Deliberately Spreading Covid: A Family Shattered

[babylonsister]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/10/3/2055673/-Deliberately-Spreading-Covid-A-Family-Shattered

Deliberately Spreading Covid: A Family Shattered
Seamus OCallaghan
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Sunday October 03, 2021 · 10:35 PM EDT
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snip//

I begin with two cousins, sisters, who have long held conservative views that were tempered by acts of love and caring for their family and friends. I grew up with them and their brother, never living far apart and always sharing milestones and holidays. Sleep-overs and pool parties. All the things close extended families do together.

They were still rational, or so it seemed, until the rise of an explicit white nationalist movement and the politician who fomented it. Their conversations and social media comments became more and more explicit in their love for the movement and its leader, and contempt for those they believed stood in the way of its success.

snip//

The two took their mother on a weekend in the mountains where one sister has a small cabin. The sister I was staying with came home about an hour after my own mother had stopped in to say hi, but missed her.

Two days later, the sister I was staying with developed typical Covid symptoms. Tests confirmed it. What happened was one sister infected the other plus their mother over the weekend, then returned to their respective homes (their parents live with the other sister) and infected everyone in them.

One infected her mother and father, both in their late 80’s. The other infected me and her 65+ husband who has one functioning kidney. Their parents developed severe Covid symptoms but just barely stayed out of the hospital because they were vaccinated.

snip//

700,000 dead in the US alone was irrelevant. 1,800 to 2,000 more per day irrelevant. One story after another of Covid denialists recording messages of contempt then winding up dead, irrelevant.

That was more than enough for me. And my parents. And her brother. We have cut these sick, dangerous people out of out lives at profound emotional cost, mostly I think because we were so suddenly and so graphically exposed to their foul disregard for any human life, including literally the lives of their own parents and mine. I know it will not shock you to hear their parents—the ones who barely stayed out of the hospital—have taken their side with some mumbo jumbo about God’s Will.

I didn’t stick around to find out whether that applied to all diseases spread intentionally or just the ones embarrassing to Donald Trump. If I were their parents I don’t know if I could stand to admit what I had brought up and out into the world. And they are themselves weak and dependent.

My cousins have made it clear they will never be vaccinated. It’s still their “personal choice”. Your health isn’t their job. Their intentions were clear, too: they will continue to spread Covid with the lowest and foulest motivations. They managed to keep their venomous nuttery quiet until after the election, which was of course stolen by any number of domestic and foreign actors who, with the assistance of the Deep State and somebody(?) in China, deprived the rightful winner of his natural place in the Oval Office.

They were even at the January 6th rally, which they hadn’t told anyone. Because of course they were.

Multiply these stinking bags of vomit by millions and we have the huge, un-wiped ass of American society. I wish we had dug deeper and earlier into their views but you don’t normally have to wonder how your cousins feel about not killing members of their own family. The explicit cost of being part of their world is to permit yourself to be infected and pass the infection on.

They have turned a deadly disease into their weapon, touchstone, and rising sun.

The tolerance of this garbage must end. I don’t know the answer, apart from wondering what is permitted to us acting in self-defense. Like my cousins, the entire movement is a gleeful, malicious troll on humanity. They were right about Covid, their president was right about Covid, and they are going to prove it one corpse at a time, even as it kills mostly their own kind.

They have started the Civil War they wanted, or so they seem to think. It’s a crude, low-rent version of biological warfare and they will likely exhaust themselves before they have chance to “win”, but surely their intention to sow chaos and death will play out on us all. How many more will die before they are put in their place?

[Faux pas]

1. Kickin'

[lkinwi]

2. This hits close to home.

I have tRump-loving cousins who refuse to get vaccinated. COVID went through one of their families, but they still refuse. They also don’t understand why I won’t visit.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

37. Sorry to hear that.

Did any get long covid, or die?

My cousin passed a few weeks ago. No vaccine for her. She just retired too.

[lkinwi]

49. No deaths but they got quite sick.

They admitted that it was worse than the flu. I’m sorry about your cousin. This is all so unnecessary.

[marble falls]

39. Not family, but I've had a group of students for the last 5-6 years. I just found out one of them ..

... died two weeks ago (she had one shot), a woman and her daughter weren't vaxxed, and the daughter's husband has Covid that he 'doctoring' with horse medicine. The only one who got jabbed was one lady and her husband. The woman who was making masks (very good masks) got Covid - no vaxx, nobody's heard from her for two or three weeks. She quit wearing masks around Christmas.

I canceled classes over a month ago when I realized how few people we being vaxxed in our bldg, but for my class to skip it was mind breaking. We masked, covered tables and then
tossed the coverings, we kept 6ft distancing, and disinfected everything before and after classes.

We're pretty sure the "unknown rhinovirus" I was in the hospital with, was Covid. I've been jabbed and boostered.

