Join alexberenson@substack.com on his substack group

Alex writes – Yesterday, I explained how I’d rejected an old friend’s half-hearted effort to reach out after cutting me and my family off in 2021 for my views about Covid and mRNAs.

The intensity of your response has stunned me. Comments and emails are flooding in. I guess I naively thought people who hadn’t been as public with their views had probably been able to move past over their differences in the last four years.

Apparently not. Based on your notes, these rifts may overlap with but are separate from arguments about Donald Trump; these friendships or family ties fractured in 2020 and 2021. Some of you still hope to repair them. Others have given up.

Either way, you seem heartened to hear that you are not alone in having lost friends for being unafraid, for rejecting lo

(NOTE: All emails are verbatim and unedited, except one which was cut for length.)

Vanessa:

When I mourn the friendship I had with someone who treated me the exact same way, I tell myself that this would be how she’d react today. And I move on with my day. After all this time I know she still maintains that she was right to shoot up her beautiful, healthy 8 year old twins and justified in attempting to publicly shame me on an engagement party invitation with “fine print” for unvaccinated people (I was the only one in our friend group who didn’t get the shot, and was therefore unwelcome).

Surely her actions (or rather, texts, as she refused to meet in person to talk) that led to the collapse of our friendship have faded. I’ll forever be remembered as the crazy friend. To these people I say: goodbye, you fucking assholes.

Russ:

Hey Alex,

This article really resonated with me as I have had several friends act as your did. It has been the same amount of time since I last spoke and truly don’t care if we do. I studied , read books, join various substacks, joined podcast and zoom meetings to learn as much as I could as I knew what was being told was a lie. In that time I have met a lot of “Like minded” people and I couldn’t be happier. I would not change anything I said or did. In fact I will never let this go until those responsible for this are in jail or better yet dead!!

Love your posts and your willingness to stand for what you believe in!!

Russ

Ed:

I have a very similar story and I too cannot just forgive and forget. They said what they said with arrogance and condescension. I also want to forgive but I suppose that’s just the way it goes. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. And that’s all there is to it.

Jonathan has a slightly more forgiving perspective:

Alex I love your newsletter.

1. I have had nearly identical experiences to what you described here except with my sister, brother and others due to my family’s stance on the vaccines so I’m 100% with you.

2. You’ve stated that you’re Jewish. Yom Kippur is this week. I don’t know how spiritual you are – I’m not sure it matters. However the opportunity is- if you’re able to find it to forgive this person in your heart (I’m not suggesting they deserve it) then the Almighty will find it in his heart to give you the forgiveness that you seek. You sound like a fantastic guy from your newsletters and I’m not suggesting that you “need” forgiveness but it is the theme of the day. (The above trade is actually based on real scholarship, not “bro” spirituality).

Best wishes to you and your family.

Jonathan

Tari:

Dear Alex,

This is such an excellent example of the inability of people to recognize the deep hurt and harm they’ve caused their relationships.

I was vaccine injured years before Covid and watched in horror how people unraveled during the Pandemic. The shaming, blaming, sanctimonious attempts to “educate” everyone (with ZERO acknowledgement that vaccine injury is even a real thing). Folks here in Minnesota were so unhinged and insufferable that I was unable to eat in restaurants or attend events in liberal spaces for years.

Eventually it all went away without any reflection or apologies. Attempts to discuss my experience or perspective is still met with bewilderment, or exaggerated eye rolls. What a wild reality to have been gaslit during the entire Pandemic only to remain gaslit now, as if none of this ever happened. Occasionally someone begrudgingly admits that mistakes were made but it’s always excused with the idea that it was the best people could possibly do under the circumstances.

I have not met one person who has admitted to being wrong about their social media posts, or their part in changing website policies to keep people out of environments because they did not feel we deserved to breathe the same air. Most people have deleted their hostile posts and regurgitated propaganda points. I don’t know what is worse, people who won’t apologize for what they said and did, or the ones who genuinely think they have nothing to apologize for.

I am sorry you lost friendships Alex. But I hope you know your newsletter and posts helped me (and countless others) feel like there were others out in the world who understood.

I’ve never met you, but I consider you a friend. A friend of the truth…