The COVID-19 vaccine has become one of the most controversial issues in American politics today. On the one hand, the left has accepted the vaccine and is pushing for mandatory vaccination. On the other hand, some right-leaning Americans are trying to persuade as many people as possible to refuse the sting. Unfortunately, some people in the anti-vaccine camp have become as authoritarian as those who try to use the government to force people to vaccinate.
this Atlanta Magazine-Constitution The report said that in Georgia, “anti-vaccination protesters disrupted several vaccination campaigns – and forced one of them to shut down.”
The office of George’s Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey told the news media on Monday that staff engaged in public health vaccination campaigns “have been harassed, yelled, threatened, and belittled by some of the public they are trying to help.”
Toomey also stated that her office received “hostile and harassing emails.” she says:
These people are giving their lives to help others. We should thank them for trying to provide life-saving vaccines to our state.
this Atlanta Magazine-Constitution Also reported:
In a county in southern Georgia, anti-vaccine activists track public health employees through social media and use hostile messages and misinformation about vaccines to advertise to them.
The closed event was a mobile vaccination event that was supposed to be held in northern Georgia. According to the report, “a group of organized people harassed and abused public health workers.”
Nancy Nydam, a spokesperson for Toomey, told AJC:
In addition to feeling threatened, the staff realized that no one would come to the place for vaccination in this situation, so they packed up and left.
Georgia is not the only state where anti-vaccine protesters have participated in this behavior. In Tennessee, the authorities arrested Virginia C. Brown on Monday, allegedly driving her SUV through a medical tent. The county health worker in the tent was reportedly being vaccinated against COVID-19 in a shopping center. WSMV.
On Tuesday, anti-vaccine protesters in Franklin, Tennessee, harassed medical staff who advocated wearing masks in classrooms at a school board meeting. When the workers left the meeting, at least one person seemed to threaten them, shouting:
We know who you are. You are free to leave, but we will find you.
The parking lot after the school board meeting in Franklin, Tennessee’s wealthiest state last night. Parents harassed medical professionals who supported wearing masks at school. “We know who you are. You are free to leave, but we will find you.” pic.twitter.com/SzR0uvMeE7
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) August 11, 2021
On January 30, anti-vaccine protesters temporarily closed one of the country’s largest vaccination sites.this Washington post Report:
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson David Ortiz told the Washington Post that officials temporarily closed the gate of the site due to about 50 people protesting the immunization work. Within an hour, thousands of people lined up at Dodger Stadium to get the coronavirus vaccine. ‘S driver was delayed.
Most people agree that forcing people to vaccinate against COVID-19 is not the right approach. In fact, a poll conducted a few weeks ago showed that most Americans-including Republicans and Democrats-believe that vaccinations should be a matter of personal choice. This is why people reject the idea of using the government to force people to vaccinate.
However, the “personal choice” principle also has the opposite direction. It is one thing to oppose vaccination. But trying to prevent people from choosing to accept the jab is another matter. Those who try to ban individual vaccinations are as authoritarian as those who wish to force individual vaccinations.
The most important thing is that people should be free to choose what they put in their bodies instead of making decisions for them. This means that those who oppose vaccines must accept that they cannot and should not try to stop those who have made a personal choice to vaccinate. No matter what position people take on these issues, authoritarianism is wrong.
