The Truth Will Set Us Free

I know how important it is to allow people to have their own experiences - to honor the journey that each one of us is on.  If people are afraid, I do my best to honor that that is how they feel without trying to change their minds. I have a difficult time standing back though when I feel we are being lied to - when the fear that people are feeling may be created by information that just isn't true.

From the beginning of this pandemic, I have been questioning the data that is being collected and presented to us as justification for our world being shut down.  I have also tried to focus on the positives that can come from this but right now it's tough to stay in that mindset.  I have long believed "The truth will set us free" - but if we are not being told the truth, then how will we ever be free?

Just in the last week, two people close to me have passed away - and both of those deaths were listed as "Death from COVID." But the truth is that neither of them died solely because of COVID so why are they being listed that way?  One person has had heart issues for years, the other was the father of one of my childhood friends who was already in hospice. The doctors had already told the family "there is nothing more we can do for him" yet his death was listed as COVID as well and included in the count of "people who have died from COVID" because he tested positive for it before he died.

I am not saying people aren't getting sick from COVID, I am not saying that it is all made up. What I AM saying is that numbers are being inflated. I don't know why they are being inflated but I think it's time we start asking more questions. Why does the government want the numbers to look higher than they actually are? What are they gaining by keeping the world locked down?

I believe we need to question what is really going on here. What is the real reason that we are being forced to shelter in place? One of my best friends made me a shirt that says "The truth will set you free, but first it's going to piss you off." I suspect we may not like the answers we find when we learn why the number of COVID cases are being inflated but should that stop us from seeking the truth?

Where I live, if you ask questions, you are told to shut up and listen to the experts. If you say you think this has gone too far, you are labeled "selfish" and accused of "not caring about people on the front lines of this."  I don't believe either of those are true. I DO care about the people on the front lines of this.  I also care about the people who haven't had an income since all of this started (like these two fabulous guys who happen to be musicians in my most favorite band). I care about the people who don't have enough money to keep food on the table or pay their utility bills or their rent. I care about the people who rely on AA and NA and other support organizations to stay sober. People flippantly say "well they can attend meetings on line" without understanding if they have access to a computer and internet, without understanding if that method is still providing them the support they need. I care about people who rely on things outside of their house to stay healthy, who will end up in worse shape physically, emotionally and mentally if they are forced to continue sheltering in place. I care about the small businesses who may not be able to re-open and the employees who worked for them who have no income.

I also care about the TRUTH and something is not adding up.

Someone used the analogy on our neighborhood email the other day that if you have a roof leak you call a roofer, if your car breaks down you take it to a mechanic - because we are supposed to rely on the people who are "experts in their field." I understood the point they were trying to make and yet I also believe that we don't just blindly go with the first roofer or mechanic we find in the phonebook.  We get multiple quotes, we read reviews, etc. Why do we do that? Because not everyone who is an "expert" is honest and trustworthy.  Right now, my sense is that all the "experts" who are presenting the data that is keeping us in a state of fear are not necessarily being honest and trustworthy.

I believe it's time to stop "hoping the experts figure it out" and begin to empower ourselves . . . I believe it's time for people to start listening to each other instead of shaming and blaming people who have a different view.  I believe it's up to us individually and collectively to find points we can agree on so that we can start working together. I believe it's time for us to say "Enough is enough" and demand that our "experts" tell us the truth. Otherwise, how will we ever be set free?