Some relationships have been possibly irreparably damaged because of it.

I have heard this many times during this overreaction. My brother and mother used this as an excuse to pull some bullshit on Father's Day pulling out at the last minute, ruined the whole day for him.

We ended up meeting with my Father solo later but the damage was done, and the episode was eye-opening for me.

They acted much the same way you described, inculcated with an idea and unable to even discuss why. But they are also the kind of people that aren't honest with themselves and are a bit deluded about reality in general, IMO, so this just made all of those symptoms worse.

I think the thing we are really mourning is not the loss of the relationship. It is the realization that what we thought these relationships were are not what they turned out to be in reality.

I know I never thought I couldn't count on my own brother when the chips were down, but he was so easily misled it was scary. My mother has just used this thing as an ammo to manipulate the narrative for her own gain, business as usual.

I firmly believe there are no good or bad people in this world, just choices. You are the choices you make. I think one of the most dangerous things you can ever do is think about yourself as an inherently "good" person.

I think what we are mourning is we thought these people would make better choices under these circumstances, or "when the rubber met the road", so to speak.

We couldn't dream of ever letting the news effect our decision to be with our families. Especially at a time when we are so isolated. Sure some other people might be doing that but surely my family is smart enough to see through this obvious overreaction. Surely they realize, as I do, they are not in the danger they are being told they are.

However, they didn't do that. Not only were they willing to choose fear and false security, they allowed themselves to be a part of perpetuating that fear, they allowed it into their minds and their homes and then attempted to bring it into mine. Regardless of how many days the Lord has in store for me, even If I live to be a thousand years old, I will not forget it.

I think the thing we really lost was the assumption our families were people they weren't. Might sound harsh but the truth hurts, IMO.

You might look at that as a loss, and I guess I understand that and a part of me feels/felt that way. But a bigger part says I just learned something about them that I can't abide. That is on them and not me. There was really no way for me to know they'd do that until they were given the chance to make a choice. They chose wrong.

I don't have a choice when it comes to my family's physical, mental, and/or emotional security. I cannot and will not allow weak individuals to compromise it. Regardless of my blood relation to them. That is my prime directive, so to speak.

So yes it has irrevocably changed our relationship, it has opened my eyes to the person they were all along. Better now than later I say.

Those people can have a bigger drag on your life than you realize very easily, at least in my experience. You're probably better investing that time into relationships that give you a better return for your time anyway. Not that you were asking, or need, my advice.

Regardless, I know it feels bad, which I am sensitive to, I am not trying to be callous to your emotions.

I am trying to encourage, as it seems to me you are making the right moves, in a sea of misinformation, and catching hell from the people you should of been able to rely upon the most for your support for doing so.

I don't think you would or could have done what they did to you, were the roles reversed, and that makes all the difference, in my book at least.

Some relationships have been possibly irreparably damaged because of it.

I have heard this many times during this overreaction. My brother and mother used this as an excuse to pull some bullshit on Father's Day pulling out at the last minute, ruined the whole day for him.

We ended up meeting with my Father solo later but the damage was done, and the episode was eye-opening for me.

They acted much the same way you described, inculcated with an idea and unable to even discuss why. But they are also the kind of people that aren't honest with themselves and are a bit deluded about reality in general, IMO, so this just made all of those symptoms worse.

I think the thing we are really mourning is not the loss of the relationship. It is the realization that what we thought these relationships were are not what they turned out to be in reality.

I know I never thought I couldn't count on my own brother when the chips were down, but he was so easily misled it was scary. My mother has just used this thing as an ammo to manipulate the narrative for her own gain, business as usual.

I firmly believe there are no good or bad people in this world, just choices. You are the choices you make. I think one of the most dangerous things you can ever do is think about yourself as an inherently "good" person.

I think what we are mourning is we thought these people would make better choices under these circumstances, or "when the rubber met the road", so to speak.

We couldn't dream of ever letting the news effect our decision to be with our families. Especially at a time when we are so isolated. Sure some other people might be doing that but surely my family is smart enough to see through this obvious overreaction. Surely they realize, as I do, they are not in the danger they are being told they are.

However, they didn't do that. Not only were they willing to choose fear and false security, they allowed themselves to be a part of perpetuating that fear, they allowed it into their minds and their homes and then attempted to bring it into mine. Regardless of how many days the Lord has in store for me, even If I live to be a thousand years old, I will not forget it.

I think the thing we really lost was the assumption our families were people they weren't. Might sound harsh but the truth hurts, IMO.

You might look at that as a loss, and I guess I understand that and a part of me feels/felt that way. But a bigger part says I just learned something about them that I can't abide. That is on them and not me. There was really no way for me to know they'd do that until they were given the chance to make a choice. They chose wrong.

I don't have a choice when it comes to my family's physical, mental, and/or emotional security. I cannot and will not allow weak individuals to compromise it. Regardless of my blood relation to them. That is my prime directive, so to speak.

So yes it has irrevocably changed our relationship, it has opened my eyes to the person they were all along. Better now than later I say.

Those people can have a bigger drag on your life than you realize very easily, at least in my experience. You're probably better investing that time into relationships that give you a better return for your time anyway.

Regardless, I know it feels bad, which I am sensitive to, I am not trying to be callous to your emotions.

I am trying to encourage, as it seems to me you are making the right moves, in a sea of misinformation, and catching hell from the people you should of been able to rely upon the most for your support for doing so.

I don't think you would or could have done what they did to you, were the roles reversed, and that makes all the difference, in my book at least.