# Washington State Trooper Who Refused to Get Vaccinated and Left His Job Very Dramatically, Dies From COVID-19



## SeaBreeze (Jan 29, 2022)

The silver lining in this gray cloud might be that some people will pay attention and learn from this and get vaccinated against this deadly virus.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/robe...ovid-19-washington_n_61f4d1d4e4b04f9a12bd8084


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## Rah-Rah (Jan 29, 2022)

Like I have said many times in the short time I have been here. Decisions come with consequences. No matter what decision you end up making. Whether your decision is not to get the vaccine your consequence could end up just like this man or whether you get the vaccine you could down the road be dealing with side effects that are somewhat unknown of the vaccine at this point. It is a tough decision, but it comes down to the individual and the way they weigh things out.


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## Bellbird (Jan 30, 2022)

It also depends on whether you don't want to run the big risk of infecting others with the virus if you yourself caught it and were not vaccinated.


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## Mike (Jan 30, 2022)

It was his decision, but it is still sad, the offer is there
to prolong life, yet still some refuse to do so, for there
own reasons.

R.I.P.

Mike.


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## Rah-Rah (Jan 30, 2022)

Mike said:


> It was his decision, but it is still sad, the offer is there
> to prolong life, yet still some refuse to do so, for there
> own reasons.
> 
> ...


Oh for sure it is sad. It is sad when anyone losses their life.


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## CarolfromTX (Jan 30, 2022)

A little schadenfreude going on here perhaps? Coupled with some finger wagging (you’d better get vaccinated, you naughty people” ) it really isn’t a good look. Stop it.


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## Irwin (Jan 30, 2022)

Some people don't seem to place much value on their own lives. I don't understand that mentality.


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## Don M. (Jan 30, 2022)

If this virus lingers for several more years....which is quite possible....the number of those refusing the vaccines will decline substantially, as they die.  
One of our Granddaughters is a nurse at a nearby hospital.  Outside of a few elderly, who already had major health issues, the vast majority of patients who had a severe case of Covid and/or died, were unvaccinated.


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## Della (Jan 30, 2022)

It's so sad.  I've always admired people who are willing to sacrifice for their convictions,-- in this case he sacrificed his job and ultimately his life -- but I have to wonder why.  Why this particular issue?  My husband was in the military for 22 years, the troops had to have all kinds of vaccinations and even more down the road tailored to which country they were being deployed to, I never heard a single complaint.


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## Sunny (Jan 30, 2022)

CarolfromTX said:


> A little schadenfreude going on here perhaps? Coupled with some finger wagging (you’d better get vaccinated, you naughty people” ) it really isn’t a good look. Stop it.


Oh, but the finger-wagging is OK when it's done by the anti-vaxxers, every time a vaccinated person gets the disease?  Just look back through the history of this topic. There are a few people on this forum who can barely contain their glee any time a problem comes up with the vaccine, or any time the statistics show an increase in people getting Covid. (Never mind that the people who had the sense to get vaccinated get a mild illness, with very few exceptions, if they get any symptoms at all.)

Or any time a pharma company makes a profit from producing the vaccine, a business concept apparently unknown until now. This is a huge sin apparently to some, even though the vaccine is free of charge.

We can't have it both ways. If people choose to ignore an obvious life saver offered to them, because they believe a quack doctor or a tin-horn politician instead of science, well yes, most people are going to think (or say out loud) that they brought it on themselves. 

I take no joy in the suffering that this disease brings on those unfortunate to get very sick or die from it. They are fellow human beings. But how can we not think, "What can you expect?"


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## ElCastor (Jan 30, 2022)

I suspect the decision not to vaccinate often comes down to an irrational and extreme fear of needles known as trypanophobia. Those who suffer from this probably invent stories to justify their behavior rather than admit the real problem. I have a niece who literally faints after being injected with anything. Many of us may know, or have heard of, people like that.


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## CarolfromTX (Jan 30, 2022)

Sunny, I think finger wagging is never a good look for anyone. I told you so is unhelpful at best and tacky as well. I am vaccinated but I believe it’s an individual choice. So when people seem to delight in posting disdainful stories about the unvaccinated, I simply point out what it is — schadenfreude.


