This is not normal

From Gaza to gun violence to gaslighting

View this email online IN THE NEWS Fam: A few years back, the journalist Ed Yong used a phrase that has been ringing in my head ever since: The habituation of horror. It was September of 2020, just months into the official start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the U.S., more than 6 million people had been diagnosed with the virus, and it had left almost 200,000 dead. It was shocking.  And yet, as Yong warned, we got used to it. People dying – especially old people and Black people and poor people and people who fell into that incredibly broad, but somehow easily dismissed category of having a “pre-existing condition” – simply stopped being “newsworthy.” And here we are, one million deaths later. I’ve been reminded of that phrase this week, as the death toll in Gaza and Israel continues to climb. More than 4,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis have been killed as of this writing. On Tuesday, hundreds were killed in a hospital in Gaza. Israeli military airstrikes have hit a refugee camp and a school. And after their deadly attack on October 7, Hamas continues to hold more than 200 people hostage (the two recently released notwithstanding.)   Fatima Shbair/AP Meanwhile, in the U.S., the FBI has reported an uptick in threats against both Muslims and Jews. One such threat came to horrifying fruition when a man repeatedly stabbed a Palestinian American woman and her six-year-old son while reportedly yelling, “Muslims must die.” The six-year-old did. Right now, it all feels shocking: the images, the videos, the stories, the sounds. But how long will that last? In the U.S., we are shocked over and over and over again: by gun violence, by police brutality, by families getting separated at the border, by hate crimes, by drug deaths, by climate disasters. And then, over and over again, we get used to it – by calling people animals and places warzones; by privileging some people's pain over others; by silencing anyone who tries to speak out; by saying our problems are too old, or too complicated, or too divisive to deal with. And before you know it, all of the death and destruction and hatred can feel not just inevitable, but justified. But in any moment we have the capacity for shock, we also have a brief, crucial opportunity to say: This is not normal. This is not acceptable. The killing and scapegoating and sacrificing of human lives is something that cannot stand. The question is: Will we take that opportunity? Newsletter continues after sponsor message ON THE POD Antoine Didienne/Courtesy of Hari Kondabolu Fam: In the midst of all the world’s chaos, life is still being created every day. On this episode, Gene and guest Hari Kondabolu grapple with the joyful, daunting, at times contradictory questions of how to raise a kid in a complex, unjust, and ever-changing world. How do you teach your child about the world they're newly discovering? How do you avoid passing down faulty coping mechanisms that you were raised with? And what does it mean to have a child whose experience of the world will be very different from your own? Listen Here Support discussions that matter - try a subscription to Code Switch+. Dive deep into the conversation with none of the sponsor interruptions, and know that you’re making this all possible with your support. Learn more at plus.npr.org/codeswitch.  Learn More WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT All right, it's your turn. This week I want to know: How do you stay attuned to the painful realities playing out around you? How do you find ways to center peoples’ humanity when they are being reduced to caricatures? How do you stay tuned in to suffering when it can so quickly become background noise? And, what else is keeping you up at night? Asking for…myself. Email us at CodeSwitch@npr.org to let us know your thoughts. Grateful, as always, to all of you. -Leah Donnella, senior editor Written by Leah Donnella and edited by Dalia Mortada Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WMFE (edit station). Subscribe to Code Switch+. Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free episodes. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: codeswitch@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Code Switch emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy