Protesting in front of hospitals the epitome of narcissism

The videos of the people recorded Sept. 1 were passionate about Covid-19 vaccines. They spoke with raw emotion. There was sadness, rage and deep concern in all of their voices.

They talked to the reporters carrying signs. They were outside hospitals across Alberta and the prairies yelling and chanting passionately.

Human rights. Unconstitutional. People needed to be punished. Hate. Hate. Hate.

In front of hospitals, places where lives are saved, where human compassion is supposed to know no bounds and where literally life and death work is being completed by extremely overworked medical personnel, crowds of people are spewing verbal vitriol, hateful messages towards anyone who will listen because they do no believe in getting a vaccine.

From what can be deciphered, people do not want the vaccine because of three main reasons. tThey do not want the vaccine to be a hinderance to go to places or events (also do not want to be forced to wear a mask) and they believe that the vaccine is either harmful or part of some sort of government or world wide economic conspiracy. They trust no one.

Forget the government trying to convince anti-vaxxers otherwise. The government has tried enticing the public with lotteries giving away money, vacations and other prizes. They have tried logic, presenting the evidence about the vaccines, the history and what Covid-19 can do. Doctors and nurses implore people to get vaxxed, take precautions and look out for others. Their frustration and desperation levels have reached their limit. Sadness has turned to anger. Exhaustion has turned into impatience.

Those who don’t believe in this pandemic, their anger has turned into rage and their impatience has turned into aggressive push back.

Whatever side of the fence you side on, that is your right, as is ones right to protest and express political or social views.

However, the logic behind the protests outside Alberta hospitals are nothing short of deplorable. They make no sense. None.

Getting attention of the public, politicians, the health professional community is one thing: doing it in front of a hospital is quite another.

Those pro-Covid-19 vaccinators often call those who refuse to get vaccinated self-centred, selfish, dangerous and bullheaded.

Prior to the demonstrations Sept. 1, I would have agreed in most cases. There are some genuinely nervous (either legitimate physical or mental health-wise) about the vaccine. The world is going to a vaccine-only type of situations where you can go out and until this is eradicated, this is part of the status quo. 80 per cent of the cases of those going to the hospital with Covid-19 symptoms have not been vaccinated at all.

However, protesting in front of hospitals where you are denouncing and mentally scarring health workers and the patients inside. At best, it is distracting on a variety of levels, bemusing even. Imagine working in a hospital where people are protesting saving one’s or at least improving the quality of life. However, with many hospital workers at near physical and mental exhaustion, to be further demoralized has shown up in a lot of emotional social media posts.

Makes no sense. Do these protestors understand those facing mental health issues and how scary that must be. How about those who are entering the health care facility for cancer treatments or other physical or mental health treatment trying to enter and otherwise being delayed for some time by these protestors.

What these people who are fully free to show their displeasure with the government and those who make medical decisions are failing to realize is how dangerously selfabsorbed they are putting innocent people at risk. While anti-vaxxers feel that the government is putting them at risk, they have the ability and choice to be there to do what they want and how they want. “Nobody is going to tell me what to do!”

Right. Those in the hospitals and the ones trying to help them don’t have a choice. They need help, those who have actually contracted Covid need help and don’t throw the whole garbage statement about this being a flu or people will get sick and die anyway. Remember: those who have this illness you don’t want protection from is filling hospital beds you don’t want to pay for and thus cancelling surgeries and now as of Sept. 4, Alberta is back to masking indoors. Congrats, you win.

If you want to protest, protest in front of a constituency office, the legislature, flood media outlets, write letters to the editor, send carrier pigeons with messages, do whatever.

Just don’t protest in front of hospitals to people trying to protect you. Congrats, you got everyone’s attention. You made your point, but it isn’t the one you wanted.

Think about it, it’ll come to you at some point. Or not.

Ryan Dahlman is the Managing Editor of Prairie Post East and Prairie Post West