Are you vaccinated for COVID 19?

[kenny]

... The misinformation is staggering.

So?

Not everyone who encounters misinformation falls for it.
What's staggering is their gullibility, or worse.

 

[LilAlex]

Also, a shot between the eyes refers to a punch, not a gun.

There is no part of the country -- in Arkansas or otherwise -- where this is a true statement.

I am glad you are with your people; they sound very enlightened. Be well! Wear a mask. And some Kevlar.

 

[Gussie]

You are welcome to visit @LilAlex. The banjo players would love you!

 

[Gussie]

There is no part of the country -- in Arkansas or otherwise -- where this is a true statement.

I am glad you are with your people; they sound very enlightened. Be well! Wear a mask. And some Kevlar.

@Calliecake this is the kind of language I was referring to that isn't helpful at all.

 

[LilAlex]

I think explaining to them the risks of being unvaccinated (both to themselves and others) is fine and should definitelybe done. I think that using anger and condescension when explaining it to them is harmful. Stating facts is fine and definitely not elitist. Belittling them is not ok and is elitist. And it doesn't work.

I see how well it works on this forum .

"Belittling" is elitist? I guess all the anti-vaxxers are super-elite. Who knew?

"Elite" is not what it used to be (think: elite athlete). It's a new epithet directed at other people by a silver-spoon, Ivy-educated, 747-owning serial business failure. Somehow I'm elite with my house and dog and Chevy and state-school education? No, "elite" is now code for "intelligent" for people who are too insecure to admit it.

After 18 months, the compassion fatigue is real. We've been handing out fish for a year and a half. Learn to fish, for cryin' out loud. All the proud, ferociously independent, don't-need-nobody culture-warriors senselessly filling up the ERs and hospitals with month-long multi-million-dollar admissions -- and failing to notice the irony.

I have posted a number of times on these issues -- facts and personal experience. Wanted to see if there would be factual pushback. There has been none. The negative responses I have gotten have fallen into the following camps:

1. "There is a meanness to the way that you ridicule my bafflingly poor judgment."

2. "One of the words that you used made me cross my arms and frown."

3. "The vaccine has not been tested well enough after several billion doses."

There is frustration in some of my posts -- and many others', too. It's very real.

 

[Gussie]

There is frustration in some of my posts -- and many others', too. It's very real.

Elitist in this context means an attitude that "I am smarter than you so you should do what I say." People do not respond well to that, no matter if what you're saying is right or not.

I get that it is very frustrating that more people aren't vaccinated. However, you will reach no one by condescension or pure meanness. In fact, my argument is that it causes lots of people to reject your point and dig their heels in deeper.

I don't think this discussion is going anywhere though. Heels are dug in here too.

Peace y'all!

 

[LilAlex]

Elitist in this context means an attitude that "I am smarter than you so you should do what I say." People do not respond well to that, no matter if what you're saying is right or not.

This is called "expertise." I think this is pretty much the definition. I am smarter than you about something so my opinion is more valuable. It works for roofers, plumbers, carpenters, gardeners, accountants -- you name it. We give them our money and they use their "knowledge" to "solve" our "problems." I did not make this system up. Humans have used it for thousands of years. You can read about it. We exchange money for not just goods but for services, too. Only very recently, being "smart" about something means you merit less attention than someone who is not smart about something.

Knowledge is not an "attitude." Someone else's inferiority complex over their "low-information status" is no longer on the front burner for me. ("Low information" is the euphemistic industry term for the audience of a major news outlet, accounting for why their stories are written in very simple language and are only a few paragraphs long.)

I agree this discussion isn't going anywhere. Worse than I expected. When experts who understand a problem are just one voice among many . Just another random party with they "heels dug in," evidently. Like all the round-earthers clinging to their facts.

The "y'all" tells me a lot -- you are coming from the least-vaccinated fifth-wave COVID mecca of your country. With your head-in-the-sand Governors, "We never back down -- no matter how wrong we are."

I am not trying to "reach" you. I am trying to call attention to your reasoning process around this vaccine. I know it will not change your stance and you may not understand much of what I write -- but someone else might a day or week from now. This is what I can do.

