Hermain Cain Awards having a positive impact. Influencing hesitant to go ahead and get the shot.

[Crunchy Frog]

I've been lurking a lot on this Reddit board. https://www.reddit.com/r/HermanCainAward/

Lately I've begun seeing posts by vaccine hesitant people who have who have decided to get the shots after reading the accounts there. https://www.reddit.com/r/HermanCainAward/comments/ppnri6/declining_my_award/

For all the people scolding about how counterproductive "death shaming" is, it appears to be having a genuine positive influence on some people. It seems to be acting like a vaccine equivalent of "Scared Straight".

And even now, they are not all beyond reach.

[Crunchy Frog]

1. And another one.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HermanCainAward/comments/ppo8k1/thanks_guys/

I haven't gotten my Vaccine yet. I'm not anti-Vax. I was just afraid and confused by all the misinformation out there. Genuinely frightened and confused. Taking a quick 5 minute look at this Sub-reddit brought me back down to earth. I'll be getting my first round of the Pfizer Vaccine early next week. Thank you for existing.

You may show some harsh realities, but the fact remains that they are realities none the less. You've allowed me to push through the fear and go do what needs to be done next week. Thank you.

[Hav]

2. Oh, just learnt through the Herman Cain Awards

that Laura Loomer got a bad case of the Covid and therefore got a nomination for this prestigious award.
She's still anti-vax, self medicating with all the bs and is looking for Ivermectin besides getting the antibody treatment, of course, but hopefully, at least some of her fans realize how miserable she is right now.

[secondwind]

3. If only they could understand two simple words.....

COVID KILLS

[Jon King]

4. Especially if overweight.

'Covid kills, especially if overweight'. That is the message the media and politicians should be shouting. Tell people the blunt truth, get it in their faces. Give them that information loud and clear and maybe they will take a look in the mirror and this will be that thing that finally pushes them to get the jab.

Fact is most of the seniors are long ago vaccinated. Its the under 60s who are dying now. And almost every single one who dies from Covid under age 60 is obese.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. Makes sense. More mass means higher oxygen requirements ...

Your body gets bigger, but your lungs don't (not through eating anyway, exercise builds capacity however).

I could see a possible scenario of being really muscle-bound but not in the best shape cardio-wise might be a risk factor as well, by the same reasoning.

[maxsolomon]

20. That point hasn't really been made directly to the pubic.

I think there is an (understandable) reluctance to "fat-shame" that is hampering the vaccination effort.

But when I see "gallery" pictures of the dead, that characteristic really jumps out.

Of course it isn't the only risk factor that increases risk, but it is probably the most prevalent one.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

5. Also these words:

"Covid will kill me."

[Jon King]

6. True, these people are selfish so hone the message to them.

This seems to be the third rail of this pandemic, politicians, TV docs, keep tip toeing around the obesity issue.

The remaining anti-vaxxers who the mandates will not reach, make them see how it is them specifically who are at highest risk. "If you are overweight, you have a 5 times higher rate of dying than if you are fit." "If you go to crowded places such as sporting events or rallies, you will get a higher viral load and be more at risk of dying".

Whatever various messages work to make people see personal risk factors. Maybe that guy whose buff friend at work is also an anti-vaxxer, but who is 60 lbs overweight himself, will secretly stop by CVS on the way home and get the jab. His studly friends never have to know.

At this point, any possible message to get more vaccinated is another step in the right direction.

[Scrivener7]

7. I wonder how much some of these opinion changes come from the fact that the message

from the rest of us has changed.

For month it was, "Please, please, please, get the shot, we don't want you to go through that, we don't want you to die, please, please, look at this science, please help the rest of us defeat this thing."

Lately it has changed to, "There is nothing more we can do to convince you. Delta is coming to get you. You'll just have to deal with the horrible ramifications of your decisions. This is on you."

The very existence of the Herman Cain Awards is the rest of us saying, "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes." In itself, that site is a change of the tone of the message.

They live for our worry over them. I bet some changed their minds when the attention they were getting, and the power they felt from that attention, went away.

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

9. Why do all of these Covidiots never have insurance

And their families setup go fund me accounts. Talk about irresponsible

[Zambero]

16. It must have been the horrible Obamacare "Death Panels"

Ironically, now convening in deep red Idaho as health care rationing takes effect.

