I am seeing what I think is a very disturbing trend in some of the letters and articles in our local paper, the tendency to blame and even vilify people who have chosen not to take one of the current COVID-19 vaccines.
There seems to be no attempt to understand why some have taken this choice.
I have friends who are unable to be vaccinated due to serious health situations which preclude it or who have what they feel are sound religious or philosophical reasons.
Who are we to judge?
I am old enough to have seen how inflammatory language and the use of convenient scapegoats work to exacerbate fear and allow those who think of themselves as being on the right side to then point the finger at those whom they think of as being on the wrong side and seek to punish them by various means such as exclusion, isolation and casting blame.
This is a slippery slope and can easily get out of control.
I think it is irresponsible for any of us, and especially those in authority, to point to a particular group as being somehow at fault and predict dire consequences if they do not comply with the current recommended protocols, which may change in the future as we gain more knowledge.
Words have consequences and should be carefully weighed, especially when uttered in public forums.
Laurie Reeve
Port Angeles