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## Della (Jan 30, 2022)

CarolfromTX said:


> Sunny, I think finger wagging is never a good look for anyone. I told you so is unhelpful at best and tacky as well. I am vaccinated but I believe it’s an individual choice. So when people seem to delight in posting distainful stories about the unvaccinated, I simply point out what it is — schadenfreude.


If you're reading delight in any of these posts you're reading through a different lens than mine.  
Yes, there is a certain irony in these stories, but no one is laughing. As the OP says, it's sad, but there's a silver lining in a chance that other unvaccinated people will learn from these examples.  No one is happy about this man's death.


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## Lethe200 (Jan 30, 2022)

Della said:


> It's so sad.  I've always admired people who are willing to sacrifice for their convictions,-- in this case he sacrificed his job and ultimately his life -- but I have to wonder why.  Why this particular issue?  My husband was in the military for 22 years, the troops had to have all kinds of vaccinations and even more down the road tailored to which country they were being deployed to, I never heard a single complaint.


No complaints are allowed in the military. Vaccinations are mandatory, period. As they should be. You cannot afford to have an infectious disease running rampant within your own army. Battles and wars have been lost due to internal illnesses, throughout history.

Simply put, vaccinations put the odds more in your favor. Not a guarantee, but a big help. I understand that people want 100% assurance of safety, but the world just doesn't work that way. 

It would be nice if it did......but realistically, you can put the odds IN your favor or let them be AGAINST you. Just remember the consequences of your actions are not always limited just to you alone, that's all.


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## CarolfromTX (Jan 30, 2022)

Della, I guess I am viewing it through a different lens. It’s ironic, yes.  But reposting it, and including the phrase”silver lining”, IMHO,is still taking pleasure in another’s tragedy.


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## Irwin (Jan 30, 2022)

96% of U.S. doctors are fully vaccinated:
https://www.ama-assn.org/press-cent...-96-doctors-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19

Severe adverse reactions to the vaccine are extremely rare:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html

But some nut doctor who lies about pretty much everything says that the covid-19 vaccine isn't safe. That does it! I'm not getting vaccinated! It's not safe! It's a conspiracy by nearly a million doctors and the U.S. government to keep us scared! 

Uh, boy.


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## Della (Jan 30, 2022)

CarolfromTX said:


> Della, I guess I am viewing it through a different lens. It’s ironic, yes.  But reposting it, and including the phrase”silver lining”, IMHO,is still taking pleasure in another’s tragedy.


The phrase "silver lining" always follows the "dark cloud"  In this case he was referring to the man's death as a dark cloud, but saying there was a silver lining in that lives might be saved through his example.  I don't get how that is taking pleasure in the man's death, but I guess I am reading it in a different tone.


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## Warrigal (Jan 30, 2022)

Sunny said:


> Oh, but the finger-wagging is OK when it's done by the anti-vaxxers, every time a vaccinated person gets the disease?  Just look back through the history of this topic. There are a few people on this forum who can barely contain their glee any time a problem comes up with the vaccine, or any time the statistics show an increase in people getting Covid. (Never mind that the people who had the sense to get vaccinated get a mild illness, with very few exceptions, if they get any symptoms at all.)
> 
> Or any time a pharma company makes a profit from producing the vaccine, a business concept apparently unknown until now. This is a huge sin apparently to some, even though the vaccine is free of charge.
> 
> ...


Very well expressed. I might add that when it comes to medical matters i remember the old saying "a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing".

With the internet at our fingertips we think we can access important information about very complex matters but in reality, unless we have the capacity to read original research ourselves, all we are accessing is other people's thoughts on the subject.

I remember another old saying from my childhood - "the  Devil can quote scripture for his purpose" and sound very convincing. The same is true of pundits who seek attention. They swoop on any little titbit that can be used to support their personal position whether or not it misrepresents the truth. It is not a new phenomenon. My mother used to describe people who used their positions of power to stir up trouble as "rabble rousers" for their ability to cause widespread discontent, not to mention mischief.

