Poppycock!

 Our greatest and most ignorant enemy: Misinformation.

In recent posts, people made reference to internment camps being set up by our federal government in order to 'lock people up' and exert control over the population.

UTTER, UNEQUIVOCAL NONSENSE.

Come on folks. If it sounds ridiculous, it probably is. Steer away from mis-information and you steer away from fear and lack of trust. Let fear and lack of trust grow and this virus has the potential to do much more harm than it needs to.

This from the CBC tonight:

"Canadians will not be forced into COVID-19 internment or containment camps, a spokesperson for Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Tuesday — taking aim at a disinformation campaign that has been circulating on social media for weeks.

The claim that the federal government is preparing to forcibly intern Canadians is patently false, the spokesperson said.

The federal government has announced funding for voluntary quarantine sites for some of the country's homeless and has made plans to expand self-isolation capacity for returning international travellers without suitable places to go, but Canadians will not be compelled to leave their homes for so-called COVID "camps.""

Just look at that. The federal government reaches out to the homeless and people with no place to quarantine and that becomes a conspiracy to lock innocent Canadians up.

Poppycock is a better word to use than the one that is in my head. I am putting out this new rule of thumb; if it sounds stupid, ridiculous, implausible, nonsensical, it probably is. Ignore it. Don't let fear settle in. The stupidity is a distraction that prevents us from working together. It plays into the belief that this virus does not exist which puts all of us at needless risk.

If you want proof that the virus is real, come and work with me for a day. It's an insult to everyone working in the medical and mental health fields for anyone, and I mean anyone, to promote the idea that this virus does not exist. And, not following guidelines because you don't believe the virus exists? That just puts you in a comfortable place where you do not have to deal with this harsh reality.

For those of you who are not malicious but just won't believe, be courageous. We will beat this but we need you on the team that is working feverishly to protect the vulnerable and rid the planet of this God-awful thing.

Anne-Marie

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