Help! I've made difficult political decision.

[achilles]

The era of covid has been very troubling for me. Not because of the disease, I don't have even the slightest fear of the disease. I am not (very) old, reasonably healthy, and I did get the vaccine. Again, I have literally zero fear of the disease itself. But the politics surrounding it terrify me.

I live in a very blue state. All of my friends, family and relatives were completely, immediately, on board with unlimited emergency executive powers requiring universal vax and mask mandates, lockdowns, restrictions on public gatherings and involuntary quarantines. I was shocked at how instantly the progressive world I thought I lived in turned out to have an utterly authoritarian heart. FFS, they made other people's children (who were never at risk) wear masks, all day long, every day, for months on end, AFTER the vaccine was available, in order to make themselves slightly safer, and then called this insanity civic virtue!?!
I genuinely believe that if these people thought it was necessary to protect their community from the dangers of witchcraft they would not hesitate to burn witches alive. I am really scared.

The idea that this is what people think is moral is the reason I joined SanctionedSuicide. I was literally having nightmares about jumping off of buildings to avoid these people. The only reason I did not CTB is because I believe, I know, there must be (some) people out there who get that this kind of authoritarianism is wrong. If not, well, this life really isn't worth living, humanity deserves extinction, and I am on the next bus out.

Next month my state is having gubernatorial primaries. None of the Democratic candidates oppose the covid mandates. For the first time in my life I have registered to vote Republican, I hate conservative politics. But I feel this is a matter of conscience, I have no choice. But, I feel I cannot tell anyone I know about my change of party.

Please, someone, anyone, just tell me that my belief that people should be able to breath in public without a license, and acting on that belief by changing a check box on a voter registration form is, IDK, ... reasonable.

 

[Symbiote]

I'm a Fiscal Republican myself. I do think the masks are annoying and having covid mandates or shutting down businesses hurt not only Americans, but also hurts the poor-middle class small business owners because now they have to comply or be forced out of a job. You could've stayed Democratic and voted for Republican candidates. I had a Democratic voters card for a long time during the Bush Administration and voted for Obama, then for Donald Trump because Biden sucks ass.

In actuality, politics and the pandemic are running on separate wheels, whether you vote the person you think is right to lead the country in the right direction or not, your vote won't matter because politicians work only in the best interest for themselves.

 

[Someone123]

I do think that the mandates are probably not the best way to go now, and we probably shouldn't go back to them, but I understand what motivates them- it's a judgement call about risk vs. reward it seems. Recently a girl (age 21) who was in the news who was very healthy, athletic, and fully vaccinated got covid, and with the vaccines this prevents most but not all serious cases. She got a serious case and in less than a week her circulation had gotten so bad that they had to amputate her legs to save her life- this happened in Australia The vaccines reduce the risk of death greatly but some fully vaccinated people are still dying from covd. The CDC should be keeping these stats and presenting these stats better but they aren't. It appears that the risk of death is reduced by about 90% from the vaccines, but who knows exactly- these stats are not publicly displayed anywhere, so you have to piece together anecdotal evidence and guess. Having zero fear of covid doesn't mean you aren't at rsik, though, it would still be way better if you don't catch it because of these infrequent serious cases.

 

[achilles]

I am sorry. I seem to have failed in my intent.

I did not intend to spark a discussion of covid policy. I could not possibly care less about covid or the implications of covid for public health.

I just want validation for my decision to disagree with the moral authoritarianism of the people in my community.

It's the danger of being burned alive as a witch that scares me, I don't give a fuck about covid.

 

[western_heart]

As someone who is currently covid positive, this post comes across as pretty disingenuous

 

[achilles]

As someone who is currently covid positive, this post comes across as pretty disingenuous

I genuinely hope you get well soon. I have no ill will for you, or anyone who has suffered from the disease.

BTW, this is a suicide issues site, and this issue is making me suicidal. Please respect my crisis, and the expressed suicidal concerns of anyone else who posts on this platform.

 

[western_heart]

Idk what to tell you. I'm not going to validate your political choice. I'm on this site today, while in another country, bc I'm not sure if I will be able to get back home tomorrow given current US policy. it makes me suicidal.

I'm not happy but I'm certainly not going to vote Republican over this.

 

[houseofleaves]

this is a suicide issues site, and this issue is making me suicidal. Please respect my crisis, and the expressed suicidal concerns of anyone else who posts on this platform.

Wearing a mask makes you suicidal? Woah

 

[YourNeighbor]

It's the danger of being burned alive as a witch that scares me, I don't give a fuck about covid.

You do have an interesting dilemma.

On the one hand, if you don't give a fuck about COVID, public health, or the million Americans that died from it, you made absolutely the right choice in selecting your party affiliation.

