COVID Apologies - It's Too Late
You made your choice, doubled down, and now you want to be forgiven?
I’m sure you’ve read or at the least heard of the ‘Pandemic Amnesty’ article that’s circling around. If not, I’ll share the link in a second, but today we’re going to address the controversial subject head-on.
The question needing to be answered is when if ever, can you forgive those who turned their backs on common sense and empathy in favor of made-up rules and tyrannical government measures?
The article:
Brown University Economist, Author, Wife, and Mother Emily Oster pitches the case to recognize that mistakes were made handling COVID and how the “Pro-Lockdown/Vaccination” community treated others. From there, she goes on to address the points that those who are now gloating over being correct about the ineffectiveness of vaccines, closures, distancing, lockdowns, and the overall treatment of the UnVaxxed need to take a step back and forgive those they’re lording their confirmations over.
In essence, Mrs. Oster seeks what the title calls for, amnesty, aka the granting of a pardon for the behavior of those who chose to follow blind government guidelines over common sense and human decency.
This piece inspired charged responses from both sides of the argument. There are those saying, “Yes, pardon us as we were scared and didn’t know.” while others are making the aggressive yet not outlandish comparison to the Nazi regime, saying, “Did that fear and uncertainty excuse those who turned in their friends and family?” and it’s here that I find many of those around me conflicted.
I do not believe this conversation has been “beaten to death” as has been suggested by those who knew I was writing this article. I don’t believe this because I see people around me trying to find a way to navigate these waters, and few are talking about it, so in essence, this discussion has not been had to an acceptable level that has given a clear path to those who were chastised and ridiculed, called “Grandma Killers” and “Non-Americans” for years.
How are they to just “get over it”?
This was far more than team initiation or military hazing; the behaviors of those in support of the tyrannical measure from 2019-Present Day destroyed lives and friendships and have set an entire generation back both academically and interpersonally for who knows how long.
I'm writing to share my story and my stance to add another drop in the bucket of resources available to those navigating the Post-COVID-Mania waters.
“When you hold a grudge, you want someone else’s sorrow to reflect your level of hurt but the two rarely meet.” - Steve Maraboli
I will never forget those who chose to turn and run, but I also do not hold a grudge against them. Grudges take time and energy that could best be spent improving my life; I refuse to give these few precious moments on this Earth to others. With that said, it took me 72 hours into the lockdowns to recognize this was all bullshit, and I’ve been an active opponent to every measure ever since.
My response to lockdowns, isolation, layoffs, and the social shaming of those refusing to comply with idiotic orders went in the face of the mass accepted terms of existing within the United States of COVID-19:
I raised thousands of dollars to donate to those who’d lost their jobs after being deemed “Non-Essential”.
I dropped my pen name when I saw people online saying they were scared and disconnected.
Despite the season's cancellation, I continued to coach Little League to keep my young athletes active and connected - dealing with Cops every time.
I refused to inject myself or have anyone in my family inject themselves with the experimental juices aggressively pushed for years - facing pushback, social ostracization, and ridicule day in and day out for being an “Anti-Vaxxer” even though I have more vaccinations than the common man due to my military service.
I did all of the above and more in the face of daily mainstream resistance, and I am now being asked to forgive and forget the intentional insults and obstacles thrown in my path by those who’ve risked nothing and sacrificed nothing these past 3 years..?
It’s an ask that has many questioning where they stand with this.
I, for one, will never forget - but will I forgive?
No. (Not much of a tease or build-up there, I like to get right to the point)
I’ll never forgive; I hold no grudge, but I do not forgive those who turned their backs on the elderly, the children, and the men and women losing their jobs and livelihoods for not bending the knee to an overbearing governing body.
Some will look to this choice as petty, and I don’t care; I’m a very level-headed man and am more than willing to change my opinion in arguments and keep a channel of empathy open to those I cannot stand. But choices come with consequences, and at some point, you need to draw the line and stop being a welcoming, nice guy.
No, not everyone deserves forgiveness, and not everyone can make up for their sins.
Some people fucked up so badly during this global plandemic, and they need to be cut from your life for good without a possibility of recovery or connection. When people show you their colors during hard times, it must not be overlooked as they’ve proven themselves to be liabilities, not assets, and any pain you suffer from that point forward is of your choosing or inability to make a confrontational choice.
