Subreddit celebrating/mocking anti-vaxxers who die of COVID explodes in popularity

[Yoda]

It's a great sub and one I browse often. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. They brought it on themselves.

I can't wait to say this when the next unarmed minority gets shot by a cop, and for you to call me a racist, and for the wheels on the bus to go round and round.

In this hypothetical situation of yours, what did the unarmed minority do to bring it on themselves?

[DaleCooper]

Political ideologues love it when people they don't like die, and most of the people obsessing over current events on the internet are ideologues so it's no surprise to me that communities like this exist. It's just plain old sociopathy, but that seems to be the norm these days.

[7,052,770]

I wonder why some people might not trust the United States Government...

It's not like they've ever done human medical experimentation on African-Americans under the guise of treating them. A federal regulatory agency never approved a flying death trap out of expedience and tried to blame the victims when it crashed, either.

Go ahead and attack politicians who engage in demagoguery, but celebrating the death of the little guy, whether through COVID or engaging in deeply misguided rioting at the Capitol, is f**king disgusting.

No one is being "experimented" on.

If the COVID vaccines are so dangerous, why did Donald Trump and Joe Biden and Mike Pence and Kamala Harris get it?

Why have all the Republicans who are pandering to the anti-vaxxers quietly gotten themselves vaccinated?

It's not only Republicans who are anti-vaxxers. Minorities, particularly African-American, have far lower vaccination rates. Many AA are anti-vaxxers because of the us's history of killing them under the guise of treating them.

There are some African Americans refusing the vaccine, but as demonstrated the correlation vaccination rate by state or county has a much stronger correlation to the Trump% than it does with AA%.

[Indy Texas]

I wonder why some people might not trust the United States Government...

It's not like they've ever done human medical experimentation on African-Americans under the guise of treating them. A federal regulatory agency never approved a flying death trap out of expedience and tried to blame the victims when it crashed, either.

Go ahead and attack politicians who engage in demagoguery, but celebrating the death of the little guy, whether through COVID or engaging in deeply misguided rioting at the Capitol, is f**king disgusting.

No one is being "experimented" on.

If the COVID vaccines are so dangerous, why did Donald Trump and Joe Biden and Mike Pence and Kamala Harris get it?

Why have all the Republicans who are pandering to the anti-vaxxers quietly gotten themselves vaccinated?

It's not only Republicans who are anti-vaxxers. Minorities, particularly African-American, have far lower vaccination rates. Many AA are anti-vaxxers because of the us's history of killing them under the guise of treating them.

I live in a county that's like 20% African-American. Anecdotally, while they may be reluctant to get the vaccine, they are wearing masks and making good faith efforts to minimize risk to the extent that you can as an unvaccinated person.

It is the white MAGA anti-vaxxers who are denying COVID is a problem at all, refusing to wear masks and going up to people and screaming and spitting in their face about how they're "sheep" and it's "just the flu."

[Badger]

If it helps even a small percentage of antivaxers realize if realized holy heck this could happen to me and they get a shot, it's all worth it.

[Mr. Illini]

This is not just tasteless, but actually pretty evil. The vast majority of people who aren’t vaccinated aren’t terrible people, but they are being tricked/manipulated. Save your ire for the people lying to them instead.

[Joe Republic]

Wait until you guys hear about the Darwin Awards (dating back to 1985!).  Y'all better stock up on your pearls, and get ready to clutch 'em tight.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

This is not just tasteless, but actually pretty evil. The vast majority of people who aren’t vaccinated aren’t terrible people, but they are being tricked/manipulated. Save your ire for the people lying to them instead.

A lot of these people were the said liars, like Bob Enyart.

[DINGO Joe]

This is not just tasteless, but actually pretty evil. The vast majority of people who aren’t vaccinated aren’t terrible people, but they are being tricked/manipulated. Save your ire for the people lying to them instead.

A lot of these people were the said liars, like Bob Enyart.

COVID killed the messengers

[Horus]

It's about time the left stop being so pc, I support this.

[R.P. McM]

One of my friends — ironically, the one who used to be center-right — frequently peruses the subreddit in question. I don't, and I can understand the criticism. However, I think we ought to recognize the distinction between celebrating someone's death, and dispassionately concluding that the world is a better place without him/her.