And your post is one more "If you wanna win me over with yer book-lernin', y'all better be sweet about it." (See category (1), above.) Been there; past it.

Peace, indeed.

 

[monarch64]

Kenny, I just had my heart scanned today. We'll see if I die from an heart attack first or from Covid. Covid is hitting the vaccinated now, so you aren't as protected as you may think. Again, I'm not against the vaccination people should take the jab, but not all people can for different reasons.

DF, my heart would break if we lost you. I just wanted to say that to you. We never know when the last time we get to tell someone we care about them could be. You've given a lot of good advice on this forum over the years and whether you think so or not you are loved. Every amazing person has haters. You have a lot so you must be pretty amazing.

 

[monarch64]

As far as vax/anti-vax, FFS, let the cards fall where they may. We are now to the point that employers are requiring workers to be vaccinated, military/armed forces are being required to get the vaccination, etc. Like, if that doesn't tell you that you should just go do it, no amount of internet arguing is going to convince the outliers.

I really hate that @LilAlex brought "y'all" into this. That's some discriminatory bs. That language and hatred and attitude put Trump in office. There is absolutely an elitist part of society in the U.S. and that's a piece of utter nastiness that comes out of it when Y'ALL want to get a point across when all other efforts have failed because your debate skills suck. Gross.

I'm vaccinated. My repub friends are also vaccinated. None of them put up a fight about it and we all have just been going on about our lives, masking, not masking, masking again. There is a very small percentage of idiots who refuse vaccinations that makes it onto the news or social media. Stop playing into the hype. When you see a news report that a school bus was involved in an accident do you think all school buses are now a danger to society in general? No? OK.

I wouldn't have even bothered to say anything until I saw the blatant hatred and disrespect in this thread's responses/discourse. I just cannot and will not sit by and watch someone or multiple people be complete Richards AND broken records. We get it, you're super upset about the pandemic. Guess what? So is everyone. Guess what else? Most humans are resilient and reach a point of saturation and then say "welp, let's get back in the saddle again, this horse ain't gonna ride itself, Y'ALL."

 

[Gussie]

This is called "expertise." I think this is pretty much the definition. I am smarter than you about something so my opinion is more valuable. It works for roofers, plumbers, carpenters, gardeners, accountants -- you name it. We give them our money and they use their "knowledge" to "solve" our "problems." I did not make this system up. Humans have used it for thousands of years. You can read about it. We exchange money for not just goods but for services, too. Only very recently, being "smart" about something means you merit less attention than someone who is not smart about something.

Knowledge is not an "attitude." Someone else's inferiority complex over their "low-information status" is no longer on the front burner for me. ("Low information" is the euphemistic industry term for the audience of a major news outlet, accounting for why their stories are written in very simple language and are only a few paragraphs long.)

I agree this discussion isn't going anywhere. Worse than I expected. When experts who understand a problem are just one voice among many . Just another random party with they "heels dug in," evidently. Like all the round-earthers clinging to their facts.

The "y'all" tells me a lot -- you are coming from the least-vaccinated fifth-wave COVID mecca of your country. With your head-in-the-sand Governors, "We never back down -- no matter how wrong we are."

I am not trying to "reach" you. I am trying to call attention to your reasoning process around this vaccine. I know it will not change your stance and you may not understand much of what I write -- but someone else might a day or week from now. This is what I can do.

And your post is one more "If you wanna win me over with yer book-lernin', y'all better be sweet about it." (See category (1), above.) Been there; past it.

Peace, indeed.

Bless your heart @LilAlex

 

[Dancing Fire]

DF, my heart would break if we lost you. I just wanted to say that to you. We never know when the last time we get to tell someone we care about them could be. You've given a lot of good advice on this forum over the years and whether you think so or not you are loved. Every amazing person has haters. You have a lot so you must be pretty amazing.

Mon64
Speak for yourself. I'm the most hated person on PS. There are at least a dozen PSer have me on their ignored list.

 

[Matata]

Just when you think it couldn't get uglier.

