This is not new. It has actually been a long time coming. I've been writing about how antivaxxers have coopted far right rhetoric and have been becoming more extreme. Unfortunately #COVID19 has accelerated the process. 1/ https://twitter.com/beallwether/status/1259905828099731458
For instance, in the 2016 election @delbigtree visited Michigan and ranted on about standing and, if necessary, dying for freedom, as his group went around buttonholing state legislators. 2/ https://respectfulinsolence.com/2016/10/28/nobody-promotes-antivaccine-nonsense-in-my-statewithout-receiving-some-insolence-2016-election-edition/
And so it goes, with threats against pediatricians and other doctors who stand up to defend vaccines on social media. 8/ https://respectfulinsolence.com/2019/05/03/violent-rhetoric-antivaccine-intensifies/
I note that, at the time, my state senator was antivaccine and running for governor, and my state rep was willing to pander to antivaxxers in the name of "freedom." Both are out of office now, thankfully. 11d/11
The problem is getting worse in @GOP. For instance, antivaxxers are now openly bragging about how many @ohiogop state legislatures are antivax or antivax-sympathetic. 11e/11 https://respectfulinsolence.com/2019/11/13/ohio-statehouse-antivaccine/
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