[ShazzieB]

23. Even if you have good insurance, you can be left with crushing medical bills.

A month or two in the ICU can run up gargantuan medical bills of which insurance covers only so much, especially if you have a plan with high deductibles. Even people with decent coverage can end up thousands of dollars out of pocket.

But of course, we don’t need no stinkin' universal health care here in the good old USA, right?

[pnwest]

11. PARTS of Reddit are a cesspool. There's some

hilarious and cute parts, too. Animalsbeingbros and contagiouslaughter are two that immediately come to mind. I’m on Reddit daily and never run across any of the garbage. Lots of art subs, too.

[renate]

21. I couldn't agree more

My experience on Reddit is exactly what I want it to be. Mostly funny and/or animals, some politics, some schadenfreude (the Herman Cain awards etc). I love Reddit.

[Johnny2X2X]

12. Very few show regret before dying

They're too wrapped up in themselves to think of others. Very few urging others to get vaccinated, they're stubborn to the end. Good riddance.

I mean, I don't wish death on anyone, I read these stories and to the last slide am hoping the person pulls out of it. But the abject stupidity and selfishness and total disregard for the well being of others makes it hard to show any compassion. These people and their lies are killing thousands, and many of those dying didn't ask for this.

The problem is, Covid is still not deadly enough for them to learn. For everyone of these awards there are still dozens who get it and recover and then it proves their denials to them and their friends. These peple are too far gone to help.

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

13. Good site

I read through many of the posts…they seem to follow the same pattern….idiot post all types of hateful and ignorant stuff, doesn’t take Covid serious, gets Covid, dies, their family and friends then portray them as a ‘kind’ person, sets up gofundme account

[Crunchy Frog]

26. Don't forget the frantic call for "prayer warriors".

[Blue Owl]

14. Softly and tenderly, Herman is calling...

[ShazzieB]

27. AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

Do you have any idea how creepy that gif is?

J/K, of course you do. I don't know if I will ever get used to it popping up on my screen like some kind of evil apparition, though.

I'm starting to feel like Hernan Cain is the new Bloody Mary, except that I don't even have to say his name 3 times and look in the mirror to make him appear. He pops up, unbidden, every time I go on DU!

[Blue Owl]

30. One of my all-time favorite bits from Stephen Colbert

was when he made a parody commercial years ago when Herman's came out -- did the same creepy smile at the end!

[Zambero]

15. There's "death shaming", and there's also...

"If only I had known!". By accounts, many who visit this site are finally "getting it" (pun intended).

[dsp3000]

17. Wow. Reading that subreddit is therapeutic. I will send it to some vaccine hesitant folks

Hopefully they will smarten up.

[Crunchy Frog]

24. The accounts there are very stark and very real.

It's not people trying to talk others into doing something, but simply shows real life stories as they unfolded. It's what anyone might encounter on Facebook.

I'm thinking that might really help with getting reality to set in, at least for some people.

I think the lack of a coddling attitude is also helpful. Many people would prefer not to be remembered for dying of stupidity and stubbornness.

For the rest of us, yes it is kind of cathartic. I'm thinking that the prospect of dying for someone else's amusement isn't too appealing either.

[Johnny2X2X]

18. That site is so depressing

So little awareness. All asking for Jesus to help them, little to no acknowledgement that they were spreading evil lies that got them and others sick.

[ShazzieB]

28. Are we looking at the same site?

Maybe it depends on which posts you happen to land on. All I saw was people giving pep talks to other people who who were terrified of needles, positive and encouraging.

[Johnny2X2X]

31. The Reddit?

That page is all RWNJs owning Libs and doctors on social media until they get Covid and die or get hospitalized.

[Initech]

19. Maybe that's the antidote to social media brainwashing!

[peggysue2]

22. Good!

If the listings are convincing the hesitant to save their own lives and those of others, then it was worth taking the insults over 'death shaming' (which frankly made no sense to me if you value life at all).

As I said in an earlier thread though I've run out of patience with these people, after I read the 'sorry antvaxxer' stories, I did feel a certain empathy for the few who got it in the end, who reached out to family and friends with the warning:

Don't repeat my mistake.

Dying is a hard, hard way to learn a lesson, but at least these individuals were willing to do something good to save others.

[Crunchy Frog]

25. Dying is a hard way to learn a lesson, but maybe an effective way to teach one.

[tinrobot]

29. Another one is sorryantivaxxer.com

https://www.sorryantivaxxer.com/