Germ war and peace – from the blog….

Thanks in large part to the Writing Studio, a new essay on my blog……

“I am more than a little discouraged at the polarization of viewpoints over various elements of the pandemic at a time when curiosity and cooperation could not be more important. Social media has become a hotbed of fear, anger and shaming over how individuals choose to respond to the situation. Not only is there little agreement,  there is no room for disagreement over such basic questions as whether masks are effective tools in protecting people’s health; whether, when and how much we should be able to return to daily life outside our homes; and even the extent of the threat – or very existence – of a virus itself. And to my great confusion, these questions have become partisan issues, making it difficult if not impossible to question and examine without immediately attracting an unwanted and unwarranted label. 

For someone who believes neither in the mainstream narrative nor conspiracy theories, any conversation becomes a minefield. But from my perspective, not only are we missing the mark on addressing the underlying causes of one new, virulent virus, but many of the commonly accepted solutions have the potential to make our health, both individually and collectively, worse, especially in the long term.” https://kristinebackes.com/2020/07/14/germ-war-and-peace/