The federal requirement that hospitals waive covid treatment costs not covered by insurance in order for hospitals to be eligible for federal reimbursement of those waived costs has ended. Hospitals can now decide to charge patients for costs not covered by insurance.

An article in my paper today is about the impact of that on our two hospitals. The story highlighted a particular patient who was in hospital for 141 days. Patient's insurance covered $500,000 of the $3,000,000 total cost.

Both hospitals have lost and are continuing to lose revenue due to cancellation of all surgeries and other care, increased costs for supplies, increased cost of overtime, and less than 50% reimbursement from the federal govt. Both are faced with a decision on whether to bill patients for the full cost of their care as neither hospital can absorb those costs indefinitely. It isn't an exaggeration when they talk about the potential collapse of a health care system.

The ugly result is that more ire will be directed at the unvaccinated because of the cost burden they are placing on everyone. From the editorial in my paper today:

"So those who are insisting on their 'right' to remain unvaccinated are costing the rest of us real money. If it doesn't come from federal tax dollars, it will come from higher rates charged by hospitals to cover the losses from treating covid patients, more than 90% of whom are unvaccinated."

This is going to cause a backlash where I live. Soon people will start pressuring hospitals to triage covid patients or turn them away in order to provide care to others with medical needs whose treatment has been indefinitely delayed.

 

[LilAlex]

I really hate that @LilAlex brought "y'all" into this. That's some discriminatory bs. That language and hatred and attitude put Trump in office. There is absolutely an elitist part of society in the U.S. and that's a piece of utter nastiness that comes out of it when Y'ALL want to get a point across when all other efforts have failed because your debate skills suck. Gross.

That discriminatory "bs" that disgusts you -- it's called "data."

At least own your own terrible decisions, y'all.

This is from this morning. Y'all.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

This cartoon is from the 1930'S:

 

[LilAlex]

An article in my paper today is about the impact of that on our two hospitals. The story highlighted a particular patient who was in hospital for 141 days. Patient's insurance covered $500,000 of the $3,000,000 total cost.

Many of us live this. Huge pay cuts while everyone is working twice as hard and at enormous personal risk. And all the while derided as elitist (!) cassandras treating a make-believe pandemic .

My state's most successful program to help convert the "undecided" was a casino voucher .

 

[LilAlex]

There is a very small percentage of idiots who refuse vaccinations that makes it onto the news or social media. Stop playing into the hype. When you see a news report that a school bus was involved in an accident do you think all school buses are now a danger to society in general? No? OK.

I wouldn't have even bothered to say anything until I saw the blatant hatred and disrespect in this thread's responses/discourse. I just cannot and will not sit by and watch someone or multiple people be complete Richards AND broken records. We get it, you're super upset about the pandemic. Guess what? So is everyone.

40% is a very small percent? We disagree there. That "very small percent" is the difference between eradication and persistence. Which means the difference between variant emergence and suppression. It is not 100%, but that is how epidemiology of highly communicable disease works.

Thankfully, I do not know what a "Richard" is -- anything like a Tucker or a Sean? -- but sometimes when people say the same thing over and over it's because the message is not getting through .

And you absolutely will continue to "sit by and watch" -- you have been doing that for a very long time and it serves you and your anger well.

Amazing that all anyone seems to comment on is their personal affront and not fixing the problem. It never should have come to this -- and it never could have without enormous help from some influential and malignant individuals .

 

[kenny]

...

Thankfully, I do not know what a "Richard" is -- anything like a Tucker or a Sean? ...

Richard is 'long' for dick, as in being a dick.
A few weeks back Monarch64 called me a dick on Hangout.
It's probably still there.

As Joe Friday from the TV show Dragnet says, "Just the facts, Ma'am."

 

[Matata]

And all the while derided as elitist (!) cassandras treating a make-believe pandemic .

Anti-intellectualism is rampant. People think that a democracy means their ignorance is as valid as others' knowledge. You might have noticed it in this thread

 

[kenny]

Since we're all equal now the stupid and the smart are the same, so why bother getting educated?

Can't imagine why America is dying.

