. murder rate rose by nearly a third, the biggest increase on record, then rose again in 2021. Car thefts spiked 14 percent last year, and carjackings have surged in various cities. And if there were a national tracker of school-board-meeting hissy fits, it would be heaving with data points right now.”
The article goes on to cite skyrocketing stress, contagious rudeness, increased alcohol use, social isolation and unwillingness to follow rules or social norms as causes of increased societal violence.
There is no overlooking the impact of poverty on people’s mental well-being and acts of violence. A recent study commissioned by United Way of Delaware (UWDE) found that, in 2019, more than 11% of Delaware households lived below the federal poverty level (FPL), and another 27% fell just above FPL in a category dubbed “ALICE” — asset-limited, income-constrained, employed and who live within one emergency of falling below the FPL. That’s a total of 38% (prior to the pandemic) of Delaware households living with financial hardships.
Many exceptional organizations and individuals continue important anti-violence work in our community. From anti-bullying programs to anti-domestic violence work, from efforts by community partners in the city of Wilmington, from state and city police efforts, Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative work, initiatives at churches and faith organizations, many committed persons are working to address violence. We applaud our partners in this work, including the Wilmington Community Advisory Council, the Community Intervention Team (CIT), Network Connect, the League of Women Voters of Sussex County and the First State Community Action Agency.
I direct your attention to the Sussex County Community Day of Peace and Healing event, “Stop the Violence, Save a Life,” in May, co-led by Lorenzo Hopkins of the NorthStar Consulting Group and Cliffvon Howell of Cliffvon Howell Consulting. The event calls on people who have been impacted by violence to come together in Georgetown. If you care about our state and solutions to violence, this might be a good place to show up and speak up. Let’s show our elected officials that Delawareans want to be heard on this issue.
One thing we all can do is examine our own stress level and how that impacts our responses to events around us and how we interact with others.
Also, be aware of how your friends and family are holding up. We can’t imagine the amount of trauma the people around us have suffered. If you or someone you know needs help, try to connect them with a program or mental health professional. Let them know they can call 211 or visit Trauma Matters Delaware (traumamattersdelaware.org) for resources and assistance. Show your loved ones they’re not alone.
Acts of kindness are free, and opportunities abound to be kind to others. At UWDE staff meetings, we often end with, “Go out and do good things.” Today, I ask you to “go out and do kind things.”
Michelle Taylor is the president and CEO of United Way of Delaware.
