Grateful for Online Shopping but Not for the Reasons You May Think
The Coronavirus known as COVID19, or as a nurse friend of mine calls it the Rona. This pandemic has brought about a disaster that will have an everlasting impact upon the world for generations to come. If you want to look for some comforting aspects of this crisis, I am here to give a few. One of the good things that has come out of this is that under appreciated people such as grocery store clerks, delivery people, restaurant workers, nurses, doctors, medical personal, teachers, librarians, god forbid big pharma and insurance companies are helping with this pandemic. Until this crisis restaurant workers, grocery store clerks and food shelf stockers and ordinary folks were seen as dispensible workers. Workers that could be replaced and no one would care. That has changed dramatically!
Far too often when one company treats employees badly then the entire industry is blamed. There are corporations that do good by their employees. My employer is one of those corporations. I cannot tell you the name because all of you would recognize it. This is one of the main reasons I cannot get behind purist movements. Because you then have to pick and choose which companies are worthy based upon the dear leader of the movement.
A few months ago while stopping to get a pizza for dinner, I was racially profiled by a man in blue. This particular pizza parlor does not have delivery options so you have to pick up the order. So I was at the counter and had just paid for my pizza, as I was laughing and talking to the cashier I noticed she became quiet. I picked up my pizza along with my receipt and turned around to head for the door when I notice a young white police officer blocking the door. He looked me directly in the eyes with an authoritative tone and said "Is that your car?" You see there was a black sports car that was parked illegally in a fire zone. I locked eyes with him and did not flinch. I never responded to his question. After some silence he looked at a black couple that were sitting down waiting for their pizza and a young white woman who was at the counter with me while waiting on her order. As an after thought he said does the car belong to any of you. They all replied no. I headed for the door and to my surprise the officer held the door open and watched me as I left. I guess he thought I would get in the car that was illegally parked.
Needless to say I was upset. I did not realized that I had been racially profiled until I drove out of the parking lot. I was so upset I forgot to get his name and badge number. As I was driving, I realized I never saw a squad car, it was as if this cop came out of nowhere to harass me! Since this incident I have been to that pizza place several time because I refused to let this cop let alone any law enforcement officer intimidate me. I know my rights!
When people of color are out and about, whether it be shopping, dining or going on a date, etc., we are well aware of our surrounding and try to be prepared for the racial profiling that is bound to happen.
When online shopping was first introduced I was not that excited. I like to look, feel and touch products before I bring them home. My son was thrilled with online shopping. In fact, he prefers it to brick and mortar shopping. About fours years ago I made my first purchased from Amazon. Needless to say I was hooked! I now shop online for groceries, clothes, shoes and furniture. Until the pandemic happened I was thinking about purchasing a new automobile online.
I will occasionally shop the brick and mortar stores but with less frequency. I no longer have to face racial profiling and discrimination when I order online because I am a faceless computer person with the best asset that online retailers love: money! I no longer have to get dress up on the weekend as to not appear like someone out to rob a merchant! Studies have shown that people of color are least likely to shoplift, yet we are followed around until a purchase is made or just get tired of being followed and leave the store.
I cannot express how many time I went shopping for furniture, a car or any luxury item only to be ignored as if the sales representatives would be wasting their time with me because I could not possibly have the funds to purchase high end products! Years ago if a person of color drove a luxury car or lived in an exclusive neighborhood they would be accused of selling drugs. I can say that a heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders because of online shopping. I know that Amazon is hated by some on the left but no organization in America is perfect. The prime (NO PUN INTENDED) reason is because the people that are running these organizations are not perfect! Like it or not Amazon has a business model that works!
One of the unintended consequences of online shopping that no one recognized or even cared about was making the lives of people of color a little less stressful, and a little safer because we do not have to visit the brick and mortar retailers unless we choose to visit. For that reason alone I am thankful to all of the online retailers for making this possible.
I just named a few positive aspects of the Rona. I am not making light of the tragedy that has happened. I know that we can get through this and be better people toward our fellow beings.