Thank you for your link to the Brownstone article. The excerpts from Julie Ponesse’s book on hope and moral repair made me tear up in a couple of places. After all this time, I’d have told anyone who asked that I’m not suffering any long-term effects from the covid abuses/excesses we were subjected to by our governments, family, friends, bosses, co-workers, shop clerks, and complete strangers. My reaction to the Brownstone article says otherwise. I’m coming around to the realization that we never really get over the damage caused by being dehumanized, even temporarily. I didn’t process it until now, but the last 5 years have changed me in some of the same ways that were described in the Brownstone article. I’m sure I’m not alone here.
Just about everyone here can vouch for the fact that I was quite outspoken of the dehumanization aspect of COVID.
What hurt the most is the immediate family.
Things were said and actions were taken that disgusted me.
Even within my own home.
I’ll not ever forget them.
You aren’t alone.
I will certainly read the article as I know I am not the same person I was in 2019...and not for the better.
I’m always looking for like-minded people and last night at a party I thought I found one. A big pro-Trump guy who moved from Long Island, NY to Gatlinburg, TN. I was telling him about my experience of C-19 in Brooklyn. I described the insane looks I received from total strangers if I went outside without a mask as “something out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
He switched gears immediately and said “I know someone who was a hospital nurse during that and she said it was horrible. So many people died.”
I came away thinking I was seriously misunderstood. But then again, I may have misunderstood his point. Yes. People died. but did my mask make a difference? Did I have to be treated like a leper or worse?
You are not alone. Just this morning I read a post from a liberal friend that triggered me a little. She added her signature to a list where liberals are stating I will not support this and that. It’s the whole gamut of outright misinformation and disinformation the liberals are spreading. Included in the list is the statement I will not support giving Nazis and the klu klux Klan a seat at the table.
I commented back that I found her support of such ugly slurs against half of her fellow citizens repulsive. I don’t expect her to “get it” but I still believe we should push back against the ugly rhetoric.
Our world has been turned upside down by evil forces. That leaves a moral wound.
I was always an introvert and suspicious, but now I’m much worse.