There is a clear divide, which has been promoted by the media and government. And that divide demarcates between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated as if those two groups of people are inherently different in some way - and as if it is two groups of people rather than a more nuanced scale of people with all manner of opinions and feelings about the COVID-19 vaccine, anytime that polarisation and division is peddled by authority, red flags and warning bells should go off.
Historically, governments who askew messages of polarisation and division of "us versus them", of "you should fear this group of people", are governments who are not interested in the well being of the group that they determine is "safe", as opposed to the group that they determine is "unsafe". They are governments who are concerned with the consolidation and expansion of their own power.
Today, what we're seeing is the assumption that people who have not undertaken a particular medical intervention, for any reason are somehow dangerous. This is despite the fact that the science and data that we're seeing from around the world does not support that assumption. But such a message usually isn't supported by science and data. Such a message is designed to be emotionally triggering, to put people into fight or flight mode to trigger their cerebral cortex so that they think there's a threat. And when we think there's a threat, when we're afraid, we don't really think logically about things. And we certainly don't employ love and compassion towards our fellow human beings.
Unfortunately, things are very intense right now. People think that other people are a danger to them. And when they think that, you get situations like what people are describing to me this week, where people you used to think were your friends, now treat you with distance, and even hostility.
Many of the people I talked to have said to me that they've gone to employment lawyers for advice before speaking to me, and those lawyers have said to them, "If you want my advice, go and get vaccinated". There's not a lot of compassion, there's not a lot of flexibility. Most of the people who are the most afraid are those who have done the least of their own digging, and reading and talking to doctors about this issue. (By the way, I talk to a lot of doctors, they are certainly not have a uniform view about what's going on right now.)
I just want to say finally, if you find yourself in a situation where you're being painted as an enemy, as dangerous, as irresponsible, as stupid, whatever it might be, remember that it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. Your choice to stand in the truth of what you believe to be right, is triggering somebody else's fear. It's not completely their fault that they're afraid, they've been fed two years worth of messaging to say that they are in extreme constant danger, and that your choice poses an existential threat to them and their family.
Therefore they act accordingly. Your strength, your autonomy, your sovereignty, your integrity, will plant a seed in them and even if they initially react with violence, or with disdain, or with hostility, or they distance themselves from you - down the road, they will remember your choice, they will remember your action. It's not about right or wrong. It's not about who was correct. It's about your bravery to stand up for what you believed in. And the fact that you still showed love and compassion to them even when they didn't show it to you. That's how we come together, irrespective of what we think about the vaccine.
We need to be compassionate.
We need to be loving.
We need to be honest and strong in our truth.
And in time, when the truth comes out, as it always does. We will remain as a collective human species who haven't destroyed each other through fear and division. Have a good weekend. I'll put some more things in the in the telegram soon for your help.
How refreshing to hear some common sense Winston. Peter Fam reminds me of that other great purveyor of the uncommon Thomas Wilde who, among many other things, said "Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher."
How refreshing to hear some common sense Winston. Peter Fam reminds me of that other great purveyor of the uncommon Thomas Wilde who, among many other things, said "Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher."