The chorus of the song “Why?” by Tracy Chapman touches on enough serious social issues that I find myself thinking of it on a regular basis, for several years now. Whenever some terrible thing happens that captures one or more news cycles, we never have to wait too long after that for another awful event to occur. This week, Russia invaded Ukraine, apparently for no other reason than Vladimir Putin wanted Russia to invade Ukraine. Putin sent forces into eastern Ukraine early this week, calling them “peacekeepers,” which pretty much everyone knew was B.S. as soon as he said it. (But of course “The Former Guy” is incapable of criticizing Putin and praised his statements and actions as “genius.” Sigh.)
But the term “peacekeepers” brought me back to that Tracy Chapman song. Here’s the chorus:
Why do the babies starve
When there’s enough food to feed the world
Why when there’re so many of us
Are there people still aloneWhy are the missiles called peace keepers
When they’re aimed to kill
Why is a woman still not safe
When she’s in her home
Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut album was released in 1988, but these lyrics could have been written in any year between then and now; they could have been written yesterday. Is there any way to resolve problems and injustices that have gone on for decades, or perhaps for centuries? I don’t know, but we should keep asking, “Why,” and never stop hoping for and working toward a more just and equitable world. #IStandWithUkraine
Cheers!