I just heard a Republican opposing vaccine mandates by saying "This is America---

[Atticus]

where we all have the right to make decisions for ourselves!"

Really, asshole? You idiots REALLY think this is all about your personal "rights"? What about OUR rights?

What about our RIGHT to move around in public without being infected with the deadly Trump virus?

Maybe the biggest difference between Democrats and "Republicans" is that we understand it's NOT "all about us"!

[yardwork]

1. Unless we're women, in which case we have no rights over our bodies.

[Walleye]

2. Earthen vessels

[yardwork]

5. That's us!

[soldierant]

48. "Earthen vessls" in Scripture refers to all human beings

and the treasure inside is supposed to be spiritual treasure. Certainly not to a fetus. A fetus would simply be another (unborn) earthen vessel - an empty one, because itrequires faith to carry that "treasure" and a fetus is not capable.

If Cawthorn implied anything else, he is twisting its meaning ... not that that would be in any way out of the ordinary for a Talibangelist.

[mahina]

54. Perfect. Word.

[soldierant]

59. Thanks.

I never know what to expect whan I make one of these comments, but it just irritates me SO much they way they twist Scripture that I really can't help myself. I'm glad it spoke to you.

[paleotn]

11. Or brown people. Don't forget about brown people.

[yardwork]

13. Right! Or Socialists. No rights for anybody who's not a white male Republican.

[paleotn]

14. That's right! Only applies to certain types of white males.

[ShazzieB]

44. White cis male Republican.

[soldierant]

49. With wealth.

[PatSeg]

12. "The right to make decisions for ourselves!"

In this context, "ourselves" means white men.

[mountain grammy]

15. and Christian and republican..

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

18. Precisely

For Republicans, the "our bodies, our choice" argument doesn't apply to pregnant women.

[evemac]

3. Yes. Just about to mention their exception to that rule

The exception being women.

[RKP5637]

4. Most republicans IMO are egocentrical assholes, and that's what draws them to the GOP. n/t

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

35. This.

And look who has the Repukes in an iron-fisted grip- an egocentric asshole.

[not fooled]

42. Can't argue with that

After reading your post, I did a quick mental run-through of all of the pukes I know (many, I'm surrounded by them in "it was only a joke" sociopath Paul Gosar's district). Not a one who is thoughtful, rational, and well informed. Egocentrical assholes covers most.

[yellowdogintexas]

51. lucky you. My daughter is moving to Mayer in maybe 18 months

when they finish their house.

When I told her he was her Congressman, she said "I know, and I can't wait to vote against him"

I am surrounded by them in Texas too.

[kairos12]

6. I have many freedoms and zero obligations.

MAGA in one phrase.

[Lovie777]

7. POC have no rights regarding voting . ..

[multigraincracker]

8. What about the right to vote?

They dismiss abortion rights because they aren't female and they are set on when life begins.
But voting is something they might get. A guy down the street was telling me we should test voters to make sure they are smart enough to vote. I told him that is a good idea, but people cheat on test. Therefore we should require a 4 year college degree to prove they are smart enough to vote. He gave up that idea. At least on vaccines you get a choice, voting excludes a choice, while I say it is a right. So, don't tell me about rights until everyone has the right to vote.

[usaf-vet]

32. What about the rights of kids and their families not being shot and killed in PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

[multigraincracker]

36. We know they don't care

about kids after they are born.

[usaf-vet]

43. Exactly Right!!

[paleotn]

10. Like whether to drive drunk or have auto liability insurance....

Even rational Republicans (there are still a few) take two tacks on this.

Our governor certainly falls into the rational category, but labors under the idea the vast majority of people are rational and will make the right choices, so mandates aren't necessary. Actually a significant number of people are NOT rational, won't make a rational, informed, benevolent decisions and, thus, become a danger to us all.

The second group is those who think people's freedom should not be encumbered by state or federal mandates, EVEN IF it threatens the rest of us. In short, we just have to live with the irrational because that's the "price" of freedum. On review, maybe this second group doesn't fall under the category of rational Republicans.

The moral of this is...rights ARE NOT absolute. Nothing in life is, short of death and taxes. They end precisely where someone elses rights begin.

Like the old story...if someone wants to run around naked and bark at the moon, so what. If they want to do it in my living room, I'm kind of obliged to do something about it.

[Cracklin Charlie]

16. I just heard Chuck Todd ask...

“Are the Democrats doing enough to stop COVID?”

Then he said he would be having an anti vaccine mandate guy on to discuss it. Really, Chuck?

Click.

[SouthernDem4ever]

55. Don't watch him

that's been my choice for years.

[Owl]

56. Same here.

[onecaliberal]

17. If you're white, male and republican you can make your own choices.

I fixed it.

[ShazzieB]

46. If you're white, cis male, and Republican, you have rights and can make your own choices.

The "cis" part is important, because if you're trans, you have fewer rights than anybody.

[onecaliberal]

50. Thank you for the important reminder. 🙂

[NightWatcher]

19. Chug a bottle of Jack and drive on the left side of the interstate and talk about freedom

[Captain Zero]

26. At 80 mph

My personal choice.

[Ferrets are Cool]

20. As others have said, unless you are a woman.

It's just one of the most blatantly ignorant statements ever made.

[TDale313]

21. And there will be consequences for those decisions.

Like, you may not be able to work for a company that requires you to be vaccinated. Or go certain places you might want to go. They always forget that part.