 

[Mjay]

Just wanted to give an update because I posted last week that my entire family came down with covid. My husband and I are both fully vaccinated but had minor cold like symptoms. My boys handled it so well! My 4 year old sons fever was his only symptom. It hit 104.5 the first night which was why we got tested. Anyways his fever was gone within 24 hours and he is back to his crazy self. My 4 month old had a low grade fever for a few hours and a bit of an upset tummy, weird smelling farts, and sneezing but he is all better now! I think he had some antibodies from breastfeeding after I was vaccinated. I’m so thankful that we are all much better and handled it so well. We are still on quarantine until Saturday and this mama is losing her mind cooped up with my crazy boys!

 

[Mjay]

I haven’t read all of the replies to this thread but I did want to state that I was a bit nervous about getting vaccinated but my husband is a first responder and in 1 shift he intubated a 6 year old and an 8 year old. The 6 year old is currently on a ventilator. I scheduled my appointment for the next day. That being said; I fully support the right of medical freedom. I am very pro vax but my best friend is very anti vax. None of her kids are vaccinated. Do I secretly think she is an idiot for not vaccinating them- well yes. But I truly believe she is doing what she feels is best for her family based on her upbringing and life experiences so I respect her decision and support her right to make them.

 

[Matata]

But I truly believe she is doing what she feels is best for her family based on her upbringing and life experiences so I respect her decision and support her right to make them.

Decisions based on upbringing (whatever that entails) and life experiences are no substitute for decisions based on science.

I'm relieved that you and the rest of your family survived covid without any apparent long term effects. My stomach did a flip to read that your 4 yr old and 4 mo. old got sick. That must have been super scary.

 

[kenny]

Decisions based on upbringing (whatever that entails) and life experiences are no substitute for decisions based on science. ...

+1

I often see, "I wasn't raised that way" used as if it was acceptable excuse for poor choices or behavior.
But the way I see it, we're not finished being raised till we're dead.

As a child my parents used the N word.
Does that mean I can use it because I was "raised that way?"
Of course not.
Watch some 1960s films when sexual harassment was le régulier, but now we know better.

What your parents taught you may not be right for you. Your call, as an adult.

Hopefully when we leave our parents' home we continue to learn and grow, keeping the good and discarding the bad.

 

[MamaBee]

Just wanted to give an update because I posted last week that my entire family came down with covid. My husband and I are both fully vaccinated but had minor cold like symptoms. My boys handled it so well! My 4 year old sons fever was his only symptom. It hit 104.5 the first night which was why we got tested. Anyways his fever was gone within 24 hours and he is back to his crazy self. My 4 month old had a low grade fever for a few hours and a bit of an upset tummy, weird smelling farts, and sneezing but he is all better now! I think he had some antibodies from breastfeeding after I was vaccinated. I’m so thankful that we are all much better and handled it so well. We are still on quarantine until Saturday and this mama is losing her mind cooped up with my crazy boys!

I’m so happy you are all doing well. I can’t even imagine how scary this must have been knowing your children had Covid.

 

[Mjay]

I’m so happy you are all doing well. I can’t even imagine how scary this must have been knowing your children had Covid.

Thank you! The 104.5 fever was so scary. The contagiousness of this new strain is truly terrifying. Im very thankful we are on the other side of it now.

 

[MamaBee]

Thank you! The 104.5 fever was so scary. The contagiousness of this new strain is truly terrifying. Im very thankful we are on the other side of it now.

It’s very scary…I worry about it a lot lately..

 

[Calliecake]

I’m glad your children are doing ok @Mjay. This had to be so scary for you.

 

[Tekate]

Mon64
Speak for yourself. I'm the most hated person on PS. There are at least a dozen PSer have me on their ignored list.

No you're not, by far not. I can think of at least 2 posters who are disliked more.

 

[Dancing Fire]

No you're not, by far not. I can think of at least 2 posters who are disliked more.

So I'm 3rd on your list? Long time no see. Nice to see another one of my liberal friends...

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

How do you know I won't drug you and do brain surgery on you to turn you into a flaming liberal?

I dont think DF could ever be turned into a flaming liberal