>> This wasn’t intended as any sort of super-duper hot take, and I pared the post down to avoid having too much of an attack surface.
It is intended to shame Republicans. What other possible reason is there to tie death rates to political party? So yes it was a hot take. You planted a lightning rod. Making something like vaccination a political issue does everyone a disservice.
While I’m a democrat, I don’t believe republicans or democrats are inherently better people, or that their overarching ideologies are inherently better. In fact I am a strong believer that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and neither republicans or democrats should win it all.
That said, certain Republicans should very much feel shame about the fear mongering behind the vaccine. It isn’t automatically a hot take or a lightning rod to use statistical analyses to suggest that systemic fear mongering against a vaccine that has a powerful effect would lead to excess death.
The vaccine long ago became a political issue, but the real world need for people to take it doesn’t go away because of that.
>I don’t believe republicans or democrats are inherently better people
Then you aren't paying attention to what the Republican party stands for. Moral relativism has limits, and the Republican party now regularly acts with malice.
The idea that nobody should ever point that fact out seems crazy to me. We should be using this as an example when teaching critical thinking skills to kids in schools so that they know not to let political ideology and lies manipulate them into the grave.
It is intended to shame Republicans. What other possible reason is there to tie death rates to political party? So yes it was a hot take. You planted a lightning rod. Making something like vaccination a political issue does everyone a disservice.