We still don't don't go to restaurants, or venues, we go everywhere with a mask.

But here in Texas? I'm not entirely sure I am entirely safe. Other than one obstinate brother (but not his son) everyone in both our families get it and are paying attention. Even the 45 worshipers. But the folks around me? I'd be very surprised if the rate is as high as 30% vaxxed.

[calimary]

3. If you won't mask up against COVID, you CAN'T claim you're "pro-life."

If you refuse to take the recommended precautions proven to help protect against getting COVID, then you are NOT “pro-life.” But you ARE “pro-agonizing-and-painful-and-preventable-DEATH.”

[Moebym]

15. To them, some lives are worth more than others.

To them, the victims of COVID-19 were simply too physically weak and insufficiently pious. The deaths of POC and liberals? A victory.

Theirs is a terrifying worldview.

[usaf-vet]

24. Right Wingers who claim to be pro-life are actually pro-birth. At which point they....

.....willfully abandon the newborn and the family.

Now apparently, as calimary points out, they seem to be happy destroying even their own family members for a cultist belief in a 21st century Hitler.

The "pro-life" mantra is a political tool to divide us from them.

The disregard for the life of even one's family members is the doings of a sociopath.

[calimary]

29. That's exactly it. Their "concern" about "life" only extends as long as the pregnancy.

After that, once birth occurs, they’re simply OUTTA HERE.

Oh, that’s DIFFERENT…

You’re ON YER OWN, NOW…

That’s YOUR problem. Why do I have to help you solve it?

Get for YERSELF…

How much is this gonna cost me?

I don’t wanna have to PAY for it!!!

Well, THAT’S HER problem.

Don’t be a lazy moocher!

Get a job! Don’t bother ME about it.

Jesus loved the poor??? Where did THAT get Him? (Lotsa lazy moochers…)

Cut my taxes! I don’t wanna pay for THEM!

Their own fault that they’re in this fix.

They brought it on themselves.

Always with the hand out, looking for freebies.

They want everything done for them/handed to them.

Pull yerself up by yer own bootstraps. That’s the “American way”!


… and I could go on listing this shit all day. There are SOOOO many ways to justify selfishness. There are SOOOOOOO many ways to ACT unChristian, even while boasting about how “Christian” you are.

[usaf-vet]

34. Thanks for adding the meat to the bones of my short rant. Every word you wrote is true.

[BigmanPigman]

41. Women must be able to impregnate themselves.

since they are 100% responsible for it, according to the laws. It is as if a male's sperm was never involved in the act at all.

[keithbvadu2]

42. How passive voice makes men invisible in reference to sexual assault and domestic violence

How passive voice makes men invisible in reference to sexual assault and domestic violence

https://democraticunderground.com/100215876086

[BigmanPigman]

43. Spot on!

[calimary]

47. That's a REALLY good point, keithbvadu2!

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Maru Kitteh]

30. If they were pro-birth they would be in favor of prenatal care

But they're not. Never have been. They're about the total subjugation of women. Period.

[calimary]

38. Yep! It's about subjugation of women.

[keithbvadu2]

44. Republicans are in favor of killing living babies and have done so.

Republicans are in favor of killing living babies and have done so.

Pro-life to conservatives/republicans is a myth.

The supposed pro-lifers cared naught when the state of Texas (republican gov, republican Prez) deliberately killed living baby Sun Hudson against the mother's wishes because he was an inconvenience to the state.

It is not a matter of life to the supposed pro-lifers.

It is a matter of control.

[plimsoll]

53. I don't think that's accurate either.

Birth would be OK. Dying in child birth would be OK, including the death of the child.

What matters is the misery and suffering they might be able to inflict on others. I'm not convinced they really care enough about others to be bothered if people die because of policies they support. On the other hand if a policy will make people miserable, that's great.

Calling them Pro-suffering just doesn't do it, but I laugh at most of them when they call themselves "pro-life."

[roamer65]

4. Cant fix stupid.

But this can…🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠.

[Johnny2X2X]

5. My wife's family...

Last Thanksgiving, my wife's aunt was invited to her daughter and son in laws for Thanksgiving dinner. They both tested positive for Covid on Tuesday, but said they felt fine and didn't have a fever and therefore weren't contagious. Yes, I realize it was well known that you could spread it without symptoms or a fever at that time. the daughter was an actual home care nurse. Her mother declined the invite, saying she wanted to play it safe. But they pressured her and she eventually relented and attended, she caught Covid. About a week later the daughter and son in law were going on vacation and she was supposed to babysit their children, she was not feeling well, they were angry with her for not being able to watch their kids and left for Mexico. Her condition worsened so she got tested for Covid and it was positive. She was admitted to the hospital a couple days later, a few days after that she was put on a vent. The daughter and son in law returned from vacation and she was on a vent. She died a week before Christmas.

