Just Your Average, Everyday Authoritarian
I took about a two-year long hiatus from social media starting October 2019. The break was made, in part, so that I could do something other than scroll my life away. Honestly, I felt like complete shit after stalking and observing everyone's daily highlight reels; my life was not (and would likely never be) as exciting or perfect as most of the posts portrayed. Moreover, I was tired of the endless bickering. FaceBook is not a productive place for political, ideological, or philosophical discourse and debate (though the comment sections are certainly full of people who would disagree with me). In short, I was tired of seeing how nasty everyone with an opinion is; how one-sided and arrogant they come across; how impatient, unforgiving and foolhardy they appear. Frankly, it's cringe-worthy and embarrassing to see the paradoxically childish nature of the modern adult.
Recently, I have made the mistake of re-enabling the app on my phone - and it seems that I've made it just in time to see people post their frightening opinions on "anti-vaxxers." The consensus appears to be something to the effect of: well, if someone used their fReEdOm of choice to refuse the COVID19 vaccine, then they should be denied medical care. (One person I went to junior college with at least suggested the option to have unvaccinated nurses treat unvaccinated patients outdoors. Separate, but equal... right, my guy?).
Can we just... fucking not, please? What kind of human are you if you make a statement like this? What exactly does this look like, if practiced properly according to you? Is this opinion meant specifically for people who need to be treated for COVID? If not, where is the line drawn? Is this advocacy for segregation? Or an outright, large-scale denial of medical services? It's stunning how one simple, mindlessly uttered phrase can raise more questions than the utterer can likely answer...
What about the vaccine-hesitant women? Will they have to give birth and receive pap smears and mammograms outdoors? What about in climates like the east coast winter? Will there be heated outdoor rooms to make them feel comfortable as they go through one of life's most painful experiences, or when they have to undress for an already-awkward physical exam? Or will they be denied altogether? What happened to caring about, fighting for, and posting on social media about women's rights?
What about the vaccine-hesitant black population? Should we not be outraged if black patients are to be seen outdoors, or be turned away altogether? What happened to caring about, fighting for, and posting on social media about black lives? Don't they matter?
What about the immigrants arriving from the southern border? It is unknown still how federal agents are handling their vaccination statuses, but some immigrants are being let through regardless. Why fight for open borders so that everyone can enjoy the privileges of American citizenship, if they will only be treated as second-class citizens?
What about the vaccine-hesitant LGBT crowd, especially the transgender? Are they expected to receive all of their extremely personal surgeries and treatments outside? Or do we deny them? What happened to trying to normalize, accept, and properly treat this group of individuals?
Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating in favor of or dismissing the validity of the various issues in mention. The purpose of highlighting these specific talking points is because the same exact people who want the unvaccinated to receive no treatment (or outdoor treatment) also make dire claims on social media claiming to care about the groups above. It doesn't seem like people realize how complex a phrase like "let's refuse medical treatment to the unvaccinated" is when imagined in practice. Sure, it makes them out to be hypocrites. That's obvious. But it also shows that people have no concern for the words they use and the implications they have (honestly, if they did claim to "know," then they'd be even more dull than I thought). They leave damning statements vague - and that can be dangerous.
But, here's where I'm really confused: the original claim is that since an individual might want to exercise their freedom of choice and risk assessment to not get the vaccine, then they should be punished by not receiving medical treatment. Can we take COVID out of the picture and also apply the underlying principle here to, say, the severely obese? They used their freedom of choice to engorge themselves. So, if they need to undergo medical treatment for any of the litany of health complications they might develop, should the doctor tell them, "sorry, I'd love to help you, however you chose to use your freedom in a manner that is not consistent with my politics; therefore, you can see yourself out"? If one desired to remain principally and logically consistent, then they would see this as a justified response from the doctor; however, this is objectively cruel and morally reprehensible.
Of course, the main counter-argument to this is that COVID is transmissible and if a patient comes in with COVID, then they are very likely to spread it to others around them at the hospital. Being obese is not a transmissible illness - ergo, the comparison I just made is weak and fallacious. And this is probably how this argument is exhausted: with the authoritarian COVID vaccine advocate missing the entire principle of the matter.
Because let's be real here, what tangible threat does an unvaccinated person pose to a vaccinated person? Haven't the latter "done their part" and protected themselves? So, if those who wanted the injection got it, then what logical explanation is there to deny the unvaccinated health care? There doesn't seem to be one that makes sense. I can only conclude that those who discriminate against the unvaccinated want to force their will upon others. And that's why I think this trend going around is toxic: it's turned many into self-righteous authoritarians who are blind to their own hypocritically fascistic tongues.
We can argue all day long about death and COVID (and its 18-month strong 99% survival rate that no one ever wants to fucking acknowledge). But we are losing our humanity in the process. There are viable arguments on both sides. COVID is deadly for some; it's not fair that our immune systems aren't in optimal shape forever. So, of course, if there is reason enough for a person to make the individual choice to receive the injections, then so be it. But you can't claim to care about people while simultaneously forcing your will onto them - and advocating for them to be treated differently if they refuse to accept it.
At the end of the day, a call for the denial of health care to individuals in need is to advocate for just that. You have no principles. You have no heart. You have no humanity. You would turn a sick person, a pregnant woman, an immigrant away at the hospital doors for not producing their proof of vaccination papers. You are merely a mouthpiece for the establishment and their propaganda. So much for wanting to be on the "right side" of history.