Here in Melbourne, recent protests have carried punching bag cariacatures, gallows and guillotines, suggesting the Victorian Premier should resign his position by reason of being dead.

I don’t mind admitting that I find the threats of violence against politicians and their families worrying, despite having joked in the past about assassination being the only way to remove them from office.

And like many vaccinated people, I’ve been watching the protesters on the news, trying to work out what they’re fighting for.

It’s not easy to understand

No More Lockdowns

I’ve already mentioned the 262 days in lockdown, and sort of celebrated the opening up because Victoria has now reached the target vaccination required to open up. Even the international borders are now open.

So this is no longer relevant. Unless they’re fighting in general, in solidarity with the protests in Europe and America. Which is possible.

No More Masks

Currently being phased out, so see above.

Mandatory Vaccinations for Some Industries

Mandatory vaccinations are not a new thing here.

Children must take a raft of vaccinations before entering childcare and kindergarten.

And mandated worker vaccines aren’t unusual either. For example, caring industries must have flu vaccinations. Agricultural workers require Query (Q) fever vaccinations.

Some employers bring people into the office to administer them, or send workers to a preferred supplier.

So what’s different about Covid? Is it because it’s recent? Are people afraid corners were cut in the rush to approval?

Katy in particular is convinced her luck is so bad she will be the 1 in 2,000,000 who would get sick and die from the vaccine. And Toseland is so terrified of needles he can’t even bear the thought of it.

But like tetanus, the consequences are too dangerous to ignore. For example, 10% of people who get tetanus die. (You should get a tetanus booster every 10 years).

The Pandemic Bill

Victoria has been running with rolling State of Emergency Laws, because they are the only laws that cover the situation we’ve been through.

It takes a Parliamentary vote to declare a State of Emergency. The last day Parliament meets is December 2. The current powers expire December 15, and Parliament doesn’t sit again until February. It’s prudent to settle it this year, in case anything happens in the meantime.

It’s not perfect, how can it be? The idea is to remove the blockages that delayed action over the last two years. However, the government is consulting and amending as the situation progresses.

No one knows exactly what’s in the bill; it’s still being written. But if you take into account the long lockdowns and vaccinations, this probably seems like yet another authoritarian thing; Government telling people what to do.

And if you add FaceBook, sorry Meta, into the mix…

There’s a lot of scaremongering by groups with competing interests that aren’t apparent to those being panicked and driven in different directions. Like right wing conspiracy theorist, white supremacists, hardline conservatists and so on.

Not that I know because I don’t have an account anymore, but that’s how algorithms work.

Argumentative Coherence

I wonder whether the protestor’s arguments have any kind of logical interconnection or understandability.

For example, I noticed a protestor holding a sign saying “my body my choice.” The footage was so fleeting I couldn’t tell the sex of the person.

The sign immediately made me think of a bunch of women’s body ownership rights, but the principles apply to men’s issues as well. Including the rights to:

• choose (or not) intercourse whether that’s oral, vaginal, anal with or without condoms, in public or private situations.
• access abortion.
• die with dignity.
• gender confirmation (reassignment).
• wear whatever you want without fear of physical violence.

Having the freedom to choose not to vaccinate should, logically, include all those choices as well. (And more)

Your Choice

But as Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie suggests, you do have a choice.

But when you make that choice, there are consquences. When you choose to put other people’s lives at risk, you are held accountable. [speeding fines, manslaughter charges, etc.]

Being accountable for your actions, is called “being a godamn bloody adult.”

When you’re an adult, you put the needs of others before yourself. That’s how it works.

You can make whatever choice you want, but you don’t have the right to control how other people respond to your choice.

As far as Lambie is concerned, those who get vaccinated are

Patriots… fighting for our freedoms, to take control of our lives again… Good on yous for showing the courage to do so.

senator jacqui Lambie

Here, here.

So, what are you fighting for?

My Final Thought

My final thought also belongs to another.

It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it.

Maurice Switzer