Jump to content

Divide in family, friends ?


shootingstar

Recommended Posts

How disagreements about COVID-19 have driven families, friends apart | CBC News

Has it caused pronounced division in your little circle?

It hasn't for me....everyone naturally agrees, same for friends.. pro-vaccine,etc. ever since beginning Mar. 2020.   I do think my siblings who work full-time in hospitals are super vigilant, more than probably than I. I've walked calmly around shopping with mask, distancing in grocery stores and 99% customers/all employees are masked too, etc. However some friends are more leery but still go shopping but probably hurry out faster than I. 

However.....no discord/divisions. I'm grateful for that for past 2 years.  I know some siblings exercising care and risk seeing my mother. But there's no one else to tend to her needs, so that's how it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

It has caused a division of opinion on how the government should adapt and handle protestors etc but no family issues.  I have a nephew who has opted not to do the vaccines and he stayed away from family events during the holidays but that is all.  I will argue on his behalf with other family members though.  No different than here.  I am a vaxx supporter but also strongly support individual choice, freedoms and rights. 

Same 

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my family, I'd say the politics behind it pop up occasionally, but all the adults have long been vaccinated.  It becomes more turbulent at the pre-teen/young teen age, where parents are wondering about the pros and cons, and taking the "easy" route of letting the needle-phobic kids decide.  With the rest of us well immunized, that isn't too big a worry.  One of my aunts - in her 70s - is from a Christian Scientist family background and didn't get vaccinated, but she has also been proactive in her own risks, and she's been fine.

Sadly, seeing millions die - many needlessly and often due to someone else's decisions - makes it hard to watch unfold two years in.  We've learned from this pandemic.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One person is out of my life.  Not because she in unvax. It is because she is unvax and refused to do any sort of self-check before we were slated to gather.   I asked if anyone had any fevers or symptoms before the gathering.  She basically refused and said she is not responsible for my health.  Then, she went on a rant about commercials about vaccinations, and how Moderna is worthless, and a bunch more blah blah blah about her distrust in pharmaceutical companies.  I don't have the energy for her bullshit.  I have to be cautious due to my medical condition.  It is only when I am supposed to eat, when I am so careful.  In public and whatever, my 95 and vaccine is enough protection. 

In regards to politics, I still talk to my Mother, cousin, friends and some acquaintances.  :)  You are only removed from my life for being an ass.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not really.  I see my extended family infrequently anyway and when covid hit I see them about the same, 1-2 times a year.  Our get togethers have been outdoors.  It has made my immediate family more insular and we are probably closer as they limit exposure with friends outside of our bubble.

No discord with my family. 

  • Heart 1
  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 90 year-old next-door neighbor passed away a couple weeks ago. She was recovering from a broken hip and an artificial hip replacement when she caught COVID in the hospital - most likely due to her children or an unvaxxed patien since they were the over 90% of the hospitalized acute COVID patients. I had urged her daughter - who was my school friend and classmate - to get COVID vaccinated but she and her brother did not.

They both caught COVID, after multiple visits to the two hospitals involved, shortly before their mother caught it and died.  They posted a "do not enter" sign on the house door because of it.  The daughter was hospitalized until a few days before the funeral parlor viewing.  Both of them, with COVID, went to the funeral parlor viewing. When their brother died the previous Fall, they didn't wear masks and I expected the same for their mother.  Consequently, I did not attend and neither did my siblings, though my sister got permission to go in between viewing sessions and signed my name in the guest book. We didn't attend the funeral rites at the gravesite the next day, either.

I haven't heard from the daughter ever since.  If she expected me to go and expose myself to COVID, she's insane.  She will probably take over the house and be my next door neighbor now, so I'll do what I can to get along, but it may be a little strange for a while.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said:

One person is out of my life.  Not because she in unvax. It is because she is unvax and refused to do any sort of self-check before we were slated to gather.   I asked if anyone had any fevers or symptoms before the gathering.  She basically refused and said she is not responsible for my health.  Then, she went on a rant about commercials about vaccinations, and how Moderna is worthless, and a bunch more blah blah blah about her distrust in pharmaceutical companies.  I don't have the energy for her bullshit.  I have to be cautious due to my medical condition.  It is only when I am supposed to eat, when I am so careful.  In public and whatever, my 95 and vaccine is enough protection. 

In regards to politics, I still talk to my Mother, cousin, friends and some acquaintances.  :)  You are only removed from my life for being an ass.

I'm sorry for your acquaintance. I appreciate her distrust in Big Pharma. My siblings wouldn't disagree on that. But in the end, what choice does a human being have if they wish to be alive or at least live longer with a better quality of life  (vs. long-term covid effects)?  Or health care workers end up trying to save her life in the hospital if she gets covid badly. 

My family (which includes 5 different families) seldom talk politics for a long...maybe some comments but not much of a big discussion. We are generally the "same". Close friends we do talk abit more about govn't direction..but generally we're similar. No wild-eyed shouting matches/steaming tempers. We gracefully and naturally move on to other meaningful /personal topics.

