Sometimes, I see the pandemic as a maturity test.
Do we take it as all about us and our individual rights and freedom?
Or do we recognize that we live in a society and that others matter as much as we do? (And especially the more vulnerable.)
Do we act from reactivity and focus on ourselves?
Or do we act from compassion and a desire to do our part to get us through the pandemic in the best way possible, and protect others including those more vulnerable than us?
Do we assume we know that masks and vaccines don’t work? (And how can we, if we are honest with ourselves? Especially considering that history, common sense, and vast amounts of research showing otherwise.)
Or do we act with some humility and use masks and take the vaccine because there is a chance it will protect others and help us get through the pandemic faster? (If we look at history, epidemiology, and research, we see that the chance is pretty high.)
This is about maturity. It’s about compassion and the ability to imagine how it is for someone else, especially the more vulnerable, and act in a way that has a chance of protecting them. It’s about placing the safety and well-being of others equal to our own freedom and rights. It’s about receptivity and intellectual honesty. It’s about acting from kindness and wisdom and not just reactivity. And it has to do with taking the responsibility to learn about epidemiology and the long history of pandemics, and what history tells us works and doesn’t work in terms of limiting the impact of pandemics on individuals and society as a whole.
WHY DO I WEAR A MASK AND TAKE THE VACCINE?
It’s not because I am unfamiliar with the views of vaccine skeptics and conspiracy theorists. I have looked into these and find they are almost exclusively founded on poor logic and poor data.
It’s not because of fear. (Although, sometimes, it’s wise to listen to and respond to fear.)
It’s because I am familiar with the history of epidemics and what history shows us is most effective in limiting their impact.
It’s because I want to do my part in protecting the more vulnerable in society.
It’s because I want to do my part in helping us move through this pandemic in a way that limits the impact on individuals and society as a whole.
It’s because of the following and similar stories. I want to minimize my chances of infecting others, so I won’t be part of this happening.
Within 24 hours, 18-year-old Myles Daniel and 15-year-old Marina Daniel lost their parents to COVID-19. Martin Daniel was 53 when he died and Trina Daniel was 49….
Martin and Trina Daniel were not vaccinated at the time of their deaths. The couple was hesitant about the vaccine but had finally scheduled their first doses when they got sick.
– An overlooked consequence of COVID-19: The hundreds of thousands of orphans left behind