“Why are people being coerced or forced to go”
No one is being “forced” to go. Speaking for myself, I’m going for the following reasons:
Two venerated elders of our time are the leading force behind this. At their age and health, every minute is precious. If they feel this is worth their time and enegry (and they have imvested plenty of each), the least I can do is invest a few hours
Lets be optimistic for a moment, and say this turns out to be a really terrific, momentus event. For $10 and 5 hours of my time, I can tell my great-grandchildren I WAS THERE. If I stay home, all I have is my ten bucks.
So, all things considered, I think going is the smart move.