I know this sounds as if I lead a boring life.  But honest,  the stresses come from other factors  family members who have died within the past few years, cross-cultural understanding, bilingual communication problems,...we're not insulated from conflict caused by other factors, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

I'm sorry for your acquaintance. I appreciate her distrust in Big Pharma. My siblings wouldn't disagree on that. But in the end, what choice does a human being have if they wish to be alive or at least live longer with a better quality of life  (vs. long-term covid effects)?  Or health care workers end up trying to save her life in the hospital if she gets covid badly. 

She has been in the hospital for a blood infection within the last two years.  I didn't point that out.  I let her rant, and I will just step back and let that relationship die of natural causes.

  • Hugs 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

None. My BIL has always downplayed the virus, but got vaccinated and we’ve never had any issues. We’ve had some discussions as to what the illness data means, but nothing more than that. For example, he thought it was a good thing when 45,000 people a day in Florida were getting infected with Covid and supported the absence of mask mandates to boost “natural immunity”numbers, whereas I saw those as potentially avoidable cases. He then said he doesn’t trust the reporting of the numbers, anyway, so I said “ok” and we stopped talking about it.

It did create an uncomfortable moment last summer while on vacation with extended family, as my BIL’s sister, her paramour and at least one of her adult kids weren’t vaccinated. The issue was less that they weren’t vaccinated, but that they went to Walmart without wearing masks and then came back to the beach house we all shared. It seemed disrespectful.

  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

None. My BIL has always downplayed the virus, but got vaccinated and we’ve never had any issues. We’ve had some discussions as to what the illness data means, but nothing more than that. For example, he thought it was a good thing when 45,000 people a day in Florida were getting infected with Covid and supported the absence of mask mandates to boost “natural immunity”numbers, whereas I saw those as potentially avoidable cases. He then said he doesn’t trust the reporting of the numbers, anyway, so I said “ok” and we stopped talking about it.

It did create an uncomfortable moment last summer while on vacation with extended family, as my BIL’s sister, her paramour and at least one of her adult kids weren’t vaccinated. The issue was less that they weren’t vaccinated, but that they went to Walmart without wearing masks and then came back to the beach house we all shared. It seemed disrespectful.

This is the mentality that I take umbrage to. 

I had a bad dream the other night.  It was a vax event scenario.  Anti vaxxers were there dressed in old school nurse uniforms.  Think, Kill Bill style.  They had signs and were causing chaos at the event.  There were familiar faces in the dream.  My mind was working through some chaos.  :D

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had a few people with whom relationships have changed.  People that have been over the top with the misinformation and been militant about it.  But I don't see it being because of COVID so mush as COVID was just the tool.  They didn't jump on the bandwagon, they were already there.  COVID just gave them something big to get all worked up about.

I saw an interesting study about the drastic increase in pedestrian deaths by motor vehicles in the past year.  It was tip of the iceberg study, dealing with just pedestrian deaths, but noted an increase in accidents, road rage, crime, etc.  And didn't reach a conclusion, basically pointing out that the past few years have normalized anger, flouting law, disregarding the effects of personal actions, demanding personal rather than societal reward.  It's nothing most people haven't noticed, but I'm glad to see some assessments of the shift so we can do something about it.

  • Heart 1
  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, 12string said:

I've had a few people with whom relationships have changed.  People that have been over the top with the misinformation and been militant about it.  But I don't see it being because of COVID so mush as COVID was just the tool.  They didn't jump on the bandwagon, they were already there.  COVID just gave them something big to get all worked up about.

I saw an interesting study about the drastic increase in pedestrian deaths by motor vehicles in the past year.  It was tip of the iceberg study, dealing with just pedestrian deaths, but noted an increase in accidents, road rage, crime, etc.  And didn't reach a conclusion, basically pointing out that the past few years have normalized anger, flouting law, disregarding the effects of personal actions, demanding personal rather than societal reward.  It's nothing most people haven't noticed, but I'm glad to see some assessments of the shift so we can do something about it.

Not just COVID, but just being more restricted in doing stuff outside of home  or isolated, some people might vent in very unhealthy/harmful ways more easily. Doesn't excuse their terrible behaviour to others as an easy unjustified target, which eventually effects their stress levels/psychological well-being.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Wilbur said:

It has caused a division of opinion on how the government should adapt and handle protestors etc but no family issues.  I have a nephew who has opted not to do the vaccines and he stayed away from family events during the holidays but that is all.  I will argue on his behalf with other family members though.  No different than here.  I am a vaxx supporter but also strongly support individual choice, freedoms and rights. 

I don't always like to agree with you -- but when you're right -- you're right!

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, shootingstar said:

I support freedom of choice...with responsibility for public safety,, etc. So I'm quite different. Otherwise more energy, resources spent on hatred monitoring/spread, etc.

I clarify for me, public safety includes protecting national peace (discovery of guns, ammunition at border during Alberta border blockade was a bad sign) and threat to national economic viability that normally benefits local residents at large. 

So the travel restrictions required of my country and other countries for covid, it is something to live with. It can make it  harder to visit very sick loved ones internationally. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Members of my family have different views on the merits of certain precautionary steps (masks, not eating out etc), but we mostly just respect that people have different risk assessments (in part because of different risk profiles) and we try to respect whoever is the most cautious when we want to get together.  If someone isn't comfortable eating inside at a restaurant at a particular time, we can accommodate that. 

We generally try to avoid topics that are likely to create friction and focus on the areas we have in common.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...