Medical experts say this year, in 2020, Thanksgiving gatherings can be too dangerous because of COVID-19. But their messaging to discourage us does not go far enough.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says we should only celebrate at home with just the people we live with to prevent the continued rise of coronavirus causing more illness and death.

But somehow, strangely, warnings of illness and death do not go far enough. People will insist on maintaining tradition and gather in large groups in what will be many people's final Thanksgiving.

The CDC needs to make their messaging scarier.

During World War II, the government urged Americans to carpool to save gasoline for the war effort, in part, with the propaganda poster, "When you ride ALONE you ride with Hitler." It showed the harm from a seemingly innocuous, though ultimately, selfish act. Inspired by that poster, here is one for our times, with apologies to Norman Rockwell.

Sure, Hitler has nothing to do with it. For these purposes, he’s just a symbol of freaky scary evil and death. This year, the simple, taken-for-granted ritual of mixing with large groups of friends and family, especially with people with whom we are not in regular contact, can promote the spread of coronavirus.

“Oh, it’s just one day,” you say. “We’ll be fine.” Thing is, COVID-19 doesn’t care. It doesn’t care about your grandma and doesn’t take a day off, even for Thanksgiving or Christmas (though it may try to bring a new meaning to “Black Friday”).

We’ll meet again. And if we are all together for Thanksgiving 2021, we’ll have something to be truly thankful for.