Discussions

I wish it was that easy.  
There are most definitely different shades of grey within the 10-15% that aren't vaccinated. At one end you have the small percentage with a legitimate doctor-signed-off-on reason to not get it. From there you could progress to another type of person who you might describe as hesitant. At the far end of the spectrum you have the type of person pounding the table on (insert crazy disprovable conspiracy theory about government/vaccine makers/Bill Gates/etc here) and using that as justification for not getting vaccinated, maybe even running around spreading that misinformation on social media.  
 
In all of the above cases, the person not being vaccinated leaves us with that much more vulnerable of a population to outbreaks now and in the future. The person with a doctor prescribed reason is likely to find a lot of understanding from a good friend. These are the folks I feel the worst about in all of this because they're a very small portion of that unvaccinated percentage and they might feel like they're getting lumped in with wider sentiment about antivax folks.  
 
Going back to when it was started a year ago, this thread has been about the person basing their decisions surrounding the pandemic response on misinformation and conspiracy theories. When someone in tune with the facts and realities around the pandemic sees someone close to them like this taking actions that have a realistic chance to harm those around them it's not an easy thing to get past (even if they've given into rationalizations that they feel relieve them of this fact). In most cases I've seen, these folks have become so deeply dug in on their rationalizations that there's no talking them out of it... in stead resorting to an awkward form of avoiding confronting the facts and attempting to guilt with "Nevermind this pandemic nonsense. Let's be nice and get along. Why aren't you being nice."  
 
A friend is someone that we share common beliefs and goals with, the type of person that we choose to surround ourselves with because we enjoy each other's company and make each other better. One thing that the pandemic has really underscored is just how important our health and the health of those around us including our family and other friends is. When one sees this especially aggressive type of antivaxxer making decisions that could realistically result in harm to others close to us and often even going as far as trying to spread the kind of misinformation that would spread that harm even further it can cut to the core of what makes a friend a friend. Whether it's a wilful cutting off of that friendship because of it, or just the friendship drifting apart, these divisions are a sad byproduct of this pandemic.  
 
For me personally, I consider myself a patient guy who understands that people go through difficult times, that the pandemic for many has been anywhere from difficult to tragic and that they can change. When I run into a situation of someone in my own circle who falls into this category of having lost their grip on pandemic reality and is aggressively spreading misinformation, it's just not possible to have that person too close right now. The optimist in me remains hopeful that they'll eventually see the error in their ways be it by their own accord or by some form of intervention, but failing that it's hard to see how a friendship could move forward post-pandemic with someone so actively willing to be part of what's holding us back in this pandemic response knowing that the process of boosters and making smart public health decisions could very well be part of our lives indefinitely.  
 
I don't have enough information to assume exactly where you might fall on that scale, but I will say that your responses to hisluvmonkey have been highly inappropriate and show a lack of understanding for the challenges that many of the 85%+ of vaccinated folks are going through in walking a fine line between keeping the relationships that we value and doing our part in the best interest of the health of everyone else around us and our community. If intending to continue in this discussion, there is an expectation that you will "debate the point, not the person" and show respect to those you're replying to. 

My feelings are simple, I think Mother Teresa.

Sometimes it takes looking at things from another angle through the lens of comedy. This clip made me think of this thread and the challenges in getting through to some of these folks…  

IF THE TITANIC SANK TODAY pic.twitter.com/MDLxTdde0m

— Brittlestar (@brittlestar) December 19, 2021