They deny giving her Covid, they say she could have gotten it anywhere. Needless to say, many of the family members will never speak to them again. It's an absolute cult, and killing their own mother didn't even dent the cult for this family. Absolutely maddening, a life cut short, she was only 67. She could have been part of their life for another 20 years, could have watched her grand children grow up and start their own lives. All missed because Trump is leading a death cult.

[Marthe48]

14. Such a sad story

And your family has my deepest sympathy. At my daughter's request, to keep me safe, I won't get to see my grand daughter in person today, on her birthday. She isn't old enough to get a vaccine. Everyone else, including me, is vaccinated.

[moonscape]

28. What a heartbreaker, and so tragically unnecessary :(

[Maru Kitteh]

33. That is at once heart wrenching and infuriating

At minimum, they deserve a charge of reckless endangerment.

[louis-t]

6. They HAVE started a civil war.

But the war is mostly on themselves. They have their muskets pointed squarely at their own voters.

[nancy1942]

7. Same experience here.

My roomate who has cancer has a pro-trump family who refuses to have vaccines and thinks the virus is a hoax. To me, it seems that they simply don't care if their Dad catches Covid and we can't even discuss any of it rationally. They refuse to wear masks and they sneer at us for being concerned. Same people who told us last week that there are 21 million Haitians currently in the country because Biden shipped them in. They are hopeless. Proudly ignorant.

[brewens]

8. I joked about feeling like The Omega Man here in Idaho. I have have no doubt we've had people with

symptoms that knew they had COVID, but went about their business anyway. I knew they would right from the start when Trump said it was "just the flu". He also went on and said shit like people get the sniffles, go to work and get better. Fuck! I bitched about that when it was just the flu or colds!

There were posts from Oaf Creepers or some freaks saying it was their duty to spread COVID to liberals if they got it. Okay, so I'm not hiding out in a fortress like Charlton Heston's character in The Omega Man, but if it was much worse?

[maxsolomon]

9. Infuriating.

They drag us all into the mire and have the gall to claim righteousness.

[Ziggysmom]

10. How true, the unwiped ass of American society

[IronLionZion]

11. huge, unwiped ass of American society

is absolutely deplorable, dirty, stinky, and very unhealthy

[AllaN01Bear]

12. i may get alerted for saying this . but, it is not , i repeat NOT their right to make me sick.

[orleans]

57. you're absolutely right. (and no one i know would alert you for that)

(on edit: i had to rephrase--my words jumbled)

[Martin Eden]

13. They know COVID is real, highly contagious, and deadly

Then they deliberately infected family members!

That is EVIL, and should be CRIMINAL.

[Tumbulu]

52. This shows how many right wing nut job prosecutors there are

Because these people willingly spreading it should be prosecuted. They prosecuted relentlessly those accused of spreading AIDS, oh but when it is their own kind, they ignore.

Just like these insurrectionist who invaded the Capital are being given ever single benefit of the doubt.

So sickening!!!!!

[onecaliberal]

16. K&R

Should be pinned to the top of the site.

[captain queeg]

17. I've got one sister out of a fairly large family, who is a total RW nutter

There is so much wrong about it, like their love of TFG in spite of them being religious Christians. To travel that road you have to constantly deny all the evidence. They have blinders on and all the evidence to the contrary is denied and blamed on, who knows what. It’s beyond what I can figure out, all I can do is stay away. It’s sad, maybe enough of these people will die and their movement will fall by the wayside. I sure hope so.

[MarcA]

18. Oligarchs approve. Depopulation, overwhelm medical facilities,

increase medical debt and bankruptcies. All part of being owned like slaves.

[lindysalsagal]

19. I read the article. Religion was not mentioned.

But generally, or indirectly, it plays a central role in the "Not me" identity.

[MiniMe]

20. My cousin is one of "those"

She asked me to take care of her dog for a weekend that they are going to a wedding. I said No. They won't get the vaccine, I won't babysit their dog. She won't let her daughter get vaccinated either. My eyes have been hurting because they are rolling up in my head. I haven't seen her for almost 2 years.

[dchill]

23. I wondered why my eyes have been hurting!

[leftyladyfrommo]

21. There is no talking to these people. Don't waste time

and energy trying. Just stay away.

I was reading stuff on Nextdoor and Quora. There's no hope. These people are mired in cement. Their logic is so twisted it's hard to even follow but to them it makes perfect sense.

I have no idea how to counter this stuff.

[dchill]

22. It's all right there in their Bible. I'm quite sure.

[UCmeNdc]

26. Their stupid circular arguments that make no sense. The guy who made a "you tube" video they point

to as their authority on a subject.

You cannot reason with them.

What happened to them?

All you can do is let them scream their nonsense and walk far, far, far, away.

