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Why the Heavy-Handed Mandate Bullying?
Townhall.com ^ | October 21, 2021 | Michael Brown

Posted on 10/21/2021 8:42:42 AM PDT by Kaslin

I am not an anti-vaxxer, and plenty of my friends and colleagues have been vaccinated. And, from the perspective of those who believe that the Covid vaccinations are safe and effective and even life-saving, I can understand the desire to see everyone vaccinated. But what I cannot possibly understand is the threatening, vindictive, heavy-handed bullying in conjunction with the mandates. Not only are these unfair and even cruel, but they give fuel to the fire of those who view the mandates as nothing less than dangerous governmental overreach.

Consider this October 18 story on The Hill which states that, “Chicago police officers could face repercussions, including losing retirement benefits, if they choose to not comply with the city's vaccine mandate, according to a memo from the Chicago Police Department.”

“The memo states that anyone who chooses to disobey the city's vaccination policy 'will become the subject of a disciplinary investigation that could result in a penalty up to and including separation from the Chicago Police Department,’ according to CNN.

“‘Furthermore, sworn members who retire while under disciplinary investigations may be denied retirement credentials,’ it continues.”

How can this possibly be justified?

We’re talking about people who, in good conscience, will not be vaccinated, be it for medical reasons or religious reasons, or something else (including having natural immunity after having Covid). They are even willing to lose their jobs rather than get vaccinated.

But, as if that was not bad enough, according to this report, the city of Chicago may actually strip away their retirement benefits. Is this anything less than outrageous?

A few weeks ago on my radio broadcast, a caller asked for counsel regarding the vaccine. He had served in the military for years but had serious reservations about getting vaccinated. Yet, if he chose not to get vaccinated, not only would he be dismissed, but, he explained, he would lose all the military benefits he had accrued over the years.

I was shocked to hear this, searching online for confirmation after the show (although the caller seemed quite sure that this was the case).

Although there are varied reports circulating online, early last month, House legislators openly challenged the announcement that those who refused vaccination would receive a dishonorable discharge. (For the record, and as noted on a military transition website, “A Dishonorable Discharge is the harshest discharge status a military service member can receive, as it is given via court-martial and not by military administration. Service members who receive this standing are accused of felonies involving homicide, fraud, desertion, and crimes that would put any person, service member or not, in hot water. If you receive a Dishonorable Discharge, it is not possible to reenlist with the military.”)

But was this charge true? Were military members being threatened with a dishonorable discharge? Some fact-checkers have said plainly that this is not correct and that the Biden administration does not have the authority to do this.

Yet this does beg the question of why the Military.com website reported on September 2 that, “House lawmakers have backed legislation prohibiting dishonorable discharges for troops who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine.” It also begs the question of how and why news outlets were reporting this very thing. Was it manufactured out of thin air?

Even if this was being reported erroneously and dishonorable discharges were never being considered, we do know that on October 15, it was reported that, “The US Navy said Thursday that personnel who refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19 will be expelled from the force, ahead of the November 28 deadline for the injection.”

And this: “People expelled for refusing the vaccine will receive a general honorable discharge, but could lose certain benefits or be forced to repay the cost of training and education in some cases, the statement said.”

Note carefully those words: “lose certain benefits.” And all because, in good conscience, they will not be vaccinated. How can this be justified?

The article also stated that “Navy personnel who can claim an exemption from mandatory vaccines, for health or other reasons, can be reassigned from their current duties.”

And, it explained, “The navy has been particularly sensitive to the pandemic, because of the risk that a single Covid case could infect an entire ship or submarine at sea, forcing it out of action.”

But what about natural immunity for all those who have had Covid? Since this is far more effective than a vaccine, why must those people be vaccinated? As reported on Medical News Today, a major study from Israel “indicated that people who had never had the infection and received a vaccine in January or February of 2021 were up to 13 times more likely to contract the virus than people who had already had the infection.”

Yet these people face the choice of vaccination or else – and that “or else” is quite ominous. How can this be justified?

When it comes to those serving in the military, we’re talking about people who, for the most part, are in one of the lowest demographics for Covid fatalities. And we’re talking about people who have chosen to serve in the military, some for many years of their lives. And in some cases, we’re talking about people who have risked their lives and disrupted their families and perhaps even been wounded in the field of duty.

Yet, if for reasons that are valid in their eyes, they cannot receive the vaccination, not only do they lose their current jobs. Not only do they lose their military career trajectories (where that applies). But they also lose all the benefits they have accrued over the years.

What an outrage, especially when you consider that it is for those very benefits, such as college tuition aid, that some of them enrolled in the first place.

Again, I am not an anti-vaxxer. And, as much as I very strongly differ with the vaccine mandates, I can understand some of the thinking behind the mandates. But these vindictive and punitive measures are outrageous and completely unjustifiable. In the end, they will do more harm than good, hurting lives more than saving lives while increasing our general mistrust of authority.

