Understanding the anti-vaxxers of Arizona


It's January 27th 2021 as I write this, and although I'm still too young to be in a priority age group for the COVID-19 vaccine, I have several friends who are, and I'm pleased that the system, although administered by the government, seems to be working well. Even my friend who uses the VA has already gotten his first dose. And I've been seeing positive statements about the administration of the vaccine by several of my friends on Facebook here in Arizona. 

I'm in Arizona, which currently leads in COVID-19 cases, and it's gotten me thinking about the anti-vaxxers, which is a general term that describes anyone who refuses a vaccine, either for themselves or for their children. I've lived in Arizona for a long time, and I think that I have a good understanding of these people. They're afraid.

I'm afraid, too, but not of vaccines, or of any modern medicine. And fear isn't always false evidence appearing real, it's a way that we protect ourselves. I'm afraid of walking down dark alleys at night, I'm afraid of someone swerving all over the road, that sort of thing. You could call me paranoid, and if you're braver than me, I'll accept that criticism. I had a friend in high school who used to say, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean no one's following you!", and it is a good point. When I go out in public I'm situationally aware, I don't walk around with my head down looking at my phone. I look around, in a way that I like describe as "alert", not "paranoid", but maybe I am bit paranoid.

In a long life, I've seen many different points of view that have seemed bizarre to me. I've met people of different religions, people who have different beliefs on the sanctity of private property (mostly burglars), and I've even met people who will eat raw fish with rice (can you believe that?). And mostly I've let them be. When I lived in California I would see people roller-skating backwards at Venice Beach wearing a pinwheel hat and very little else, and they didn't seem to be hurting anyone, and I just found them amusing. They seemed to me to be independent thinkers, breaking free from the dull crowd around them.

And there's no shortage of independent thinkers in Arizona. Although none of my friends believe that the world is flat, some believe that extra-terrestrial beings exist and visit the earth, and some firmly believe that the entire voting system is corrupt, and that the government wants to come and take away their guns, that sort of thing. Mostly I've found these people to be inoffensive, they may rant and rave a bit, but many of them would be happy to buy the beer. I would listen to them, smile and nod, drink my beer, and move on. In my heart I wished that their world view wasn't like that, but I tried not to argue. They're my friends, and short of driving the wrong way on the freeway, I let them do their own thing, and think their own thoughts.

If you've never known people like this, the concept of being an anti-vaxxer can be puzzling to you, I know. But not getting a vaccine for them is just one more way that they protest being told what to do, the way that hillbillies hated "revenuers" from finding their still of moonshine liquor. I've known people who firmly believe that traffic laws are there simply to generate revenue, especially parking tickets. They are being persecuted by the system!

But don't jump to the conclusion that all of these people are poorly-educated, although many are. Places like Arizona tend to not be very good with education, but I know some very well-educated people who are anti-vaxxers. Their world view is earned by reading stuff that reinforces what they think, and the more information they see, the more convinced they get. Outside information, often referred to as "lamestream media", doesn't get to them. And chances are that they won't read this, as they might be suspicious of me, someone who worked for the government, as a teacher, for years.

And won't we all feel silly when it turns out that they've been right all along! Soylent Green is people!
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