Thread by @juliefairey

I am not a religious person, but how anyone can look at groups like Mt Roskill Evangelical Fellowship, going through this awful disease in their midst, worried and scared, and not think There But For The Grace Of X Go I. Have some compassion and kindness please.

And I have heard that a lot of them are doing it really tough at the moment. They are getting a lot of hate from outside the community, when they are already going through a terrible time. You don't need to add to it.

Some of them will probably die. Others will have to live with life long disability. That's a lot to deal with already. Remember "people are the solution"? Shame doesn't help, in fact it harms and puts people off getting help, tests, that can protect us all.

PS I didn't know about the New Lynn Countdown case when I wrote this thread, but it still all stands. Do you know why they went to Countdown? No. Maybe it was in desperation for baby formula, maybe it was based on bad advice. Doesn't matter, they sure don't deserve hate.

And another thing, because I am still fuming. This group will be scared, some of them are sick, they are mostly in isolation or quarantine so unable to access a lot of their normal support network, some will be especially vulnerable. Some are kids. Please be kind.

Don't come at me with your "they were selfish to meet during lockdown" - 1. We don't know they did yet, that's under investigation. 2. Just because someone makes a mistake doesn't mean we can't have compassion for them and be kind. Hating and shaming helps no one.