Time to call out vile anti-vaxxers
Let’s be blunt: Some hard-core antivaxxers are among the most abusive, hateful and obnoxious people in Canada these days.
That stark statement may surprise many oh-so-polite Canadians who are still hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccine shot.
But they likely are also completely unaware of the obscenity-laced messages hurled by anti-vaxxers on a daily basis at journalists, politicians, health-care workers and others who support vaccines and vaccine mandates.
These are the bullies and foulmouthed punks we all remember from high school.
Sadly, this vocal subsect of the anti-vax crowd — militant, extreme libertarians, far-right zealots, antigovernment conspiracy theorists — gets free reign to spew its hate-filled abuse via social media and online.
And it’s time that polite Canadians, who may still be nervous about themselves or their children receiving a COVID vaccine jab, woke up to the reality of the makeup of a significant part of the crowd they are aligned with.
Over the past few months, I have received countless nasty emails from anti-vaxxers who objected to my comments that I’m fed up with their refusals to be vaccinated and that I believe politicians should adopt get-tough restrictions on the unvaccinated.
Clearly, more abuse and hate is tossed every day at female and diverse and racialized journalists writing on the same topic than at me. Still, the vehemence of the antivaxxers who sent emails to me or made comments on social media is stunning. As a courtesy, I asked the email writers if they would let me publish their name, the place where they live, or their workplace, if their note was sent from a company email address. Not surprisingly, not a single one agreed.
“No, you cannot use my email, name or title in your future or any newspaper columns,” replied the president of a large Toronto-area manufacturing company. Here’s a sample of the emails: “If I see you on the street I would Smash your face in YOU F---ING IGNORANT COMMIE,” wrote a person identifying themselves as Sonny.
“You are a hate-monger and a sad excuse for a journalist. What you are doing is un-Canadian. You are a piece of sh-t,” wrote Rob, who works as a multimedia specialist.
“You are a menace to society. You have obviously lost your mind and need mental help if you think unvaccinated people are a threat to society. You are deranged,” wrote Nicole from Alberta.
“This is what causes racism. You have no business knowing what goes in my body. You piece of human waste,” wrote John.
“God bless your soul if you still even have one,” wrote Diane.
“You are an arrogant moron,” wrote Dave.
“Stop spewing hate and writing sh-t articles. Grow a pair and write something useful. Gerbil looking ass,” wrote Brad.
Other emails, which I won’t or can’t publish because of the vulgar content, contained the most vile comments you can imagine anyone saying to another person. In addition, there’s an array of other comments, from those hoping that I die, or that the Toronto Star folds, to accusations (I laugh at these) that I’m getting large cheques straight from the Trudeau government.
The attacks against me are actually tame compared with abuse heaped on other journalists who have received death threats, threats of rape and threats against their families and homes.
Frankly, these anti-vaxxers should be ashamed of themselves. Many are out of control.
Believing they are on a noble mission to protect “personal freedom” and fight “government control,” they harass not only journalists, but doctors, nurses and politicians. They besiege hospitals, protest outside politicians’ homes, try to intimidate children at vaccination clinics and spread hate online.
It’s time to call them out — and it’s time that others who are unvaccinated get to know the type of antivaxxers who believe they speak on their behalf.