(cw: death, covid)
Sorry if this is bleak, but I felt like talking about it. So I've got a large extended family. A lot of tinfoil hat Qanon type members are dropping like flies. They don't believe covid is real to the very moment they're dying of it. They're deeply certain even as people they've known their whole lives are dying all around them. A good 10% of my extended family has died of covid, a few others have gotten it and have permanent complications now. More than one has ended up in the ER with an overdose of the horse paste.
Any of y'all experiencing the same? What are you doing about it?
I'm deeply sorry so much of your family has passed. I can't imagine how difficult that is.
Much of my family is unvaxxed, and I fucking hate it. I hate it for them, myself, and my own child too young for the shot. Mostly, I've been trying to show them that I still really care about them. I listen and try to respond with empathy and kindness, if I can. I convinced my mom to get her vaccine by just asking her really nicely and explaining how important it was to me. My qanon uncle I basically just try to convey that I really care about him, and I'm still here for him.
I guess I just try to cultivate a relationship where I think they may trust me enough to listen, but it doesn't usually work. I don't know, comrade. Some people are just very scared to get it, and there is a very justified distrust in pharmaceutical companies, the US government, etc. It's so much to combat. I hope things improve for you.
I'm slowly getting better, thanks for the concern. It's hard to get anything across to them. We live all over the country and things are getting so stretched every time I speak to them they're completely different.
So many of them are deep level Qanon conspiracy theorists now. I can't speak to them for a second without them going into rapture, the storm, second coming, wildly bigoted complaining about Muslims or trans people. It's so frustrating to see them like this. They used to be kinda normal, probably still racist and stupid, but at least able to interact with the world normally. It's like watching a tiny version of the whole country just decay in front of my eyes, personalized because I've known them all so long.
I've tried the angle of asking nicely, like you have. They've written me off as a crank in league with actual demons. My only hope is some of my younger relatives beg their parents to get the shots, because none of them listen to me anymore. Thankfully my parents and siblings are all vaccinated since we're the more normal branch, but everyone else I'm so worried about.
Jeez, that's really, really difficult. Sounds awful. I have no clue if anything can be done in regards to thinking like that.
I understand your worry, and understand. Sounds fucking awful. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy. I can't imagine them going through all of that without realizing that something is seriously wrong. It sounds like you're trying your best, and that's admirable of you, though I don't think that'll make it easier.