(This text isn't mine; it was sent to me)

Melissa LeBlanc: My daughter came home from school and said, "Mom, you'll never believe what happened in history class today". Her teacher told the class they were going to play a game. He walked around the room whispering to each child whether they were a witch or just a normal person. Then he gave the instructions: "Form the largest group you can without a witch. If there's even one witch in your group, you're all flunked". She said the whole class was immediately filled with suspicion. Everyone started questioning each other. Are you a witch? How do we know you're not lying? Some children stayed in one large group, but most split into smaller, exclusive groups. They rejected anyone who seemed unsure, nervous, or even hinted at guilt. The energy shifted quickly. Suddenly everyone was suspicious of everyone. Whispers. Finger-pointing. Crooked glances. Trust vanished within minutes.

When all the groups were finally formed, the teacher said, “Okay, time to find out who failed. Witches, raise your hands.” And not a single hand went up.

The whole class burst out laughing. “Wait! You ruined the game!” And then the teacher dropped the bombshell: “Did you? Were there really witches in Salem, or did everyone just believe what they were told?” My daughter said, and the class went completely silent. Then it dawned on them. Witches hadn’t been needed to wreak havoc. Fear had already done its work. Distrust alone divided the entire class and threw the community into chaos.

And isn’t that exactly what we see today? Different words, same game. Instead of “witch,” it’s now liberal, conservative, vaccinated, unvaccinated, pro-this, anti-that. The labels change, but the tactics remain the same. Scare people. Make them suspicious. Divide them. Then sit back while trust crumbles. The danger was never the witch. The danger is the rumor. The mistrust. The fear. The lies sown. Reject the whispers. Don't play the game. Because the moment we start hunting "witches", we've already lost.

.
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (1:124/5016)