[Solly Mack]

25. I can so relate. Sadly.

you don’t normally have to wonder how your cousins feel about not killing members of their own family

Tragically, you do now have to wonder.

I'm still horrified by my own family's (cousins) recent actions

[ECL213]

27. My brother's ex-wife is one of these whack jobs...

Her work history as a stripper and a hair dresser make her an expert on viruses and vaccines, you see, so she refused to get the vaccine.

My nephew, her son, has had lung issues his entire life. He has no cilia, so he basically breathes unfiltered air. COVID would likely be a death sentence for him.

My sister insists on inviting the former sister-in-law to every family event, so I (and my wife and son) have stopped attending. This pisses my sister off because "she is still part of this family" and "she will always be ______'s Mom!"

I'm not about to put my own unvaccinated 10 year-old son in close proximity to someone who can't even do the bare minimum to protect her own goddam high-risk kid. I'm not going to be guilted into it. I'm not going to feel bad about it. Choices have consequences.

[MustLoveBeagles]

51. Your sister should be yelling at her not you

What is wrong with people?

[BlueJac]

31. Just sad!

[NQAS]

32. Against the law?

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/is-it-a-crime-to-intentionally-get-someone-sick.html#:~:text=But%20intentional%20or%20reckless%20behavior%20that%20spreads%20a,another%20person%20to%20a%20contagious%20disease%20on%20purpose.

Maybe.

But you know what. No one will do anything. Because we are a broken country.

Another post today sums up that attitude. Merrick Garland. Calling Merrick Garland. Working hard? Hardly working? Retired in place? Planning giant surprise? Faceless bureaucrat? Kid in class hoping the teacher doesn't call on him?

And another post observes that the latest revelation about that lawyer Eastman suggests that Mike Pence was up to his ears in the coup plot. Big yawn from politicians. Big yawn from MSM. Coup plot, shmoup plot. Ancient history. Let's look forward, not back. It's not the right time.

Anyone taking bets on when something - anything!! - might happen to the coup plotters? My date? None. Bannon? Never heard of him. Michael "vaccine in the salad dressing" Flynn. Wasn't he a general once? I may be mistaking him for someone else. Trump? Name rings a bell; I think he was the coffee guy.

[RFCalifornia]

35. You can get charged for knowingly giving someone HIV

Why not Covid?

[live love laugh]

56. Great point -- testing positive and knowingly mixing with others should be proof. nt

[Hortensis]

36. Many believe they're good people doing good things. Takes some doing,

but our brains are more than up to the task.

This writer fails completely to be more insightful than the relatives he so viciously, though rightly, condemns. His relatives aren't angels by a long shot; they have some grave flaws, but they were caught up in a social pathology that has caused their very worst traits to take over. They once were, and could once again be, very different. What is going on with them has nothing to do with thinking or rationality.

Itm, they're told, and they believe as they always have, that they're good people. The dissonance between the results of their actions and their beliefs does not exist for most of this type. It's understandable, of course, if they're upset at being so maligned and attacked. By their own families who've gone bad, too.

[Evolve Dammit]

40. Very well said babylonsister. Their civil war, and we are being attacked. I truly hate them.

They don't even care about their own family. It was tragic, now I'm just angry and sick of these assholes and their "personal choice." I feel like invoking stand your ground. I've literally told people to "back off," "give me space" and "your mask don't work that way" when it's a chin rest or their nose is sticking out. I've been patient for 18 months. Enough. They have kept us in this madness. And I don't forget who enabled and encouraged it all, Orange Boy.

[Takket]

45. they take it upon themselves to spread covid to others without asking them...

but won't take the vaccine because that is "their choice"

You can't make this shit up.............

[paleotn]

46. That's the thing about bio weapons.....

They often kill the ones using them. Nation states have played around with them in various fashions for nearly a century, but no one has ever used one in anger for that simple reason. There's no way to keep your bio weapon from killing your own guys.

[keithbvadu2]

48. Kids with lice in class with your no mask/no vax kids? No quarantine

Maybe a religious exemption from quarantine for someone with a contagious disease attending their services?

You can't deny my right to worship!

???

Some kids still get mumps, measles, chicken pox.

Bring 'em to church.

[druidity33]

50. That diary has been removed...

I wonder why. It was painful, but spot on.

[Blue Owl]

54. The Hatfields vs. The McCovids

The Hatfields vs. The McCovids

[live love laugh]

55. They are to the new millennium what radical, jihadist suicide bombers were in the 80's / 90's. nt

[MrsCoffee]

58. One nitpick: deprived the rightful winner of HER natural place in the Oval Office.

[randr]

59. "The un-wiped ass of American society" is an apt description

[DFW]

60. I talked to the lawyer who drew up God's Will

No one in that family was even mentioned...........

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

61. Always avoid Republicans to the greatest extent possible.

They are ignorant, dangerous fascists, and should never be trusted.

This is not sarcasm.