by Craig Colby
My son Curtis, 12, doesn’t like needles. He was ready for this one though. Curtis was seated at a table in a hockey arena with two nurses. One was across from him, the other across from his brother Shane, 16. I took pictures as they received their first dose of Pfizer. They posed for a victory photo afterwards. I teared up a little. The tide was finally turning. The end of the pandemic was approaching. But the events of the week made me worry about one problem that will come with recovery.
As we stood in a long line outside the arena, a man in his 40s marched past everyone, unmasked and way too close, spouting conspiracy theories and deriding us for getting the shot. I’d like to dismiss him, but he’s not a one-off.
Death and Protests
A week earlier, I was waiting in the car while my wife Nancy was getting her vaccination. A social worker from a local hospital was being interviewed on CBC Radio. She was talking about the horrors of the current wave of the pandemic. COVID-19 patients in this wave were younger and were falling critically ill faster. She said that when people were intubated this time it was almost a certain death sentence. She talked about children who were orphaned because both parents had died within a week. The deaths had kept her busy for 14 hours a day for months. The suffering made me angry.
While I listened to the social worker, protesters were marching downtown in the World Wide Rally for Freedom. A few friends posted about their attendance on social media. Thousands railed against wearing a mask, social distancing or getting a vaccine. People I knew who were attending the rally explained their rationale the same way. They don’t believe the science. They trust their own instincts. Their willful ignorance made me angry.
COVID Hits Home
I would get angrier later in the week. At my Wednesday morning networking group, I’d learned that one of our members, Angela, was just getting out of the ICU after catching COVID-19. She had been rushed from Scarborough to Kingston and intubated for 8 days. Angela is a chronic illness coach and mindfulness facilitator. She was born with a heart condition which has required seven surgeries. She’s also battled lung ailments. Angela is the most emotionally resilient but physically vulnerable of our group. Fortunately, she’s recovering, but who knows how long that will take. Angela’s illness made me angry.
There’s a lot to be angry about. A heaping helping of my anger, though, is reserved for the people who looked at a disease that is affecting everyone in the world and that requires all of our help to address and whose biggest concern was “what about me”. They protest against inconvenience and only listen to the voice in their heads. Their selfishness and arrogance have been paid for with other people’s lives. They’re also holding back the recovery created by the incredible efforts of scientists and medical workers.
What Now?
What do we do about them? My emotional reaction is to ostracize them. I want to remember who they are and avoid them at all costs. Being able to do that would give me some control at a time when we’ve had little. But making a group of people “the other” is a terrible idea. We’re seeing why every night on the news.
I don’t know enough to have an informed opinion about the violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The only thing that seems clear is that hate is winning, and when hate wins everyone else loses.
So, what am I going to do about COVID-19 Freedom Fighters? First, I’m going to stop defining them by one issue. Humans are more complex than that. One of the people I know who attended the rally is a lovely person who I enjoy working with. She busts her butt on set and is friendly to everyone. Another wears a mask in places that require it, but she disagrees with the way the pandemic has been handled. I’ve also enjoyed working with her.
Second, when I discuss this topic with them, I’m going to start by listening. How can I expect them to see a different point of view if I’m not willing to do the same? I don’t have to agree with them. In this case, I know I’m in the right. That won’t always be the case though. I’ve been wrong plenty of times and will be again. When that happens, I hope people will be patient as they show me what I’m missing.
We can discuss ideas. We can oppose actions. And we have to find ways to live together, especially when we can’t agree.
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Craig Colby is a television executive producer, producer, director, writer and story editor. He runs a storytelling consulting and production service for businesses.