asianKit9
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I’ve been extremely concerned about this close relative’s unvaxxed status and been thinking about how best to broach the subject knowing it could go downhill very quickly. An opportunity arose and I went for it. The first 30 minutes of the conversation was so surreal. I just listened without interrupting and it was impossible to reconcile the bright girl that grow up right before my eyes with the unrecognizable and irrational person at the other end of the phone. Ngl It felt like I was listening to some whack job. And I say that with a very heavy heart. Everything she said was straight out of the Fox News disinformation and propaganda playbook. It was heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. The breakthrough moment came when I shared Fox News vaccination policy and the fact that 90% of its employees including the anchors who push anti-vax vitriol are all fully vaxxed. For the first time, she realized that she may have been lied to and was more open to what I had to say about the benefits of getting vaxxed. If you have loved ones who refuse to be vaxxed and you want to help, approach them with love , compassion and understanding rather that judgment. It’s painful to listen to the lies they repeat, but be patient. You can make a difference if they feel they’re being heard. And you never know, you may save a life.
SquigglySausage
Lets hope you really did get though to her. Its difficult when its somebody in your family you love
JoJotarot
You're lucky. There are people even further down this rabbit hole that would have just waived fox as "fake news" and not changed at all.
herejusttopointouterrors
Get over yourself. You didn't change anything. She changed her mind because TRUMP is now publicly pro vaccine. But fool yourself if you like
ImFunnierThanYallGiveMeCreditFor
The thumbnail cuts off at "I may have changed" and I was both very concerned and curious how that got to the front of imgur
Rockstarwizkidd
I did this with my family and they also calmed down and gave ground. You can't tell at people and tell them they're idiots to change their
Rockstarwizkidd
mind. Something a lot of folks on the left definitely don't get. Be snide if you want, both sides. Maybe *more* one of them, but it is both.
Sulanis
Rven if it's one at a time, it's worth it.
yikesaroni
some people do not want the pandemic controlled, for political reasons
nonfamousperson
You’re so strong. Thanks for sharing what worked.
ReconnGamer
How stupid can people be? A Trump supporter and an antivaxer? Does she understand that her Tump rushed the vaccine through?
BlahBlahBlacksheep555
My entire extended family is hard-right pro-Trump anti-vax electrion-fraud. I've tried to be compassionate and present basic logic, but 1/
BlahBlahBlacksheep555
1/ It hasn't worked yet. My brother thinks Tucker Carlson is an oracle. Last month I sat with them. They turned on FoxNews and it was 2/
BlahBlahBlacksheep555
like watching a cult worship its hero, nodding and saying "You know it!". Two of us have masters degrees. It's like they're all infected 3/
BlahBlahBlacksheep555
with a brain disease that disables rational thinking. I've had to give up. My brother didn't believe it when Trump said he got vaxed.
Heisanevilgenius
I'm just not capable of doing this. My parents' anti-vax sentiments came as a huge betrayal to me and I'm too angry to have a rational talk
BulletToofTony
My sister was one of those since she thought it was too suspicious they rolled the vax out too fast. That there was some level of hidden..
BulletToofTony
agenda. Once I explained that there was already research being done for similar viruses and that coronavirus had been around for a long time
BulletToofTony
Then they finally tried to learn. They were just too busy with their lives to actually do the research. In the end she got it
elgwango1
Got two antis in our family full of stupid lies seen online facts & reason don't touch em even getting seriously ill didn't work
OptionThirty
And also - approaching those you disagree with with compassion, empathy, and love is really the only way to get those to change their mind
Puppersforall
Exactly. Insulting or attacking people just makes them more entrenched in their beliefs. Talk more, judge less.
OptionThirty
If only every American knew/believed this, imagine where we'd be
VinnyVeritas
The world would be better with fewer Trump supporters.
kcinsti
I've stopped trying to change minds except to ask them if they'll just consider that, like OP said, maybe they're being lied to, /1
kcinsti
and to point out that they *should* have nothing to lose by looking into it.
espi0920
I'm surprised she was able to form coherent sentences.
TwoStupidDogs
I love to hear these stories
leodavinci1
You are lucky. She choose to believe what you said about the Fox News vax policy. Probably because there was some small doubt in the 1
leodavinci1
back of their mind. I think most of these people don't believe it. No one likes to admit (let alone think) they have been fooled. 2
leodavinci1
They think that only happens to stupid people and that they are too smart. 3
Grillparzer
No one had that conversation with my brother. RIP 12/05/2021
Lumpyguy
Trump is vaxxed, every republican is vaxxed, the fox news crew are all vaxxed. These idiots don't find anything wrong with that?? christ...
zakisback
most of these antivaxxers/fox news types are just people afraid. They need validation, care, friendship, and to not be excluded.
