Reject herd mentality

Some believe that instead of wearing masks and other mitigation measures to overcome the coronavirus outbreak, we should pursue herd immunity. They believe things would return to normal if we are willing to infect the herd with coronavirus and sacrifice the lives of an estimated 2 to 4 million herd members.

Herds are more generally thought of as wild beasts, prone to stampeding out of fear, trampling fellow members of the herd as they storm toward perceived safety, leaving the week, sick, old, young, and unfortunate to die. Herds are known to follow fear-crazed leaders over cliffs.

Our culture and religions have taught us better than that. We are not a herd, we are family. Families look after one another, and support one another during crisis. Americans have always come together as a family in the face of a common danger, mobilizing all of our scientific, material and spiritual resources to face the challenges. Pearl Harbor, 9-11, assassination of presidents have all brought out a powerful resolve that has gotten us through crisis.

A family brings not just all of the science and knowledge at their disposal, but compassion to provide for the common good.

The American family needs to come together now more than ever, until a vaccine is available, doing the things our scientists prescribe. We must reject the herd mentality that would have us sacrifice our family members, or follow demagogues, snake oil salesmen, and fear crazed leaders who would herd us over cliffs.

WILL RICHARDSON, Jackson