Darwin Awards, Covid-19 Vaccines, and Republicans

[Dan From Smithville]

I was hoping members would know me well enough after all these years to not assume that would be a "strategy" for me. I regret the death of everyone (as you should know, I even reject the death penalty absolutely.)

I am pretty sure I got what you were going for. It doesn't make a lot of sense to promote an anti-vaccine platform, especially when more virulent and contagious forms of Covid are surging.

Not to sound like I am currying favor, but agree with you or not on a particular subject, I count you among the more knowledgeable, reasonable and interesting of my RF family.

 

[Revoltingest]

@Revoltingest was right, I made a poor choice starting this thread. I was hoping that the members who I've been talking to for years would know who I was. Apparently I was wrong -- every post, you're a whole new person nobody ever heard of before. Everybody's memory seems just short enough to ensure that their prejudices remain unharmed.

I know what'll make you feel better....

Spoiler: Just for you

There, there.

 

[icehorse]

Well, there's always another chance to
start a thread, & attempt greater clarity.
That sobriquet comes from experience.

Thank goodness you're hear to judge and coach!

 

[Twilight Hue]

@Revoltingest was right, I made a poor choice starting this thread. I was hoping that the members who I've been talking to for years would know who I was. Apparently I was wrong -- every post, you're a whole new person nobody ever heard of before. Everybody's memory seems just short enough to ensure that their prejudices remain unharmed.

Change as Im sure you know already, is normal and expected. Nobody stays the same as the decades go by.

All of us carries many faces and many personalities from the womb to the tomb.

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.

It's why I argue points, but will never hold any grudges nor remorse over things or the people who say it. It all makes us who we are up to this point. All of it is fine and expected in its own due course.

 

[Heyo]

I'll see what I can do. I have something I need to say, that I need to say loudly, that is important. Not an easy thing to do, really.

I got what you were saying as were many of those who agree with you. I.e. you did preach to the quire. Sarcasm is usually not a way to sway opinion. But it can lead to healthy discussion, so I don't cross it off my list of valid literary genres.
After the first misunderstandings are resolved and everyone is engaged, we can get to the real question of the matter:
How to convince people to get vaccinated? (And sarcasm ain't it.)

 

[Debater Slayer]

I got what you were saying as were many of those who agree with you. I.e. you did preach to the quire. Sarcasm is usually not a way to sway opinion. But it can lead to healthy discussion, so I don't cross it off my list of valid literary genres.
After the first misunderstandings are resolved and everyone is engaged, we can get to the real question of the matter:
How to convince people to get vaccinated? (And sarcasm ain't it.)

This is a great point. I think most of us in this thread agree that vaccines are a crucial, life-saving tool in this pandemic. The issue we disagree on might be how to achieve higher vaccine uptake and what kind of language to use in order to convince more people to respect and accept the scientific consensus about them.

As for this:

I was hoping members would know me well enough after all these years to not assume that would be a "strategy" for me. I regret the death of everyone (as you should know, I even reject the death penalty absolutely.)

I will take your word for what you believe and apologize if my post seemed to assume otherwise. I believe your pro-science message has the right goal in mind (to support vaccination), but I do believe you could have worded the thread and title better than this.

At the same time, your initial reply to me seemed to suggest I was anti-vaccine or the like, which, if so, was also an incorrect assumption. I would appreciate that you also avoid such assumptions in the future as you asked me to do in your post.

I hope this post clears things up a bit. Stay safe and vaccinated!

 

[Revoltingest]

Thank goodness you're hear to judge and coach!

I live to serve.

 

[Jose Fly]

Was I advocating? I hoped that at least a few of my favourite posters could see otherwise. I guess, alas, I was wrong...

I get your point and find myself in pretty much the same place. I'm certainly not rooting for anyone to fall ill or die, but I also acknowledge the reality that groups of people, mostly conservatives, are deliberately choosing to roll the dice and take their chances by not getting vaccinated. All I can do then is just shrug and say....okay, let's see what happens.

And right now the data shows that the latest wave of infections and deaths are almost exclusively among the unvaccinated and most of those are in conservative Republican parts of the country. That obviously means more Republican voters are dying from COVID.

Again, that's not an outcome I'm cheering for, it's just reality. Acknowledging that reality shouldn't be at all controversial....certainly not nearly as controversial as the people who refuse to get vaccinated and are thereby not just rolling the dice for themselves, but for all of us. And it's completely unnecessary.

So yeah EH, I get it.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I get your point and find myself in pretty much the same place. I'm certainly not rooting for anyone to fall ill or die, but I also acknowledge the reality that groups of people, mostly conservatives, are deliberately choosing to roll the dice and take their chances by not getting vaccinated. All I can do then is just shrug and say....okay, let's see what happens.

And right now the data shows that the latest wave of infections and deaths are almost exclusively among the unvaccinated and most of those are in conservative Republican parts of the country. That obviously means more Republican voters are dying from COVID.

Again, that's not an outcome I'm cheering for, it's just reality. Acknowledging that reality shouldn't be at all controversial....certainly not nearly as controversial as the people who refuse to get vaccinated and are thereby not just rolling the dice for themselves, but for all of us. And it's completely unnecessary.

So yeah EH, I get it.

Thank you. You got it indeed, and explained it nicely.

 

[Jose Fly]

These are people for whom we are supposed to have empathy? - Digby's Hullabaloo

So if any of these people get COVID and die, why should anyone feel bad or sad about it? How are they any different than people who see the "Warning Alligators" sign around the pond, attack everyone who doesn't swim in the pond, and go in and get eaten?

Would you feel sorry for that sort of person? I wouldn't......at all.

 

[Wandering Monk]

The subject matter says it all, I've nothing to add, except that I can't help think there's some optimism for Democrats in 2022 and 2024.

Once enough Republicans get severely sick or die, they may figure out that their leaders were lying to them. What then? Denialism or give their leaders the boot?

 

[Wandering Monk]

And you think this is somehow a good or amusing thing to make a thread about and call it "Darwin Awards"?

You are effectively wishing death on many Republican voters if your statement is to be taken at face value. It seems to me if this is where your political views have landed you, then you may need to do quite a lot of introspection and reconsider your priorities.

Republicans seem to have a death wish of their own.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

These are people for whom we are supposed to have empathy? - Digby's Hullabaloo

So if any of these people get COVID and die, why should anyone feel bad or sad about it? How are they any different than people who see the "Warning Alligators" sign around the pond, attack everyone who doesn't swim in the pond, and go in and get eaten?

Would you feel sorry for that sort of person? I wouldn't......at all.

Wow! Omigod, wow! That's just disgusting -- those people have rot right into their very souls.

Almost find myself wishing that there were a God -- 'cause He'd know what they are when their time comes.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Once enough Republicans get severely sick or die, they may figure out that their leaders were lying to them. What then? Denialism or give their leaders the boot?

Denial -- that's always much earlier in the process than acceptance and trying to do right and move forward.