You and me both. I saw what I thought were reasonable people turn into petty fascists at the drop of a hat.
I lost many friends and family members because I was not going along with the program. I was told to STFU and do what the local and state government was telling me.
It was a sobering lesson. I learned that the vast majority of people are far more stupid, feckless, spineless, ignorant, gullible, and prone to engage in tyrannical behavior, than I ever could have imagined. This includes many family and friends, and no small number of people here on FR.