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by Michele Boy | May 27, 2021

Do you remember the Dr. Seuss story The Sneetches? Two groups of sneetches were identical except one group had stars on their bellies. The other did not and therefore were treated poorly. Those without stars allowed someone else’s view of them to dictate their self worth. They were not invited to functions like hot dog roasts.  Not sure why they didn’t just have their own and who cares what the star bellies ones thought but I didn’t write the book. 

However the author’s point was that one group dictates the rules of the world and the other acquiesced. 

When I read the story, it reminds me of the world today. 

I have grave concerns of us putting people into two groups - vaccinated vs unvaccinated. The public health orders say you can do this but they can’t do that. 

If you changed the words to black vs white it would be racist. Man vs woman sexist. Gay vs straight homophobic. 

So when it comes to vaccinated vs unvaccinated, how are you treating them. It seems the groups are being treated differently.   

The Center for Disease Control and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is saying fully vaccinated can unmask. Fully vaccinated may gather. 

The unvaccinated must cover with a mask and may not gather. 

How is this information dictating how you treat others? I saw a mob on television scream at a man for not having a mask on. There was no understanding that maybe he couldn’t. There was no compassion. What about those who are simply waiting for some research? The people who say I am not against this but I would like to see the longer term data. Those people are being shamed to be anti-vaxxers.

Labels labels labels. In the words of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus from Hill Street Blues - Let’s be careful out there. 

How are you treating those  who disagree with you? Any “us” vs “them” doesn’t seem to work in my opinion. Have and have nots. Etc. 

Hate in the name of science is still hate. 

The Bible says in Galatians 5:14 If you bite and devour each other watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Is that what we are doing? 

There is smugness on both extremes. The vaccinated who scream everyone is stupid for not doing this. The unvaccinated who say we aren’t taken this and if you do you are stupid. 

When does this end?

 The sermon on Sunday touched on we can disagree but do we do it in love? 

The lesson at the end of the Sneetches was “I’m quite happy to say that the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day. The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches. And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.”

I am guessing your decision to vaccinate or not is based on your experiences. Maybe the person on the opposite side has reasons too.  

I am happy to live in a small town where people do not shame those who disagree with them. 

On this Memorial Day weekend may we remember those who fought and died for our freedoms. The freedom of the press and freedom of religion. 

Thank you to the men and women I never met who fought for my freedoms. May I never lose sight of the magnitude of their sacrifice.  And because of them the right to dissent.