I live in a 55 and over community in Florida. Most of us in this demographic grew up in the 60’s when many of my generation questioned everything and were distrustful of authority. So why has almost everyone (or so it seems) that lives here bought into the fear and hysteria regarding COVID?
Remember the 1956 American science fiction horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter? The black-and-white film was done in a film noir style and is really creepy but the idea underneath the material is a lot scarier than anything you see. Alien plant spores had fallen from space and grown into large seed pods, each one capable of producing a visually identical replacement copy of a human. The new human copies moved and thought together as a group. Many viewed it as an allegory for the loss of personal autonomy. This brings me to my point. Whatever happened to the Baby Boomer/Woodstock generation? Were they victims of alien spores? Are they now living among us as pod people? The Baby Boomers used to question everything and especially anything the government and media told them. Do NOT tell me, “We grew up”. Of course we did; we matured, we became a little less confrontational and we learned to bend a little. Some degree of conformity is necessary to get along in society but have we thrown out our independent thinking along with our bell bottoms and tie dyed shirts? Now comes a brand new virus. Fear & rumor run amok. Instead of our leaders and the media calming the public and speaking as a voice of reason, we continue to be bombarded daily with stories of death and measures we all must adhere to lest we get sick and join the daily published death count. Constitutional rights were the first casualty of the virus... or was it the truth? Individual freedom was quickly proven to be just an illusion as the government mandated lockdowns, forced businesses into bankruptcy, banned travel and public gatherings. I wrote an article recently which dealt with the reasons I was not getting vaccinated & that people should really investigate the pros and cons rather than to blindly trust the government and the pharmaceutical industry. Rather than delve behind the curtain to sort out the real truth, it seems everyone is fighting over who gets to drink the Kool-Aid first. I find there are three distinct psychological terms that apply to the general public and their behavior regarding COVID prevention and vaccination. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Compliance Theory is when you act the way you are “supposed” to act; either because you were directly asked, or pressured more indirectly Complicity Theorist is a person who accepts the political narrative of the day unquestionably; consumes mainstream media; and is prone to submissiveness, outbursts of irrational fear, and public shaming of free-thinkers. So either these terms apply to the masses (and not just to the Baby Boomers) or “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers” has become a reality. I don’t know about you but I am checking the house for seed pods every night before bed! David H. Dallas, RN-ASN, EMT-P, retired “In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.” ― Galileo Galilei
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AuthorDavid H. Dallas has had a variety of notable careers in his 67 years & been a keen observer of the human condition. Now retired and spending time between his homes in PA & FL, his articles have appeared in numerous publications. BonafidesRegistered Nurse, EMT-Paramedic, ASN, summa cum laude, 2 National Honor Societies, American Heart Association certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Certified Coroner following training at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and served as the Chief Deputy Coroner for Venango County in Pennsylvania. Archives
May 2021
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