On the other hand, if you don't like witch burnings, you made the absolutely wrong choice.

In any event, your problem is nothing to join SaSu about, and certainly no reason to contemplate suicide (though you might get a comment or two here wishing you peace and suggesting that every reason is a great reason to suicide).

 

[achilles]

Idk what to tell you. I'm not going to validate your political choice. I'm on this site today, while in another country, bc I'm not sure if I will be able to get back home tomorrow given current US policy. it makes me suicidal.

I'm not happy but I'm certainly not going to vote Republican over this.

I hope you are able to return home. Indeed, my political dilemma is driven by my desire to see policies enacted that will guarantee your right to return home at will. I certainly do not think it is my place to tell you how to vote, on this or any other issue.

 

[Someone123]

I am sorry. I seem to have failed in my intent.

I did not intend to spark a discussion of covid policy. I could not possibly care less about covid or the implications of covid for public health.

I just want validation for my decision to disagree with the moral authoritarianism of the people in my community.

It's the danger of being burned alive as a witch that scares me, I don't give a fuck about covid.

But because the virus it highly contagious and because the virus can kill people, especially the people who can't get the vaccine, such as cancer patients, it is morally much better to get the vaccine out of consideration of other people's health even if a person themselves is at lower risk. When people say it is my body my choice and it's as simple as that it's not that simple when your choice can get other people sick. That said, I don't believe that going back to lockdowns at this point makes sense because there are other negative impacts of the lockdowns economically and socially, but this is a grey area and a judgement call. Truthfully any covid thread will lead to disagreements because the points of view are so polarized.

 

[whatevs]

You are an actual liberal, apparently. That's too bad, there's no coming back now. You've seen where "progressives" really fall in the personal autonomy spectrum, and now you belong to the much maligned contrarian side of the "culture war". Welcome! I think there's a free seat between Ted Kacynsky and Alex Jones.

In all seriousness, your eyes have been opened, and expect worse things to come. Of course that the people masquerading as compassionate, cultured and open-minded were boot-licking, servile, gregarious, materialistic degenerates from the get go! It couldn't be otherwise. If I could, I would have them all vanished with the snap of two fingers. They have ruined the human experience with their cowardice. Oh how I wished for "COVID" to be what they pretended it to be.

 

[achilles]

Wearing a mask makes you suicidal? Woah

Yes, it does, absolutely. I recognize this is an irrational phobia. But it is quite real. I cannot even seek professional psychiatric help at this time because there is no way to do so without having to go into a setting that would require me to wear one.

I understand that for most of the people around me masks signal the willingness to make small sacrifices for the good of others.
That is laudable. But, for me, it symbolizes the willingness to override the objections of heretical individuals and force them to conform to the group orthodoxy. As far as I can tell, all of the people I know seem to have abandoned all of the principles that I thought stood in the way of this impulse to conformity. This is why they terrify me. I am serious about the suicidal nightmares. The mind is a funny thing.

My fear is real and compelling enough that I am even willing to support public health policies that I know will cause the deaths of some people. My fear is different than the fear of the people who fear covid, but just as real.

I do not think I being unethical. Quite the opposite. I think ethics requires me to respect the right of other people to disagree with me.
Because of the various covid mandates I feel as if I've awoken into the 17th century (hence the witch burning thing.) I want my lost 400 years of the enlightenment back.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I don't really think wearing a mask is such a big deal. Why does it have to be so politicized? I know of a lot of hyper-conservative old Asians who literally want to wipe out the homeless and yet even they still show no opposition towards masks or mask mandates. I don't really see it as a left or right issue. It's just a piece of cloth on your face that protects you from getting sick from the gross particles that come out of other people's mouths (unless you don't wash your hands enough which to be fair, it seems like no one really does which is probably the real main cause of this virus spreading).

Then again I also agree that people shouldn't have to be forced to wear them but they should rather feel compelled to do so if for nothing else then because it protects them more and protects others. Even if the protection itself isn't perfect it's still better than nothing there really.

I mostly just like them though because they cover up my ugly face so even if there are no more mandates I'll probably still wear them.

Anyway, I feel somewhat for you for wanting to CTB because you're turning red in a blue state. I would think it'd also be pretty bad for anyone in the reverse situation too. I don't consider myself on either side but sometimes my penchance for contrarianism or Devil's advocacy leads people to think I'm on the side opposite to theirs. I'm not sure if it should be a main reason to CTB but eh.

 

[achilles]

You do have an interesting dilemma.

On the one hand, if you don't give a fuck about COVID, public health, or the million Americans that died from it, you made absolutely the right choice in selecting your party affiliation.

On the other hand, if you don't like witch burnings, you made the absolutely wrong choice.