You can’t undo the burning of innocent women.
You can’t undo the assistance of Nazis looking to kill Jews.
You can’t undo aggressive shaming and manipulation around experimental vaccines
These people did as much harm as possible to make you believe you were evil for not joining their wicked ways. Children had 2 years ripped from their childhood, while adults watched family members turn their backs for not wearing inadequate masks or shoving unknown substances into their DNA - it has been a disgusting display by human beings, and it never had to happen…
Resistance was needed, and the wall broke, not by all but by far too many; today's fallout was preventable if we’d had citizens willing to choose uncomfortable freedom over comfortable servitude and submission.
The best of us resisted this bullshit to the present day; the rest took the path viewed as the safest and most popular.
The Internet Never Forgets
Many are looking to backpedal their stance in the wake of news showing that the mandates, lockdowns, vaccinations, and mask enforcement did far more harm than good.
Fortunately for those who chose freedom over fear, the internet doesn’t forget.
Those who supported the measures and took an active stance against those refusing to comply with the tyranny probably wish they’d focused on truth over what they viewed as a forever supported position that they were in the right and backed by “Daddy” aka “Big Government”.
Biden will leave office someday, and the government will eventually be forced to circle back and admit it failed in a horrendous and disastrous way, and at that moment, those who rallied against individual freedoms will lose their safety net of support.
Will people care?
Probably not; I’m writing this piece knowing that at the end of the day, most people out there are so conflict-averse they’ll forgive those who threatened their lives with a sort of “keep the peace” approach. It’s weak and does not make you the bigger person; would you have forgiven the Nazis after saying, “Your bad, but it’s all good though - you didn’t know”.
I hope not, but if you would, I’d like to stay away from you because I do not associate with those so willing to welcome psychopaths into the inner circle.
The internet will not forget where people stood, and for the longest time, we’d mentioned the fact that the history books were watching, and nobody cared that this short-term play would indeed be a long-term moment where our children and grandchildren would look back and ask where we stood.
Choices Have Consequences
My favorite response to all of this “Forgive and Forget” nonsense was the thread dropped by Brad Skistimas, the singer/songwriter for the solo act Five Times August
This dude brought up all of the nasty shit people were saying to us. Documented and shared for the world to see, we faced this shit daily and are now expected to get over it - that’s laughable at best.
I will not actively go out and challenge my fellow Americans, many friends and family included, but there’s no fucking way they’re ever going to hold the same place in my heart, and if we’re talking a “Circle of Trust” they’re out - for good.
I’m not referring to those who got vaccinated;
While I think that was a poor decision made out of fear, that is one’s own choice to make. My issue is with those who actively supported the repressive measure and actively campaigned on behalf of the government - against their fellow citizens.
There are men who speak of leadership; I’m thinking of a Navy Chief I used to associate with who’d become a government employee and, after being told he had to enforce mandatory vaccinations, he complied and justified his behavior on Twitter because of his tenure - as if the rest of us weren’t jeopardizing income, reputation, and long-term gains.
This man once spoke of the need for leaders with backbones who’ll place what was right for their men before what was easy and came without consequence; then, when his number was called, he folded.
I saw parents turn their backs on my message, hiding their kids and lining up to jab them once children were authorized. I witnessed individuals hide from their parents and keep their children from their grandparents. I was there when the people would leave spaces because my children and I were not masked…
There are many examples of international businessmen who spoke of abundance, tucking tail and running when things got hard, and lo and behold; it was the family man who spoke of being strong and prepared for hard times who was left out there in the rain, standing strong and being abundant when the globe went scarce.
I toot my horn here because looking back, it was a wild as fuck thing to do and unsupported by damn near everyone I knew, and yet I knew it was the right thing to do, so I kept going against the bullshit, hoping someday the dam would break and I’d be joined by my fellow freedom fighters.
While weak men will slowly return to speaking their messages of “strength” as if they didn’t fail this global shit-test, the history books will never forgive and never forget.
If I were one of those evil agents of the government, I too would want amnesty because I’d know I’d fucked up beyond all recovery - but as someone who withstood the hits to the chest and kept moving forward, I have no pity or sympathy to give to those who chose to hurt their fellow countrymen instead of helping them and stand by them.
- Zac Small
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Our country would be a better place with more men like you. Thank you for your strength and integrity.
Very well said, Zac. I'm going to share this.