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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA California Man In His Early 30s Who Derided Vaccines On Twitter & Instagram Died Of COVID-19
A California man in his early 30s who derided vaccines on Twitter and Instagram died of COVID-19
A man who joked about not getting vaccinated died of the coronavirus a little more than a month later. Stephen Harmon's death was announced by the Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston on Twitter on Thursday.
Before his death, Harmon made jokes about the virus on Twitter, including references to his decision not to get vaccinated. On June 3, Harmon tweeted: "If you're having email problems, I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a vax ain't one!" The tweet was a reference to the Jay-Z song "99 Problems."
Three days later, Harmon made another reference to being unvaccinated. "Since everything is a social construct these days & folks out here identifying as different races than they're born as (Rachel Dolezal now Nkechi Amare Diallo) I've decided that I, now, identify as a 6'3 D1 collegiate athlete. And, if you prefer, I'll identify as vaccinated, too," Harmon wrote.
Harmon also made a joke about the widespread trust in Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious-disease expert. "When you can't trust the Bible cause it was written by man, but you trust the CDC/Fauci guidelines cause they were written by man. Makes total sense," Harmon tweeted on May 26.
Harmon posted on Instragram on June 30 from the hospital saying he had contracted the virus. He then gave regular updates on his condition. On July 8, he posted another anti-vaccine joke and criticized what he termed undue pressure to encourage people to take the shot. He wrote alongside the post: "i'm not against it, i'm just not in a rush to get it… ironically, as I continue to lay here, in South Corona, in my covid ward isolation room fighting off the virus and pneumonia. And no, i will not be getting vaccinated once i am discharged and released."
In the days that followed, Harmon wrote that his condition had improved, then worsened again. His last tweet was posted Wednesday, when Harmon said he was choosing to be intubated.
https://www.businessinsider.com/man-dies-of-covid-after-joking-about-vaccine-19-2021-7
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GPV
(73,393 posts)
kysrsoze
(6,446 posts)
Beakybird
(3,397 posts)
malaise
(296,096 posts)True - instead he was buried
Bristlecone
(11,111 posts)
TheBlackAdder
(29,981 posts)malaise
(296,096 posts)
Sibelius Fan
(24,808 posts)is hazardous to one's health.
Blue Dawn
(970 posts)So, even after being hospitalized he said, "And no, I will not be getting vaccinated once I am discharged and released."
atreides1
(16,799 posts)Let me see...nope, don't care!!!
cyndensco
(1,768 posts)I think he unwittingly submitted. His death *might* influence some of his idiot followers to get vaccinated.
Oh well.
XanaDUer2
(15,772 posts)and takes your chances.
He's a graduate of a Bible College. Hillsong church
Wonder if the church knocked vaccines?
dalton99a
(94,115 posts)
Locrian
(4,523 posts)>>when Harmon said he was choosing to be intubated.
I mean he DID get to choose right? 
you know - thinking about this guy and others I've known. I wonder if there is some real issue with self worth playing out here.
Meaning not taking care of yourself, because you think you have to prove how tough or something? Because you feel inadequate?
I think a lot of right wingers fall into this: they for some reason have to have this false bravado to cover up their unconscious feeling that they aren't good enough or fell like they aren't part of the group or?? And of course they HAVE to tweet, post, etc this stuff constantly since that is the only image of themselves then can sorta control..... sad
lapucelle
(21,061 posts)when he was released.
RockRaven
(19,368 posts)
UpInArms
(54,975 posts)Pwned
Sneederbunk
(17,489 posts)
keithsw
(436 posts)For Ignorance. And sometimes it's the ultimate price. Thoughts and Prayers didn't help him, and won't help anyone else with the virus. You know what will help? SCIENCE
grumpyduck
(6,672 posts)
louslobbs
(3,416 posts)But Stephen Harmon ain’t one! Not now he ain’t!
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Joke's on you, though.
Aristus
(72,186 posts)
LiberatedUSA
(1,666 posts)
nitpicker
(7,153 posts)To borrow a Carole King song start:
"It's too late, baby".
Orrex
(67,111 posts)My condolences to family and friends who had to put up with him while he lived.
The world is better off without him.
liberal_mama
(1,495 posts)yet he was still making anti-vax comments on Twitter while in the Covid ward. That's hard core! He did document his struggle with Covid on Facebook, and it sounds horrible.
https://www.facebook.com/stephen.harmon
Paladin
(32,354 posts)Sympthsical
(10,969 posts)Very sad. For him, his family, his friends.
I'll never understand the glee here when someone disliked dies. Stupidity shouldn't be an executable offense. It often is in life, though.
But the glee and happiness.
Human ugliness - it ain't just for wingers.
AngryOldDem
(14,180 posts)This doesn’t affect just him.
Whatever point he was trying to prove is now moot.
The vaccine makes COVID more manageable, if not preventable. To deny that is not the way to earn sympathy when it hits. He did it to himself.
Sympthsical
(10,969 posts)Ugly is ugly.
Glee at a young man's death? Practically cheering?
Social media is poison. Some people need to step away once the soul deforms. I've thought that for a long time. This thread isn't exactly changing my mind.
Xoan
(25,570 posts)
?w=660RANDYWILDMAN
(3,163 posts)RIP
AngryOldDem
(14,180 posts)You’d think they’d be connecting the dots. He’s not the first.
He brought it on himself. Didn’t have to go this way.