Today an appeals court upheld the Biden Administration’s push to require COVID-19 vaccines for private employers. I, and no one, should have any doubt that the Republicans governors and groups that brought the case will take this to the Supreme Court. While this is troubling in itself, it is not what I wish to discuss here in brief. It is rather the event that caused the following thought: the Nation, when it comes to social care, has devolved into three groups. These are the Carers, the Adherers , and the Deniers.

The Carers are those that see the importance of social care at face value. The see how acting in certain ways helps not just one’s self, but also helps the whole of a people. In a sense, the see the rightness that certain actions have. In regards to the pandemic, these are the people who wore masks, socially distanced, and got a vaccine, willingly. They did so willingly because they saw that all these things were the right thing to do to protect the whole of society. Was it hard, yes, but it was right.

The Adherers are the rule followers. These are people who may not agree with something, but do it anyway because it’s the rules. For them the rightness of an action is secondary, or only acts to make them slightly more comfortable. These people wear masks, socially distance. and got vaccinated not because they wanted to, not because it was necessarily right, but because there were told to. If given the option they wouldn’t have, but the rules, or the recommendation of others they see as wise, said they had to.

Lastly are the Deniers. They are not deniers in the sense that they necessarily think any major issue is fake (although it is highly likely they do) but rather that they deny they have any social responsibility to others. Individuals who fall into the group act in such a way that it is that their own comfort, ease, desires, etc, hold primacy over others. They refuse, in sprite evidence, to do anything stop the spread of COVID-19. They do not, and have never, worn masks, socially distanced, and will never get a vaccine. All because they don’t want to.

The Adherers and the Deniers are dangerous to the health of our Nation. The Deniers are clearly dangerous, but the Adherers are less so. It is simply because they act much as the Carers that makes them dangerous. That is because they can all too easier slip into the Deniers. All it can take one bit of misinformation, one dealing with a smooth talking Denier, that can push them over. It is these groups, but primarily the Deniers, that has killed thousands of people.

This Nation cannot survive this hard divide between people. And while in many cases the lines can be blurred, it will be the greedy and selfish that ruin this wold.