The protected need to be protected from the unprotected by forcing the unprotected to use the protection that didn’t protect the protected.
Posted on 10/25/2021 3:01:35 AM PDT by Kaslin
Discussions about the philosophical and ethical case behind coronavirus mitigation measures have abounded since the world tragically changed for the worse in March 2020. For many, including those of us on Team Reality, such measures - like lockdowns, masking, and vaccine mandates - were either overly burdensome, completely useless, or both. Lockdowns helped, for a short while, but anyone with an IQ over 60 should have known they weren’t sustainable and would do far more harm than good. Masks did absolutely nothing, and vaccine mandates were both tyrannical and, over time, are proving to be utterly useless and potentially harmful as the vaccine continues to fade in efficacy.
Members of Team Apocalypse, on the other hand, tend to think anything and everything is acceptable, for an indefinite period of time, if there is even the slightest chance those things might ‘prevent’ even one death from Covid-19, the worstest plague ever (yes, they also tend to severely overstate the real risks of the virus). Their declarations about the insane ‘mitigations’ they expect the world to follow to ‘protect’ them, usually presented on Twitter (that great battleground of ideas, even when its scales are being pressed to the left’s favor by our Tech overlords), rarely include any sort of logical reasoning. When pressed on a sunset to their insanity, they typically will ignore the question or respond with a shrill “As long as it takes!” Whether they will admit it or not, their actions and thought processes subscribe to the “Zero Covid” mentality, a cult that insists humanity shouldn’t get back to real normal until Covid-19 has been eliminated.
Except, Covid-19 will never be eliminated. It is, after all, a highly contagious respiratory virus that has animal reservoirs and is quickly becoming endemic. As such, the risk of contracting the virus will always exist, even if diminished from the pandemic’s height. And there’s the rub, isn’t it? That concept of risk, a notion that most leftists and even some on the right who have joined the Branch Covidian cult refuse to acknowledge or even try to understand. Instead, they want to run YOUR lives because they think that doing so will diminish or eliminate THEIR risk of getting sick.
Although I do from time to time, at least in my own mind, question the motives of certain Team Apocalypse members because their stated polices are SO bad, SO draconian, SO unworkable and unsustainable that it’s hard to imagine they don’t mean long-term harm to humanity, by and large I acknowledge that most people don’t want other people to die. This is not, however, a courtesy they extend to us. To them, we are grandma killers, superspreaders, and plague-infested lab rats that must be contained. We are guilty before proven innocent and our sentence, if we allow them to impose it, will be quarterly booster shots, rolling lockdowns, and a denial of the right to breathe freely in society ever again. To them, countless deaths from overdoses, suicides, unneeded vaccines, and delayed medical treatments are worth it so long as THEY don’t get even the mildest case of Covid-19.
It’s utterly selfish, of course, but ever true to form, they call US selfish for pushing back. To give you an example of this mentality, consider this tweet from a Twitter user who goes by the name “Bethie” in a thread about country singer Travis Tritt’s brave decision to refuse to play at venues that have mask and vaccine mandates:
“Not all of his fans,” Bethie wrote. “Well, this is upsetting but count me out as I don’t seem to matter given that I can only safely attend events where organizers value me too. But, ya know, cancer, so screw me right? Good to know who chooses to pander cuz that’s what this is.”
Now assuming Bethie is telling the truth, I truly feel bad for her and others in her predicament. However, the reality is the world can’t stop to fully ‘protect’ every immunocompromised person out there, nor should it. Though doubtless there are plenty of Team Apocalypse members who would have the entirety of humanity in HAZMAT suits forever if they had the power, it’s just not feasible or sustainable.
Here’s what I wrote in response to Bethie:
“I am truly sorry you are sick and hope you get better. However, for an event like this, couldn't you just wear an N95 mask that's properly fitted to protect yourself instead of imposing on everyone else?”
To me, this is a more than reasonable ask, especially given that the vaccine program isn’t working to stop the spread of anything and cloth masks never helped either. N95s are clunky, expensive, and wreak havoc on the environment, but they actually do provide at least some protection against airborne pathogens. So why not ask the vulnerable to wear them, voluntarily of course? Then, everyone else will know to give them a bit of distance. Incidentally, this is pretty much how things are running in ‘red’ places already, and it seems to be working well. It’s certainly a safer, less society-destroying compromise than forcing 2-year-olds to wear masks forever. But no, I’m a ‘bad person,’ or something, for suggesting it.
Here are a few responses to my tweet:
Or Scott we could try loving our neighbor as ourself instead of giving them the metaphorical finger.
When someone you love contracts a deadly disease, because it will happen, I sincerely hope you repeat these same words to them.
You don’t sound sorry.
“MASKS ARE TYRANNY!!!” …..except for that one guy with cancer.
Could you be more insensitive and tone deaf? Bless your heart.
There is that CHRISTIANITY showing Scott. Anything as long as it doesn't inconvenience you.
No Scott. If you cared about science, you’d have noticed that wearing a mask protects others more than yourself. But then again, your kind of people don’t care about others…
Lol "imposing." You little weakling.
Wow, what an incredibly ignorant response.
Wearing masks is most effective at protecting other people, not the mask-wearer. We all can plainly see how much of a damn you give for your neighbor.