Thank you. I suspect you're trying to be sardonic, but at least you do see the dilemma.
And, I appreciate that you've actually thought enough about what I am trying to say to see that it is a dilemma.

 

[whatevs]

Wearing a mask makes you suicidal? Woah

Yes, it does, absolutely. I recognize this is an irrational phobia. But it is quite real. I cannot even seek professional at this time because there is no way to do so without having to go into a setting that would require me to wear one.

I understand that for most of the people around me masks signal the willingness to make small sacrifices for the good of others.
That is laudable. But, for me, it symbolizes the willingness to override the objections of heretical individuals and force them to conform to the group orthodoxy. As far as I can tell, all of the people I know seem to have abandoned all of the principles that I thought stood in the way of this impulse to conformity. This is why they terrify me. I am serious about the suicidal nightmares. The mind is a funny thing.

My fear is real and compelling enough that I am even willing to support public health policies that I know will cause the deaths of some people. My fear is different than the fear of the people who fear covid, but just as real.

I do not think I being unethical. Quite the opposite. I think ethics requires me to respect the right of other people to disagree with me.
Because of the various covid mandates I feel as if I've awoken into the 17th century (hence the witch burning thing.) I want my lost 400 years of the enlightenment back.

There's nothing irrational about feeling repelled and alienated by mindless subservience to a flimsy narrative that scarcely covers a horrible dystopian world.

It's completely rational, and not a phobia, to feel your soul crushed at the sight of an obvious symbol of ignorance and subjugation. At some point during the "pandemic" I stopped caring much about the droves of fools covering their face and heckling those that didn't, but that was because I stopped caring about anything. Humanity had shown how low it could go, and I knew for a fact this wasn't the last stop.

 

[achilles]

There's nothing irrational about feeling repelled and alienated by mindless subservience .......... I stopped caring about anything. Humanity had shown how low it could go, and I knew for a fact this wasn't the last stop.

Sincerly, I thank you very much. I am sorry if you've lost your faith in humanity. Your supportive response bolsters mine.

 

[houseofleaves]

I stopped caring much about the droves of fools covering their face

are you ok, sir

 

[Life_and_Death]

But because the virus it highly contagious and because the virus can kill people, especially the people who can't get the vaccine, such as cancer patients, it is morally much better to get the vaccine out of consideration of other people's health even if a person themselves is at lower risk. When people say it is my body my choice and it's as simple as that it's not that simple when your choice can get other people sick. That said, I don't believe that going back to lockdowns at this point makes sense because there are other negative impacts of the lockdowns economically and socially, but this is a grey area and a judgement call. Truthfully any covid thread will lead to disagreements because the points of view are so polarized.

This.
I can't wear a mask because it causes me to panic (reason unknown)
I can't get the vaccine because it causes me to panic (phobia of needles)
I'm also fairly confident im one of the high risk people that could die from it (a serious undiagnosed breathing problem)

I literally have zero defense against this and will most likely die if I get it. This whole lack of rules thing is nothing more then annoying to me. The government's gave more of a shit when the numbers were lower. Now they're doubling if not tripling but oh well and everyone only gives a fuck about themselves so while everything is open I'm still forced into isolation and probably will be for years because of this.

 

[Someone123]

This.
I can't wear a mask because it causes me to panic (reason unknown)
I can't get the vaccine because it causes me to panic (phobia of needles)
I'm also fairly confident im one of the high risk people that could die from it (a serious undiagnosed breathing problem)

I literally have zero defense against this and will most likely die if I get it. This whole lack of rules thing is nothing more then annoying to me. The government's gave more of a shit when the numbers were lower. Now they're doubling if not tripling but oh well and everyone only gives a fuck about themselves so while everything is open I'm still forced into isolation and probably will be for years because of this.

We'llk have to see how long this will take, but 65% of people in the U.S> have full immunity and 52% of people in the U.S> have had covid, so this combination should start to help to lessen the curve- compared to last year we look to be 40% down at comparable dates. But immunization around the world, especially in the areas with the most deaths, will be needed to get this under control.

Your own case seems like one where I can understand not getting the vaccine, but I think it could reduce the chances of getting this if you did get the vaccine, depending on what the breathing problem is.

 

[Kyrok]

Sweden had nearly 10x the mortality rate from covid vs Norway (pre vaccine)
The former rejected masks, the latter did not.

Mortality in Norway and Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic - PubMed

<span><i>Background:</i> Norway and Sweden are similar countries in terms of socioeconomics and health care. Norway implemented extensive COVID-19 measures, such as school closures and lockdowns, whereas Sweden did not. <i>Aims:</i> To compare mortality in Norway and Sweden, two similar...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pre-vaccine, the mandates were logical, and were as vaccination rates were still ramping up.

But, then came Delta, which prompted caution again.

