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On the Bright Side


Uplifting Protest News
Firstly, in positive protest news, it's important to note that most of the protests are, in fact, peaceful, and the majority of police are trying their best to keep the peace. Of particular note are several instances of police walking with protesters such as in Flint and in New Jersey (showcasing a proper example of deescalation and how to serve and protect). Likewise, there are examples cropping up of peaceful protesters turning rioters over to police to prevent escalation by outsiders.

See? We can all get along.

Uplifting Pandemic News
And believe it or not there's good news to be had from the COVID-19 pandemic as well. For example the global COVID-19 death rate is now slowly declining. There's some hope for positive long-term ramifications as well.

For example, people are now eating healthier and wasting less food and I already blogged about the reduction in global pollution. Additionally, headlines like people being in favor of monthly cash assistance and attempts to reroute excess food instead of throwing it away give me some hope that people will become more conscious of what we could and should have been doing all along–give to those in need, essentially–but I suppose only time will tell. Hopefully being out of a job due to no fault of their own has made it easier for people against social programs to empathize with those who have less than them.

Uplifting Personal News
My partner and I had an incredible weekend with our daughter. As has somehow become the norm, we were able to be productive while also making time to have a lot of fun. We went for a 10-mile bike ride together, set up a sand pit and a water table for our daughter, did even more gardening and landscaping, watched some beautiful baby bunnies grow up and leave their nest, and we even got to spend some time with my parents.
These are uncertain and scary times, but that doesn't mean there's no good to be found in any of it. You may just need to look a bit harder.

Stay healthy and sane!
-Ryan
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