Dear Editor:
I was in a shop in when I overheard the owner speaking with another customer about how this pandemic was planned and that Bill Gates already owned the patent for the vaccine.
She went on about mandatory masks and people’s rights being violated.
I was shocked and had to leave. Any confrontation on my part was not going to convince this woman and (would) certainly just make me more upset than I already was.
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Have we come so far that science is no longer pertinent to people’s lives, because I’m pretty sure that people are sick and dying around the world, including here in Canada.
The World Health Organization identified this as a global pandemic back in March. Nations across Asia and Europe were devastated by the early loss of lives and those issues soon entered our realm in North America.
This new virus needed to be understood before it could be addressed properly. And the scientific community has done a pretty good job considering the time frame.
This virus continues to have an impact. Numbers have been rising across the country and as we go into the holiday season, officials are holding their breath hoping that people will heed their warnings.
Unfortunately, they face people like this shop owner who continue to propagate fear based on pure ignorance.
Wear a mask! Wash your hands! Maintain your bubble! And, listen to the experts… not whatever Facebook page you are a part of.
The unfortunate thing about our access to information in this day and age is that misinformation and conspiracy theories can self-confirm themselves in a closed circle. Your pundit is not an expert.
Finally, if you believe that it is a conspiracy… so be it. Let’s save some lives now that the virus is here. Get vaccinated when you have an opportunity to do so, protect yourself, and protect others.
Do your part and quit complaining.
Raja Gupta
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