By early 2022, with the vaccinations very widespread and delta over, it became rational to wind down measures, as many jurisdictions did.

The individual psychology is a different matter. But in terms of public health policy, most of what was done seemed rational in terms of disease mitigation.

 

[Feeding Pigeons]

I was shocked at how instantly the progressive world I thought I lived in turned out to have an utterly authoritarian heart.

Hah. At least you got the wake up call. Some people go their entire lives without realizing that.

 

[lostmylove]

Just wait until you find out about the Jews and the schemes they've been doing.... just kidding

 

[Life_and_Death]

Your own case seems like one where I can understand not getting the vaccine, but I think it could reduce the chances of getting this if you did get the vaccine, depending on what the breathing problem is

The vaccine would most likely help but I have a really really bad phobia.
I don't have a single memory where I'm not bawling, kicking, screaming and running.
I stopped getting shots when I was 13. When I was 14 or 15 I was suppose to get a flu shot because my little brother has a problem that makes his immune system not as strong. I couldn't even do that. My stepfather ended up tricking me, wrapping me up in a blanket and duck tape so I couldn't move, sitting on top of me while his friend (a registered nurse, so at least it wasn't someone that had no idea what they were doing) gave me the needle.
So... Yeah... Needles and I don't get along.

 

[Someone123]

The vaccine would most likely help but I have a really really bad phobia.
I don't have a single memory where I'm not bawling, kicking, screaming and running.
I stopped getting shots when I was 13. When I was 14 or 15 I was suppose to get a flu shot because my little brother has a problem that makes his immune system not as strong. I couldn't even do that. My stepfather ended up tricking me, wrapping me up in a blanket and duck tape so I couldn't move, sitting on top of me while his friend (a registered nurse, so at least it wasn't someone that had no idea what they were doing) gave me the needle.
So... Yeah... Needles and I don't get along.

Phobias are somethinge I don't understand, though I believe that in the right circumstances anyone could get one. This one could be worth overcoming for this and for future cases where a shot may have some potential to save your life- probably a therapist would be needed for this. Either that or maybe you could pay someone to wrap you in a blanket and duct tape and then to sit on you.

 

[DeutscheKartoffel]

As a chinese citizen/ temporary resident in a western country, I am vaccinated 3 dose in a democratic country.
However there is no doubt I would rather jump off a skyscraper than be injected with Chinese vaccines.

I also do not agree with lockdowns, vaccinate/mask mandates.
The democracy I used to know was long gone, marked by the withdrawal from afghanistan and wide-spread covid mandates.
Democracy is doing fuck all on all fronts.

 

[Someone123]

As a chinese citizen/ temporary resident in a western country, I am vaccinated 3 dose in a democratic country.
However there is no doubt I would rather jump off a skyscraper than be injected with Chinese vaccines.

I also do not agree with lockdowns, vaccinate/mask mandates.
The democracy I used to know was long gone, marked by the withdrawal from afghanistan and wide-spread covid mandates.
Democracy is doing fuck all on all fronts.

Do you really thinki that democracy is worse than a dictatorship?

 

[DeutscheKartoffel]

Do you really thinki that democracy is worse than a dictatorship?

Democracy is less hopeless than authoritarian dictatorship.
Countries like China and Russia top that list.

but that doesnt mean the average democracy is flawless.

It's outrageous for people to lose jobs on grounds of their vaccination status.
That's discrimination.

The policy makers have no idea what's going on, they've just been letting virus run loose once it got out of control, yet they try to haunt their citizens with all those degrading measures, without consent.

I never saw this coming but maybe I was too naive.

 

[Someone123]

It's outrageous for people to lose jobs on grounds of their vaccination status.
That's discrimination.

The policy makers have no idea what's going on, they've just been letting virus run loose once it got out of control, yet they try to haunt their citizens with all those degrading measures, without consent.

I never saw this coming but maybe I was too naive.

If a person is a nurse or a doctor and they are in contact with many patients per day then if they are unvaccinated they are at higher risk of transmitting the virus to others, often the most vulnerable people such as cancer patients. So it makes sense in this case that if they won't take this step to protect thier patients then they shouldn't be around patients.

I genuinely hope you get well soon. I have no ill will for you, or anyone who has suffered from the disease.

BTW, this is a suicide issues site, and this issue is making me suicidal. Please respect my crisis, and the expressed suicidal concerns of anyone else who posts on this platform.

Almost everybody here is suicidal, but if you bring up a controversial subject people are going to respond with their opinions- some will agree, and some will disagree. it's not fair to say that it makes me suicidal if anyone disagrees with me, so now everyone has to agree with me.

 

[DynamicDepression]

I'm sorry, but you believing mask mandates and vaccinations to be authoritarian is disrespectful to the billions of people living in actual authoritarian regimes.