May those in government (along with others enforcing these mandates) think long and hard. There is still time to reconsider, retract, and reverse course. That would be the honorable thing to do.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: coronavirusvaccine; michaelbrown
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1 posted on 10/21/2021 8:42:42 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
I am not an anti-vaxxer

The article writer started with an apology.

Apologies are for losers.
2 posted on 10/21/2021 8:44:11 AM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: Kaslin

The first mistake is to take these kabbalists seriously.

Disregard them and forge ahead with MAGA.

It’s our country, not theirs.

https://www.bitchute.com/video/KEoRpNK84kk/


3 posted on 10/21/2021 8:46:33 AM PDT by reasonisfaith (What are the implications if the Resurrection of Christ is a true event in history?)
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To: Kaslin

Guess someone needs to ask moochie how that anti-bullying campaign is going.


4 posted on 10/21/2021 8:46:43 AM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? 😕)
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To: cgbg

Using a pejorative label made-up and used by the bullies he exposes.
Coward.


5 posted on 10/21/2021 8:47:46 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (LfEuTcSk GjOoe BbRiAdNeDnDON)
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To: Kaslin
And, it explained, “The navy has been particularly sensitive to the pandemic, because of the risk that a single Covid case could infect an entire ship or submarine at sea, forcing it out of action.”

Given the very short incubation period of the Corona virus, how could someone at sea for weeks at a time - e.g., on a submarine - suddenly "come down" with the bug?

(I understand that under different circumstances - e.g., after just returning from Liberty - one could fall ill.)

Regards,

6 posted on 10/21/2021 8:48:49 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Kaslin

Yes, the people who bleat the loudest and wring their hands the most about “bullying” are the worst bullies there are.


7 posted on 10/21/2021 8:56:18 AM PDT by cld51860 (We’re doomed.)
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To: Kaslin
That would be the honorable thing to do.

"Nobody gets too much love anymore." -Barry Gibb

Otherwise, great article. Thanks for trying to reason with people.

8 posted on 10/21/2021 8:58:32 AM PDT by .30Carbine
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To: Kaslin

This is about purging people from private business, government agencies and our military who are willing to stand up for personal freedom.


9 posted on 10/21/2021 8:59:13 AM PDT by jcon40 (Machinery is only as good as its design and quality of parts. A citizen is only as good )
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To: Kaslin

There has always been the threat that service academy cadets/midshipmen and ROTC scholarship cadets could be required to pay for the cost of their education if they tried to leave the military before their service obligation was up (normally 2 years service for every year of education).

This was to keep out people who just joined to try and get a free college education.

It’s a different story to try and recover money spent for military specific training (I.e. SEAL training).

I don’t know how they would justify that.


10 posted on 10/21/2021 8:59:29 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: cgbg

‘The article writer started with an apology.’

no he didn’t; he simply stated a fact...


11 posted on 10/21/2021 8:59:44 AM PDT by IrishBrigade
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To: Kaslin
But what I cannot possibly understand is the threatening, vindictive, heavy-handed bullying in conjunction with the mandates.

Holy Warrior Syndrome

There are too many people (mostly on the left) who live sad, lonely, pathetic lives devoid of any meaning or purpose and the only way they can try and dull the pain of their otherwise miserable existence is to give themselves a cause in which they can constantly virtual signal and shame others. This cause becomes their religion and any lie, hate and means in the name of their new religion used to “Get those Infidels” is justified.

They hate their lives and they hate themselves and their lives have no purpose or meaning and when they see other happier people it makes them jealous and angry, so they desperately try to find an outlet for their anger and lash out by attempting to convince themselves that their lives might be terrible and meaningless but at least they are better than those filthy smokers, racist, climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, Conservatives or whatever the latest group the government and media tells them to hate.

Sadly Holy Warrior Syndrome has probably existed since the dawn of man and will be with us until the Sun goes Red Giant

12 posted on 10/21/2021 9:00:26 AM PDT by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
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To: IrishBrigade

The writer’s “fact” is that he was trying to prove he wasn’t one of those crazy anti-vaxxer nuts.

He already lost the argument before he started.


13 posted on 10/21/2021 9:01:56 AM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: Kaslin

It’s easy for me to imagine a scenario in which someone who had planned to get vaccinated changes his mind and doesn’t—not out of spite but out of civil disobedience.


14 posted on 10/21/2021 9:02:10 AM PDT by Bogle
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To: Kaslin

What will the next mandate be?


15 posted on 10/21/2021 9:03:09 AM PDT by Texas resident (Sucks to be named Brandon now)
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To: Kaslin

The answer to “Why?” is here:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4005317/posts?page=78#78


16 posted on 10/21/2021 9:03:37 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: qam1

Well put.


17 posted on 10/21/2021 9:04:27 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Kaslin
CONTROL!!! It;s ALL about CONTROLLING US!!!

They are getting our kids USED TO BEING CONTROLLED!

18 posted on 10/21/2021 9:07:34 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Kaslin

Making your LIFE DEPEND ON THE GOVERNMENT’S OK!!


19 posted on 10/21/2021 9:08:36 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Kaslin

You know why


20 posted on 10/21/2021 9:10:03 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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