In the present context, there seems to be considerable overlap between anti-vaxxers and authoritarian Trump cultists. So not only does their continued existence perpetuate the pandemic, it also elevates the likelihood of a future fascist coup. Consequently, I can't mourn their deaths. In fact, I would probably regard a heightened mortality rate as a welcome development. But not for my own sadistic satisfaction. Rather, in an altruistic, utilitarian sense. Somewhat akin to an Allied officer wishing for fewer friendly casualties and more dead Nazis.

[progressive85]

Incredibly distasteful and petualant. I wouldn't want to be associated with anyone who participates in such a community.

true that

[Inmate Trump]

As someone in favor of a vaccine mandate, and punishments for those who refuse, I find this disgusting.

No death should be celebrated.

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

Imagine actually defending this. But it was obvious we'd have some really bad takes here. Now let's wait for the comments justifying the existence of this subreddit because "it convinces lots of antivaxxers to get vaccinated"

For nearly a year, we have tried being upset and sad, and telling unvaccinated people "get vaccinated for your own health, and that of your families, so that you don't die."

Whatever else we might say about that, it clearly has not worked.

So if you simply want to continue that, you are for the status quo. A status quo in which nearly 2000 Americans are dying a die, almost all of which are unvaccinated and the large majority of which are Trumpist Republicans.

To the credit of Herman Cain Award subreddit users, they are at least trying something new, rather than repeating what we already know doesn't work.

Ask yourself, what is the cause of death of the unvaccinated Republicans who are dying en masse? It is true that the proximal cause is COVID. However, that is not the real underlying cause. The real underlying cause is politics.

These people believe that they should not get vaccinated because they are Republicans and because they are Trump supporters, and that not getting vaccinated is a way to own the libs. In the past, when 'the libs' said "get vaccinated for your own health, and that of your families, so that you don't die," their response was the response of the obstinate 2 year old toddler: "no, I am not gonna get vaxxed, you stupid lib. Get wrecked! HAHAHA you can't make me!"

So the reason they don't want to get vaxxed is political and cultural, and is all about owning the libs. So what happens if the libs change their behavior, and start celebrating the deaths of unvaccinated Republicans rather than simply repeating for the thousandth time "get vaccinated for your own health, and that of your families, so that you don't die" and instead start saying "Haha, don't get vaccinated, you stupid Republican. We want you to die, please don't get vaxxed and die of COVID"?

Then, maybe, they will realize that they are no longer owning the libs by being unvaccinated, and conclude that the way to own the libs is now to get vaccinated. So then maybe vaccination rates will go up.

Of course, maybe that won't work either. But there is at least a chance. Whereas repeating what we have already been doing and which has already been failing is not going to solve anything.

So from that perspective, it is really the people who are criticizing the Herman Cain Award who should be the subjects of scorn. They want to keep the status quo of doing what we have been doing, namely killing enormous numbers of people by encouraging them to get vaccinated and being kind and sympathetic. With Republicans, encouragement, kindness, and sympathy don't work.

[afleitch]

I looked at it and the language of the commentators is ugh....

But. It serves a purpose. Nearly every single example starts off with memes, liberal bashing, making fun of vaccines and the pandemic. Then ends with thoughts, prayers and a go fund me.

It's damning.

The issue is, why has the US failed these people at every stage? What makes these people embrace absolute nihilism that breeds self acquired ignorance, self aggrandisement and endorsing a system that leaves them dead and in debt?

[Brittain33]

We should all treat people as we ourselves wish to be treated, with respect. This is true for people of all political persuasions, and it also applies to those deplorables who revel in racism, gay-bashing, misogyny, xenophobia and get a thrill in their leader smashing and trashing other people who aren’t like them, and who celebrate and open their wallets to make it rain when, say, a young white kid guns down African-Americans in the street. They should be respectful of other people, too.

What is redeeming about this Reddit channel is the number of people who said they didn’t trust vaccines who, after reading about Herman Cain award winners, go get vaccinated and post their proof to the channel. This channel is saving lives. The Herman Cain award winners may have poured hate, cruelty, and ignorance into the world while they were alive, but in their sacrifice, they are saving the lives of people they never knew. We should respect and honor what they achieve with their deaths.