LightStriker
- doubts -
Thehoffmiester
Trump supports vaccine now. That should help the argument
ArcadiaBerger
What a noble deed. I labored for over an hour doing CPR, exposed myself to unknown bacteria, and she died anyway. So...good on ya.
stoutde
I showed my in-laws the video of Trump and Bill OReilly talking about having boosters, and Trump telling Candice Owens vaccines work.
sesamesnapsinhalf
Did it convince them?
stoutde
Two of the three, but the third has questions now.
sesamesnapsinhalf
Amazing. I always wondered what it would take to break the trance.
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stoutde
https://youtu.be/2GC86EhnpiQ
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stoutde
Good luck! I can't promise it'll help everyone, but seeing Trump say the vaccines work and demand credit for them helped the in-laws.
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stoutde
First half, not the second half.
AdobewanKenobe
Trump is VAXXED and BOOSTED!
TheRelevancyOfMyNameIsRelativelyIrrelevant
one of the very first people to get vaxxed
asianKit9
And he got booed by magats. Strange times
AdobewanKenobe
If brains were putty, their windows would fall out.
RadasNoir
They were always in love with the *idea* of Trump, not Trump himself.
AdobewanKenobe
Sorta... IMHO, his rhetoric is so vague that they hear whatever they want and believe that he thinks like them. But he says nothing really.
TresusIbor
They will take anyone that shit talks, acts like a child, and basically tries to run the government how they 1/2
TresusIbor
picture they would in their fantasy world. 2/2
RadasNoir
Yup, which is why we've had politicians falling all over themselves to prove that they're even more stupid and hateful than the ones before.
PerthAussieMike
Although I am anti-Trump, it's hard for me to understand their stance against vaccines since he pushes his involment with producing the 1/
Chakra5
This stance & many others are not being set by Trump, nor the GOP. The GOP passed Putin their balls, in exchange for power a long time ago.
PerthAussieMike
vaccine (signing papers to speed it up) and getting vaxxed himself and booster. Although he does seem to be anti mask himself
Jak8714
Trump not only 'legitimized' the anti-vaxx movement, he further united it with other right-wing insanity. The different factions have always
Jak8714
been allies, but Trump gave them a face to rally behind, and helped them feed off of each other.
tr26
I think it's because he was so vocally against those publicly pushing for vaccinations, trashing fauci at rallies, etc.
ImHereToGetDownvotes
He made it about himself and about freedoms, basically painting Fauci and Democrats as "Clueless control freaks" then Republicans and 1/
ImHereToGetDownvotes
their propaganda media machine latched on to that turning it into a "But your freedoms!" rhetoric machine. 2/2
WatcherNotCreeper
It's about the going conspiracy. Right now, thats Biden's vaccine push MUST mean they are bad. Even Trump isn't immune to the delusional.
SlutAtNight
He has a tan to show off
Tomadzo
The tan will wipe off on the mask
SlutAtNight
Hehe that would look pretty funny
aristera
It's anti government. Gov says to do something? Fuck you. I'm gonna not do it because you said I should. Simple as that.
GrosseChung
And he has recently advocated for vaccines, only to be booed by his cult. I don't get why he's had a change of heart now.
MateriaGirl1
The GOP needs voters. If they are dead, then they are useless.
aristera
No more to gain by killing off his base.
GrosseChung
So there was something to gain by killing them off when he was still president?
GaetanBamphous
There's a report from the early days of pandemic, he was ignoring the dangers of it because it was hitting cities (dem voters) harder
aristera
It's a rallying point/loyalty test for his base, was trying to maintain the economy until he was reelected, hurting dem cities originally.
mksu
Saving the lives of fascists is damaging to the country.