OR and think this through. Couldn’t we revert to some sense of public health policy without self center uneducated assholes screaming about liberty?
Wow, you are a POS Scott. You’re the part of humanity that refuses to evolve because your ego is so inflated that you cannot fathom what it means to be selfless.
This puts the burden on the wrong person you ignorant f*ck.
Couldn’t you just f*ck off, you irrelevant c*nt?
I’ve never heard someone say, “oh, sorry if my cancer is imposing on you.” What a bunch of selfish fools you all are.
So yeah, pretty standard stuff for the Covid cult. To its members, stopping Covid is the only moral goal, and anything that gets in the way of that is by definition ‘immoral.’ To them, deaths from lockdowns and from Covid vaccines - especially ones given to people not at any statistical risk from Covid - are merely collateral damage. THEY are the selfish ones, yet they have the gall to slap that label on anyone who disagrees with them.
For countless reasons which have been relentlessly listed in this column and hundreds of other places, masks, lockdowns, and forced-vaccines are a terrible burden on society that the real threat of Covid-19 never made justifiable. We’re not talking about common-sense things like asking sick people to stay home, but rather forever treating every unmasked, unvaccinated person as disease vectors.
Yes, the immunocompromised are in a tough situation. I feel badly for them and fully realize that I could be in their shoes someday. However, it’s impossible and unsustainable to force these things on everyone in a futile effort to ‘protect’ them, especially when they can take effective steps to protect themselves.
I’m immunocompromised and I don’t wear a mask myself. I did immediately after transplant when I was most vulnerable and on heavier duty stuff, but that was seven years ago.
Hubby’s not vaccinated, but I am - a decision I regret - and those of us who have been patients for a long time should have the good sense to NOT get in the way of others’ health care decisions. I know I don’t want anyone meddling in mine.
I will also not be getting any boosters due to the reaction I had, so the government can suck an egg should they try to force me.
Plus, I already had it, so... If I can get through it, a healthy person probably can, too.
Should the deaf force every television program to have closed captions?
Should people in wheelchairs force every sidewalk curb to be cut?
Should the blind force every crosswalk have audible crossing signs?
Should the infirm force every business to have a special parking place near the front door reserved just for them?
The immunocompromised are effed every year the eggheads get the flu vaxx wrong.
But we have never shut down the country for them.
But then CoupFlu has NEVER been about public health, has it.
That’s like mandating that 3,000 kids in school can’t bring PB&J sandwiches for lunch because one kid has an allergy. Insane.
A much better analogy!
You make an excellent point. The principle of forcing private businesses to accommodate people with disabilities is long established, although I believe unconstitutional. If a government wants to spend money to make government buildings accessible that is a much different principle than forcing private businesses to incur the cost.
The biggest problem in caving to the Covid mandates is that they will never stop. Having accepted the premise that the government can impose masks, vaccine, lockdowns, etc in order to protect a small percentage of the population that is vulnerable, that same premise can be used to justify these controls to protect the vulnerable from the seasonal flu. Canada ha had as many as 8500 deaths in a year from flu symptoms. The government can determine that this is far too many and that the Covid protocols are necessary to reduce these unnecessary deaths.
The notion of personal responsibility and self-protection has been sacrificed on the altar of government coercion. The masks are the mark of obedience, the vaccine mandates the weapon to coerce that obedience.
Sucks to be Bethie.
The tyranny of the minority. But then, ALL tyrants have been of minority opinions, they just are a little more - assertive - in imposing their will on a sufficient number of the persons of flexible morality, to make a stalwart cadre.
Often only about 10%, and certainly less than 20%, of any social grouping.
The COVID restrictions they have imposed for their meetings are bad enough, but what finally put me over the edge was when I learned WHY they imposed them. As you say, it is all driven by a small, vocal minority of the larger group. And what’s worse is that the ringleader is an older woman with a number of health issues who has been hobbling around with a cane for several months after some kind of surgery.
As I told one fellow member while I’m quitting: “I just realized yesterday that this isn’t an active, vibrant business group. It seems to be tailored to old, feeble, defective people who don’t inspire any confidence at all.”
” It seems to be tailored to old, feeble, defective people who don’t inspire any confidence at all.”
AARP?/sarc
Tyrants only use minorities to their advantage.
Tyrants could care less about anyone, including their own supporters.....all they want is power and wealth.
My suspicious nature leads me to think that one of the real, but unmentioned, factors behind the hysteria is that HIV+ gays may be much more susceptible to COVID, and the gay community is panicking.
Well. The immunocompromised?
Looks like everyone who takes the injections, becomes immunocompromised.
The protected need to be protected from the unprotected by forcing the unprotected to use the protection that didn’t protect the protected.
Go live in a plastic bubble.
Sarc be damned. I know rhetorical when I see it.
I stopped reading right there.
AARP?
Probably not, but home in the US generally to old democrats susceptible to false advertising and free stuff.
I don’t wear a mask either because I am in quarantine forced on by son, who is also in quarantine along with my 84 year old husband. Our son does the grocery shopping and he does wear a mask than. He does not let my ride with him because I am handicapped. I have degenerative disk disease, and degenerative Hip joint disease and use a cane to walk. I can only walk very slowly. He sais I don’t want to drag you around. I would be happy to wait in the car, but I waste my time trying to talk to him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.