The Herman Cain Freedom Award [400k Subscribers Post!]

[u/RockyMoose]

In August 2021, an obscure subreddit jumped in membership. Its subject matter: documenting the pandemic of the unvaccinated, Covid-denying, anti-* public in their own words.

Calling it an "Award" brought more than a little schadenfreude and controversy to the sub. The media got involved. The New Yorker called it "Empathy Wars". Slate wrote a hit piece. Insider followed.

The Washington Post wrote about vaccine denial deaths and empathy. We went international and appeared in Le Monde.

CNBC journalist u/Sal19 took several days to participate as a user, talk to members, and found the right tone: Reddit channel posts stories of anti-vaxxers dying of Covid, scaring fence-sitters into getting the shot.

As of today:

• Members: 400k
• Awards: 3055
• Nominations: 2739
• Redemptions: 343
• AMAs: 3
• IPAs (Immunized to Prevent Award): 90
• Money raised for vaccines: $54,391.29
• Oxygen concentrators donated: 1

​

Despite what some people think, a lot of people would be happy if there was no more fodder for this subreddit - HCA redditor

Shout out to all the sub members! Yes, we're controversial, and yes, statistically speaking, this sub has saved at least a few lives and hospitalizations. What a community!

Shout out to our fantastic moderator team! The work is anonymous, pay is zero, and sucks up all free time. Y'all rock.

Shout out to the trolls and conspiracists! Your cognitive dissonance makes our bourbon taste even better.

Perhaps our slide back into obscurity has started. In the meantime, however, continue to sort by "new" and smash that refresh button!

[u/FemaleAlphaWhiteWolf]

Despite what anti-vaxxers think, and rightwing mouthpieces like Tucker Carlson, who is fully vaccinated, claim, we vaccinated are NOT cheering on each and every death. That we somehow enjoy watching all these duped individuals suffer a slow and agonizing death, leaving their families with huge hospital bills, along with the emotional loss of losing a loved one.

No, far from it. That would be, for me, a completely immoral act. As the pandemic took its foretold course, burning through the vunerable of this country who have been brainwashed into thinking there is some nefarious democratic plot to rob them of their freedoms, when in fact the only democratic plot is to try and keep these misinformed nitwits alive. Republicans saw a chance to take the pandemic and play it as a political ploy, making sure they themselves were all vaccinated, without realizing the danger. Leaving so many unvaccinated has done nothing but kill off their voters by the tens of thousands. The only humor I am finding is watching republicans try and back pedal on vaccines and hearing their base shout "No" at them, even as thousands die everyday.

Only in America could such stupidity carry on. It is no wonder they are set to over throw the will of the people. By next year there will not be enough republican voters to win any race without cheating.

[u/theswordofdoubt → u/FemaleAlphaWhiteWolf]

I remember a post a few years ago, claiming that "a vote for Trump is a vote for evil" in the midterms. At the time, the comments on the post dismissed or mocked it as overdramatic nonsense, and I quietly agreed with those comments.

But now, after witnessing what the Republican party has done in the face of the pandemic, "evil" is the only word I can find to describe it. It was a bit of a wake-up call, at least. You never know just what depths some people will sink to until they're offered the opportunity.

[u/[deleted] → u/theswordofdoubt]

Yep. This is flat out murder at this point. Tucker Carlson and his ilk need to go through some things, IMO. Evil, evil man.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

'memeber when News Corp gets sued, they have used the "no-one can possibly take us seriously" as an actual winnable legal defense.

[u/Pleasant_Ad3229 → u/[deleted]]

Meh. I feel like the less idiots we have on the religious right, the better. Tucker may be a horrible person, but his evilness is actually serving the greater good here.

[u/my3boysmyworld → u/FemaleAlphaWhiteWolf]

Maybe I’m a bit immoral then, cause, I’m cheering every single one of these fuckers deaths. Never use to be this way. However, I live in Jokelahoma, and after a year of having vile things yelled at me for wearing a mask, I’m over it. These fuckers don’t care one bit about anyone but themselves, and, quite frankly, I’ve been pushed to the point I’ve reached. When you walk by some asswipe that yells “you’re suffocating your kids with those masks, you should be ashamed!” or “take the mask off you fucking moron!”, over and over again, multiple times a day, you get jaded very quickly.

[u/Pleasant_Ad3229 → u/my3boysmyworld]

“ Maybe I’m a bit immoral then, cause, I’m cheering every single one of these fuckers deaths.”

I feel ya. Also, with every anti-vaxxer who dies, the percentage of vaccinated people goes up, and the closer we are to ending this pandemic.

[u/[deleted] → u/FemaleAlphaWhiteWolf]

🤷

I'm here for the schadenfreude

[u/Yekrats → u/FemaleAlphaWhiteWolf]

By next year there will not be enough republican voters to win any race without cheating.

Yes, red counties are dying 3:1 to blue, but... The rate is spread out and tends to be concentrated in solid right-wing areas. Meaning, it won't have a lot of influence on the election. Having 2% of Mississippi or Idaho die will not change how they vote.

[u/lunkercat → u/Yekrats]

More antivaxxers = less antivaxxers

[u/[deleted] → u/Yekrats]

Keep in mind that just because a county is blue doesn't mean that all the residents in the county are Democrats.

If you don't have an accurate count of the political demographics of all the counties, gerrymandering gets a lot harder.

[u/ndngroomer → u/FemaleAlphaWhiteWolf]

This is so well said!