[Brittain33]

Rush Limbaugh regularly mocked and celebrated the deaths of gay men from AIDS.

https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-rush-limbaugh-mock-aids-death-radio-show-1570282

He enjoyed the support of millions of Americans. President Trump, the hero of the Herman Cain Awardwinners, gave him a Presidential Medal of Freedom on behalf of the entire country, including people with AIDS and their surviving family. The Herman Cain Awardwinners certainly loved that. It sure owned the libs.

Like asking for the vaccine at the hospital after repeatedly demeaning and refusing the vaccine, the deplorables are asking for respect and decency after trashing those values and undermining our mutual respect in society for decades. Literally a deathbed conversion.

It also reminds me of how outraged conservatives get at Gerrymandering in NY, MD, and IL.

[Person Man]

Rush Limbaugh regularly mocked and celebrated the deaths of gay men from AIDS.

https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-rush-limbaugh-mock-aids-death-radio-show-1570282

He enjoyed the support of millions of Americans. President Trump, the hero of the Herman Cain Awardwinners, gave him a Presidential Medal of Freedom on behalf of the entire country, including people with AIDS and their surviving family. The Herman Cain Awardwinners certainly loved that. It sure owned the libs.

Like asking for the vaccine at the hospital after repeatedly demeaning and refusing the vaccine, the deplorables are asking for respect and decency after trashing those values and undermining our mutual respect in society for decades. Literally a deathbed conversion.

It also reminds me of how outraged conservatives get at Gerrymandering in NY, MD, and IL.

We flew a flag half mast for him while bodies were piling up in the streets.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Rush Limbaugh regularly mocked and celebrated the deaths of gay men from AIDS.

https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-rush-limbaugh-mock-aids-death-radio-show-1570282

He enjoyed the support of millions of Americans. President Trump, the hero of the Herman Cain Awardwinners, gave him a Presidential Medal of Freedom on behalf of the entire country, including people with AIDS and their surviving family. The Herman Cain Awardwinners certainly loved that. It sure owned the libs.

Fortunately Limbaugh's drawn-out suicide by stupidity finally took him off the stage before he could use his platform to kill even more Americans via Republican Roulette.

[Roll Roons]

I certainly don't feel happy when I hear these stories, but it's very hard to be sympathetic towards these people. Doubly so for the radio hosts who actively spread antivax BS.

[Cassandra]

This is what politics is today. When Carter, Volcker, and Reagan removed material concerns from the agenda, all that remained to argue is the distribution of pain. We are two warring camps, snarling and howling and dancing on each other's graves.

[Person Man]

This is what politics is today. When Carter, Volcker, and Reagan removed material concerns from the agenda, all that remained to argue is the distribution of pain. We are two warring camps, snarling and howling and dancing on each other's graves.

You mean when people stopped voting for their immediate interests and only voted based on their identity? And you solely blame these individuals?

[Damocles]

This just in: cooking stoves are hot! More at 11.

[Ferguson97]

Why should I be sad when a terrible human being dies?

[Xing]

I don't condone or endorse this, but I understand how it happens. Some people are tired of being empathetic and understanding to those who make poor choices that impact all of us, and who would never reciprocate the same courtesy. It's exhausting to put in a lot of effort to curb your negative impulses and be generous toward others, only for them to do the exact opposite and not care at all about the thought you give them (or worse, take advantage of it.) The temptation to just say "well, f*** it. If people are going to be selfish a**holes, I won't extend any sympathy to them and I'll be glad if they suffer for it!" is there, and it's not hard to see how people who have taken COVID seriously and made changes to their life that they didn't want to have to make would feel this way about those who didn't lift a finger to keep themselves or anyone else safe.

Obviously, this kind of reaction isn't the answer, but what is? How can empathetic people be expected to continue to use their energy to consider and concern themselves with people who act purely in shameless self-interest, regardless of the consequences? It's like constantly cleaning up after someone else's mess, and then getting called an a**hole for pointing out that maybe they could clean up their own mess.