The ‘Us and Them’ of Vaccines
My favorite children’s book is called Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. It is a beautifully illustrated story with one resounding message: we are all the same. The story depicts people groups from around the world and the many differences that exist, but circles back to what is shared by all human beings:
“But inside their hearts are just like yours, whoever they are, wherever they are, all over the world. Their smiles are like yours, and they laugh just like you. Their hurts are like yours, and they cry like you, too, whoever they are, wherever they are, all over the world.”
The message from this story is one that I carry in my heart with deep resonance and conviction: In the midst of our many differences, at our core, we are the same. Because of this thread of shared humanity, we do ourselves a disservice when we create an ‘us and them’. ‘Us and Them’ happens when we form a protective barrier around ourselves to keep those who are different at a distance… Specifically, when we draw close to only those who look, act, and think like we do and turn away from a nameless and faceless …