[Johonny]

22. They use the word ourselves, but they meant, myself

They don't give a fuck for anyone else. They won't care about the pandemic until they need the hospital to admit them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

29. "ourselves" means white males of conservative persuasion. Not women, not PoC, not elders or immuno-

... not immuno-compromised.

"You are weak. You don't deserve to live." is their attitude.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

37. And then they'll expect to be moved to the front of the line.

[wnylib]

23. Fuck their claim to the right to infect others!

I recently had a long chat with my cousin whose father died of covid at Thanksgiving, alone in a hospital.

That uncle was my last living relative from that generation. He was also my godfather. Yes, he was old (92) but he deserved to die with more dignity and less suffering. He was a hard working man even after retirement. Designed and built homes as a sideline hobby. His day job was as a newspaper typesetter in the years before computers took that over. A creative, generous, kind man with a terrific wry sense of humor. Also a lifelong staunch Democrat.

He was fully vaxxed and had a booster. But he fell, broke some bones, and had to go into rehab while recovering. It was in rehab that he contracted covid.

NOBODY has a "right" to spread lethal diseases! Nobody!

[IronLionZion]

24. Except viruses spread to others who didn't make the same decisions

The US has around 800,000 deaths already.

[keithbvadu2]

25. Decisions

[Bernardo de La Paz]

27. His rights end at your nose. If he sends virus without a mask or being vaxed, that is assault & batt

... battery.

Republicon men are very self-centered and want rights for themselves, but not women.

They never want responsibilities.

[MissMillie]

28. Not exactly a new argument from them

But this is more than about their rights and our rights.

The reason smallpox was eliminated was people got vaccinated. The only shot we have at defeating COVID is people getting vaccinated.

Either people want this thing over or they don't.

[elias7]

30. Small pox, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Meningococcus,

Pneumococcus, H flu type B, Rotavirus, Hep A, Hep B, Rabies, Varicella/Shingles, not to mention Anthrax, Cholera, Typhoid fever, Yellow fever, and even seasonal influenza.

Most have been mandated in schools for 60 years, in the workplace, in the military, for travelers (not mandated, but advised), often life saving - all standard of care per the medical establishment, the CDC, the WHO. All have a proven track record across the board of safety, and brought to you by the same folks who bring you and recommend to you the Coronavirus-19 vaccine.

Vaccine mandates are public health policy, like it or not. It is not political or choice. It wouldn't have to be a mandate if these poor fools could actually think more than one step ahead and behind and realize what selfish jackasses they're being.

This is America where I thought we sacrificed for each other

[wnylib]

57. True Americans look out for each other.

[dlk]

31. A person's rights don't include the freedom to infect others with a deadly virus

As with smoking, freedom is not the right to pollute someone else's lungs with carcinogenic smoke or give them a virus they could die from. Public safety is a real thing. Good grief, this person at some point likely had a vaccination to attend school and I wouldn't be surprised if he wears a seat belt when driving or flying. What a lying,and toxic waste dump of humanity! The level of pathological selfishness is epidemic in America. This loser is seeking personal relevance in all the wrong places.

[Mister Ed]

33. "Freedom isn't free", dude. It comes with responsibilities. n/t

[PatrickforB]

34. Hello, Atticus! Yep. All about their freedom, but as you ask, what about ours?

Every society must organize itself around how it deals with individual rights and still upholds the common good. Some societies are more collectivist, which has its own problems, and others are more individualist.

Like everything, moderation is the key - for a society to create a balance that is fair to both the group, and individuals within the group.

Our society is dramatically imbalanced. Now, you all know me - I HATE capitalism, and blame the primacy of the shareholder (profits over people) doctrine for most of this swing toward 'rugged individualism.'

Ironic, isn't it, how corporations very commonly pass risk on to taxpayers, with the help of elected officials they have financed, yet pocket profits. But not us. We must believe to our very bones that we have to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, and if we just work a little harder, everything will be hunky-dory.

I get a kick out of these people who solemnly intone, "'Murika ain't nebber goan go SOSH-A-LIST!" It is a dangerous meme, because many conflate even partial socialism with totalitarian dictatorships like Maoist China, or the former USSR.

Bottom line? There is a balance every healthy society must achieve, and we are far, far from being in balance. Today's USA is quite unhealthy - figuratively AND literally (if you've heard me talk about healthcare).

[BobTheSubgenius]

38. Remember an old saw about your fist and the end of someone's nose?

Kinda like that.

[oldsoftie]

39. GA enacted a new law this year requiring a menengitis vaccine for kids over 16

Why arent they going apeshit over THAT mandate?

[barbtries]

40. ask him about the decision to abort a pregnancy.

FFS

gawd i hate republicans

[True Blue American]

41. Was that Senator Marshall?

Shouting at everyone to get the vaccine on Tapper, then talking out the other side, against vaccine mandates and still pretending the election was not legit. On Tapper.

I just heard Chris Wallace is going to CNN. Not sure about that but he quit Fox.

[spanone]

45. ...K&R...

[tclambert]

47. Mark Twain said, "Don't argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level, then win

by experience."

[Rhiannon12866]

52. I was discussing this with a friend just today. It is not "a personal choice!"

Those who "choose" not to get vaccinated are making choices for family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and those in the checkout line at the grocery store. And the unvaccinated are the reason this virus is still spreading, morphing into other variants that may eventually not be susceptible to the current vaccines. Those are the "choices" that the unvaccinated are making for this country and the rest of the globe.

[monkeyman1]

53. want !

want to see a male republican run to the doctor's office & get a shot ? tell him he has std's ! it's guaranteed !!

[malaise]

58. So ignore the traffic lights

That is all