The family of a Covid conspiracy theorist who ultimately died of the virus was ridiculed for “begging” for money and launching donation sites in his memory.
The family of a Covid-19 conspiracy theorist who ultimately died of the virus was ridiculed for “begging” for money and starting a fundraising page – with strangers accusing them of “stupidity” and urging potential donors to “Not helping to pay for the funeral”. of someone who let others die ”.
H. Scott Apley, a Republican Party leader from Texas and a member of Dickinson City Council, is one of a growing number of cases where people become seriously ill or die of coronavirus after defending themselves against masks, beaten vaccines and the Gravity downplayed the pandemic – which has infected more than 39 million people in America to date.
The official US death toll stands at more than 642,000.
The names and faces of Covid-19 skeptics, conspiracy theorists and anti-Vaxxers are meticulously compiled in forums, in social media profiles and on special websites.
There’s an entire subreddit dedicated to the recipients of the Herman Cain Award, named after the Republican power broker and hopeful president who downplayed the coronavirus before dying from it.
And sorryantivaxxer.com website operators say they can’t keep up with the submissions.
Mr. Apley was known for his open views on the effectiveness of vaccines and the wearing of masks.
“I wish I lived in the area!” he wrote on Facebook in May, according to The Washington Post, along with news of a mask burning party held nearly 1,500 miles from his home.
A month earlier, he responded to what the former Baltimore health commissioner announced as “great news” – clinical studies that showed the Pfizer vaccine was effective in fighting Covid-19 for at least six months.
“You are an absolute enemy of a free people,” wrote the 45-year-old on Twitter.
And earlier this month, just two days before he was hospitalized with “pneumonia-like symptoms,” the father of one child shared a Facebook post that suggested vaccines weren’t working.
“In six months we have come from the end of the pandemic through vaccination, so that you can get Covid even if it has been vaccinated, that you can pass Covid on to others, even if it has been vaccinated, that you can still get Covid can die even if vaccinated. Unvaxxed kill the Vaxxed, ”the post reads.
He tested positive for Covid-19, then sedated and connected to a ventilator, and died on Dec.
A GoFundMe originally set up to “cover all expenses that [the family] Will Accumulate Until They Are Cleared ”and nearly $ 55,000 was raised following the death of Mr. Apley, who is believed to be an aid to“ the family during this difficult time ”.
But it was also the catalyst of vitriol targeting Mr. Apley’s widow – who told the Post that her husband was not against the vaccine but “against the government forcing people to get vaccinated” – and his Son who draws contempt for city council social media posts circulated after his death.
“That could easily have been prevented. Instead, he told people not to get vaccinated. How many others died unnecessarily with him? ”One person wrote on Twitter, another added“ or because of him ”.
“You’re not going to do the right thing for the public and get vaccinated, but expect the public to pay for the funeral expenses!” said another.
“Did you set one up for someone he has infected by being numb?” Wrote one woman, while another wrote that Mr. Apley “got what he asked for”.
The town of Dickinson told ABC 13 that in the days following Mr. Apley’s death they also received calls making fun of and even celebrating his death.
“CONGRATULATIONS,” said a card sent to the council after Mr. Apley’s death. “I guess the Grim Reaper got the last laugh,” someone wrote in it, added a smiley face and greeted “another dead Republican”.
“Some may shy away from the thought of scouring Apley’s social media network to find content like. to find [his anti-vaccine, anti-mask posts]Vanessa Taylor wrote for mic.com.
“However, Apley wasn’t just a random anti-Vaxxer who happened to die of Covid-19. He held positions of power in his communities, even if they were small. It is no small matter for a politician in Texas, which ranks 36th in the United States for vaccination rates, to have an opinion that can endanger others. ”
In a comment for The Daily News of Galveston County, Margaret Battistelli Gardner wrote that Mr. Apley’s attempts to “try to influence people not to be vaccinated were inconsiderate and repulsive and not based on science or common sense”.
However, that does not justify the abuse that Mr. Apley’s family experienced.
Instead, his “death and the vitriol surrounding it exemplify some core truths surrounding the coronavirus pandemic,” wrote Gardner.
“First, the politicization of Covid, the measures that can help contain its spread – masks, social distancing, closings, capacity constraints, etc. – the vaccines that are designed to protect us from it, and some of the potential cures for those who already did it, pitted the Americans against each other at a time when that is the last thing we need, “she said.
“It has tested our compassionate abilities, our humanity – a test too many of us fail in some ways when it comes to who to reserve our sympathies for.
“Second, disinformation kills people, even those who distribute and spread it. Yes, breakthrough infections do occur in people who have been vaccinated. Yes, it looks like booster shots are required.
“But no matter how much or how loudly opponents condemn the vaccines, the fact remains that less than one percent of those vaccinated with Covid are hospitalized and even fewer die from it.
“Get your shots. And don’t forget that politics and people are two different things. “