TheOldSchoolisBack
Saving people from fascism is good for the country.
mksu
Convincing someone to get vaccinated hardly stops them from being a fascist.
asianKit9
We disagree on most things but I still love & care for her deeply. her beliefs are more out of ignorance than malice. We’re all redeemable
mksu
Stop centering the comfort and convenience of people who are indifferent to the harm they cause others.
asianKit9
I hear ya. To each their own. I chose to change ignorant minds one person at a time. It’s easier to catch a fly with honey than with vinegar
asianKit9
I’ve convinced at least 8 people to get vaxxed. I find that most are ill-informed
mksu
You keep saying they're ignorant as though that somehow mitigates the harm they cause or excuses their selfishness. It doesn't.
mksu
Maybe you guys should figure out how to save the country before you commit scarce resources to saving the people committed to destroying it.
mksu
You guys will gift wrap this country and hand it to the fascists so long as you never have to question your inherited moral intuitions.
TimbitsAreDonutHoles
What makes us better than fascists is our unwillingness to let people die just because they're dumb. The fascists are *encouraging* dying.
mksu
Fascists aren't just dumb. They're actively working to destroy the rest of us. There is a massive difference between the two.
TimbitsAreDonutHoles
The people who like fascists but have no power are the dumb ones. They, too, are the "other." Why else are they being invited to die?
GrumblyArcher
I'm really tired of saying this but every single new case of COVID is another chance for it to mutate into a worse strain.
GrumblyArcher
"Let 'em die" doesn't work and hurts everyone.
mksu
That's what vaccine mandates are for. Investing an immense amount of time and energy in saving a few individuals won't change the pandemic.
GrumblyArcher
Vaccine mandates are government-scale, this poster is personal-scale. Two very different things bud.
FlightyZoosh
Good work, well done. I am a patient person but I'm not sure I can do the same for my bro and sis-in-law. They have sold their home 1/2
OverlordNeb
Aurum potestas est - Gold is power
jiminymacca
It's sad you're being downvoted simply for quoting Artemis Fowl
TinFoilKat
Not sure why Trump supporters are so vs the vax when he was very pro vax and was one of the first ones to get it
MateriaGirl1
Even the fox news idiots are vaxxed.
Rhythmaster
Because Trump merely tapped into this group of people and pretended to share their beliefs, he didnt create them or their beliefs...
Rhythmaster
these anti-Gov, anti-science republican/libertarians that are afraid of immigrants have been around for a long time.. trump didnt spawn them
TuckerCarlsonWarnedYouTheredBeGirlsLikeMe
Trump is great and solely responsible for getting the vax developed quickly but dont trust the vaccine because it was released so quick. Wtf
AustraliaTellsItHowItIs
yeah it's a bit of a mess, Even right wing personalities like Ben Shapiro telling people the vaccine is great. But he's anti mandate.
FlightyZoosh
..and invested everything in gold and bitcoin. They are convinced the great reset is coming soon and millions of us vaccinated are going 2/3
ShanghaisFamousLittleDublinDistrict
Right, because the govt def wants us dead. That will be way less tax money for them. Makes sense.
TheRockDude
Also because the govt definitely wants to kill the ones most willing to listen to the govt, and not the contrarians, for some reason
HalfPintKatie
That's why I don't understand not having universal health care - if ppl are healthy and working, you collect more taxes.
Hnak25
Insurance premiums are higher than taxes for the average person and politicians receive campaign money from lobbyists...aka more money :)
FlightyZoosh
..to die. I feel sorry for my 12 year old niece are what they are poisoning her mind with. Its all very sad. 3/3
bjwitkin365
Huh. You must be my brother in law's brother in law because this is exactly what my in-laws tell us. And they've convinced their kids ☹️
giraffacekillah
My brother and his wife told my 6yo niece this would be her last earthly bday because Jesus would be returning soon. Anti-vax. Anti-science
asianKit9
Same here. I feel sorry for her as her mom exposed her to nothing but Fox News and the likes of Ken Copeland from childhood. It’s so sad
sqabbit
Unfortunately, the way forward is showing them love and hoping for a conversion as hard as it is to do and resist hating them. So great job!
bjwitkin365
Huh. You must be my brother in law's brother in law because this is exactly what my in-laws tell us. And they've convinced their kids ☹️
datester35
Investing in gold and bitcoin could be lucrative, not sure about everything else though...
FlightyZoosh
I agree, but as part of a diverse portfolio. But selling your home and using it all, extremely risky.
notabotandnotnotabot
Could also collapse. Bitcoin is highly speculative and unstable and gold is counting on collapse of money and interest in Gold in dystopia.
datester35
I would say they are both inversely related to market performance, could a good fallback for 1% of portfolio each
Autisticawkwardpenguin
That’s the sad thing. Gold goes up every recession. You don’t need an apocalypse to have a fire.