Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
I venture to say that unlocking the power of women would make for a better world.
It’s been 100 years since the amendment to the U.S. Constitution that gave women the right to vote was ratified. South Carolina originally voted to reject the amendment in 1920, before finally ratifying it on July 1, 1969.
A PIVOTAL POINT
The year 2020 will be remembered as a pivotal point in American history.
Looking back at this moment we will understand how a culmination of events has changed our behavior and perception of reality and influenced the future in a profound manner, similar in significance to America entering World War II, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the opening of China relations or the 9/11 attack.
This has been a very muted Fourth of July celebration.
Stopped in our regular routine by the coronavirus outbreak, shaken by the death of George Floyd, stirred by the hatred and division we are displaying as a nation, we deep down start realizing that the “American Promise” has been derailed.
LESSONS FOR TODAY’S WORLD
As I reflect on today’s protests against police brutality and racism, I’m reminded of a life-changing epiphany I experienced in 1999 at a medical conference. We were complaining about malpractice insurance premiums, for which some colleagues were paying more than $100,000 annually. In this discussion, one member stated that if we paid more attention to caring for our patients and less attention to our finances, everything would work out fine. After this, I became more focused on improving patient safety and reducing medical errors, especially during the birth process — and I believe the lessons I learned could help us as a society recognize racial biases and create lasting change.
LESSONS IN SUSTAINABILITY
I’m using the imposed Covid break from my usual daily routine to take inventory on what truly matters and what does not. I spent time musing about big topics such as: if humanity reduces its footprint, nature will recover. I also did relatively benign things like going through my closet and lining up every T-shirt I own. It’s official: I have too many T-shirts!
Within a few weeks, the world came to a screeching halt. You would not know it if you were a farmer in India, untethered from the internet, but for most of the world the coronavirus is overshadowing the news and everybody’s daily life. The virus is not just attacking our lower respiratory system but our psyche, our values and our bank accounts.
According to the MacArthur Foundation, by 2050 the world’s oceans will contain more plastic than fish — based on sheer tonnage. And it’s not just in the ocean: Recent reports have found microplastics in our bodies and the air we breathe. How did we get here?
In these “modern” times, discerning the truth seems more challenging than ever.
I analyzed why this appears to be the case and list the main facts that I believe contribute to this perception:
I was in 10th grade when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Five years later, in 1968, I was in college when Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated within two months of each other. I saw firsthand the profound unrest sweeping America as we grappled with the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and societal upheaval.
But as a nation we were able to maintain the beliefs and values expressed so eloquently in our Constitution and Pledge of Allegiance. There was a sense that we would, eventually, find a way to accept everyone and to peacefully coexist.
Feeling drained these days is easy. Despite a robust economy, we subliminally know there are bigger challenges that need solving and that we need to find the true American spirit again to focus our energy on positive outcomes. To this end, we asked our Last Call contributors to give us their personal takes on optimism.
