Items
topic_interest is exactly
skeptics
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2022-05-10
Evidence Not Fear Key Facts Chart
The item is a chart from evidencenotfear.org. It can be found on the homepage. This chart can be found under the “key facts” section and explains the information that is claimed to be from experts in epidemiology, microbiology, and virology. The key facts section contains information that is immediately concerning to me. Some of the statements that are the most concerning to me are that children cannot transmit the virus, face masks can create negative health effects for the person wearing them, and more people have died from the panic of COVID-19 than the virus itself. The chart contains links, which I assumed would provide evidence and research to back up the claims. However, each link leads to an archive of news articles that are related to that topic. The message of this item is that the fear of COVID-19 has been worse than what the virus can actually do. This is seen through the explanations of face masks causing complications, lockdowns preventing herd immunity, and children cannot being affected by it. It tries to persuade the reader by providing links to several different news articles supporting the claim. However, the news article that they are using as support does not provide sources either. -
2020-06
Fort Sill - Trainee
While the pandemic had made digital communications and networking boom. Anything in the real world came to a screeching halt. I went into Fort Sill, Lawton Oklahoma for Advanced Individual Training (AIT) while had just begun to really put its foot into the door on US soil. Entering the facility we were immediately put in makeshift facilities specifically designed for incoming soldiers, they looked like 2-story mobile homes and each building contained roughly 60-80 troops per floor (can't remember exactly how many fit. but we were packed in there like sardines). We were originally told we would be in the facilities for 2 weeks before we would be allowed onto the rest of the base to begin training. 2 weeks, turned to 4, and that turned into 6 weeks. We weren't allowed to go outside other than to get an MRE and then go right back into our bays. We became so restless we would disassemble bunks and make makeshift pull-up bars, running up and down the hall in order to run miles. Eventually, we were released and allowed to continue training. Once we had actually begun AIT. We were immediately told that they were "overbooked" the facilities were forced to hold more soldiers than it was designed for due to outgoing flights being halted until an entire flight could be filled with military personal all going to the same location. Masks mandation was very hit or miss. Some days we would go by without them at all, others, we would be told to wear them the moment we got up, even wearing them during physical training, and while on the firing range shooting artillery. -
2020-12-23
Vaccine Skeptics
This article explains what is in the vaccine, why it is unique/safe compared to other vaccines, and also explains the side effects of the vaccine. -
2020-07-08
"We understand some of you are upset, but please direct your feedback towards us"
A tweet from Ottawa Public Health addressing those who have been taking out their anger regarding the city's recent move to mandate masks in public spaces towards business employees attempting to enforce the rule. -
2020-07-07
"Anti-mask racist rant at T&T"
The caption accompanying the video reads: "My heart was broken and tears shed... 'I am Canadian'. When that guy shouted at him, he didn't know how to fight back, he kept saying 'I'm Canadian'. Obviously, Canada is his home! Where is our multiculturalism? Where are our national values? Even PM Trudeau called grocery store employees "heroes"! Why are heroes treated like this...? I don't understand... facts also prove that wearing a mask can help stop the spread of coronavirus. What did he/they do wrong? Just because he asked you to wear a mask? Ridiculous!" A video which has gone viral and prompted a police investigation which shows a middle aged man going on a loud rant varying from how he feels masks are bad for general health and how they impact his specific health, to how the virus was released on purpose and blaming it on people of Chinese descent in a T&T in Missisauga. T&T is a Canadian grocery chain specifically offering Chinese and other Asian goods and catering to Asian communities, though in recent years they have also gained some degree of popularity with Canadians of other backgrounds. In the video the man continues to advance on a masked, older male employee who is standing with his arms out, saying "where are your 2 metres?! Back away from me!" while moving forward. Several employees are gathered around asking the man to leave the store repeatedly while his wife, likewise unmasked, pulls on his arm in an attempt to deescalate. When the male employee's place of birth/citizenship becomes challenged, and the customer begins spouting off racist conspiracy theories the employee begins repeatedly yelling that he is Canadian, while attempting to get the man to leave. The customer does not mention until about halfway through the video that he has asthma and claims he will suffer and asthma attack should he wear a mask, but by that point he has made himself unwelcome and the staff tell him they reserve the right to have him leave regardless. Once again, the man's female companion is also not wearing a mask and gives no reason for this. The city of Mississauga does not currently have a bylaw or health order requiring masks indoors like Toronto, of which it is a suburb, but the T&T chain has an store policy requiring masks and has for nearly a month. -
2020-03-01
"A lot of diversity in messages" Canada Day protests
A thread of tweets from local reporter Amanda Pfeffer. The first is a video of the small crowd on The Hill and then a series of photographs in which protesters are holding signs. In the top left image the signs read, "WEARING A MASK IS A SIGN OF SUBMISSION" and "SOCIAL DISTANCING IS FOR ROBOTS!" behind the couple is a sign reading "THE CANADIAN REVOLUTION" and the woman's tank top reads "HUGS OVER MASKS" In the top right image a woman dressed in scrubs and a stethoscope holds up a flag with letters applied to it which read, "STOP FRAUD ABORT COVID / VACCINES SCAM [?] / RECOVERY RATE 99.9% / DEATH RATE 0.03%" The bottom left image shows a chalk drawing which reads "BLACK LIVES MATTER" with an illegible Instagram handle underneath it. The bottom right image shows a chalk drawing which reads "CANADA DAY CELEBRATES STOLEN LANDS &..." -
2020-05-22
Bots
I’ve been struggling to understand the motivations and views of pandemic skeptics. I found this article interesting and provocative. I’m wondering if the echo chamber of misinformation that is social media is being aided and abetted by trolls with bots. I speculate these are the same folks who supported Trump in the last election but there does not appear to be clear evidence to support that.