The Affliction

Planet Earth is heading down a self-destructive path due to human's inability to accept each other as equals. The social media platform that proclaimed to bring people together from all over the world has succeeded in authorizing hate groups to flourish.
What if a rare phenomenon struck the world and did away with an individual's ability to judge another person based on their looks?

When the CDC is called in to examine the residents of the small town of Bends Creek, Mississippi, they are dumbfounded at the results of their investigation. When word gets out over the internet about the CDC findings, the lives of Sheriff Bill Jackson and the residents of Bends Creek changes forever.

And if the onslaught of curious outsiders and The National Guard involvement isn't enough to drive the Sheriff crazy, a mysterious stranger shows up to add to the confusion.

Is this rare phenomenon the result of a government experiment, a military accident, or is it something else?