My point is that it is wise to be sceptical, but foolish not to listen carefully to what learned people are trying to tell us. I prefer to take advice from my physician and be guided by his knowledge of the latest medical developments. I am confident that he is neither a crackpot, nor a lackey of big pharma.


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## Ladybj (Jan 30, 2022)

Not able to comment. Don't know the details.


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## Warrigal (Jan 30, 2022)

I'm wondering about the trooper's claim to have an exemption on "religious grounds".

What does that mean exactly? Does it mean that one is willing to become a martyr for adhering to some deeply held belief? If that is so, perhaps he died happy. I hope he did, rather than dying with heavy regret.

No-one is forced to receive a vaccine but that does not mean that an employer cannot require you to have one, no matter what your duties are. This officer was apparently offered alternate duties but found them unacceptable. He resigned very publicly  by way of a video in which he stated that the Governor Jay Inslee "can kiss my a*s.”

No wonder his death from Covid 19 was reported in the Washington Post.


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 30, 2022)

Della said:


> The phrase "silver lining" always follows the "dark cloud"  In this case he was referring to the man's death as a dark cloud, but saying there was a silver lining in that lives might be saved through his example.  I don't get how that is taking pleasure in the man's death, but I guess I am reading it in a different tone.


You're reading it correctly, thank you.


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## Ladybj (Jan 30, 2022)

Rah-Rah said:


> Like I have said many times in the short time I have been here. Decisions come with consequences. No matter what decision you end up making. Whether your decision is not to get the vaccine your consequence could end up just like this man or whether you get the vaccine you could down the road be dealing with side effects that are somewhat unknown of the vaccine at this point. It is a tough decision, but it comes down to the individual and the way they weigh things out.


Very well stated!!


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 30, 2022)

Della said:


> If you're reading delight in any of these posts you're reading through a different lens than mine.
> Yes, there is a certain irony in these stories, but no one is laughing. As the OP says, it's sad, but there's a silver lining in a chance that other unvaccinated people will learn from these examples.  No one is happy about this man's death.


Thank you Della, there is no delight at all, you are reading it as a reasonable person.


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 30, 2022)

CarolfromTX said:


> Della, I guess I am viewing it through a different lens. It’s ironic, yes.  But reposting it, and including the phrase”silver lining”, IMHO,is still taking pleasure in another’s tragedy.


I don't know if this is reposting it, I was not aware that it was previously posted.  No pleasure here in a death, and am obviously concerned about more deaths from this deadly virus either due to ignorance or arrogance.  Either way, we all suffer individually or as a nation.


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 30, 2022)

CarolfromTX said:


> A little schadenfreude going on here perhaps? Coupled with some finger wagging (you’d better get vaccinated, you naughty people” ) it really isn’t a good look. Stop it.


You should look into your own mindset before saying such things.


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## Shero (Jan 30, 2022)

CarolfromTX said:


> A little schadenfreude going on here perhaps? Coupled with some finger wagging (you’d better get vaccinated, you naughty people” ) it really isn’t a good look. Stop it.



No one feels joy at the death of someone. No one that I know of anyway. 
This trooper's death was his own doing. In spite of this, I am sure most people will be if anything, angry at a wasted life.

Also, where is the "finger wagging?"  I cannot detect any, but I am sure you are one of those people who can read anything where there is nothing to read.
.


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## Jeni (Jan 30, 2022)

Warrigal said:


> I'm wondering about the trooper's claim to have an exemption on "religious grounds".
> 
> What does that mean exactly? Does it mean that one is willing to become a martyr for adhering to some deeply held belief? If that is so, perhaps he died happy. I hope he did, rather than dying with heavy regret.
> 
> ...


The Washington Post is in Washington DC not the state of Washington   
although it is owned by Bezos like Amazon which is headquartered in Seattle


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 30, 2022)

Shero said:


> No one feels joy at the death of someone. No one that I know of anyway.
> This trooper's death was his own doing. In spite of this, I am sure most people will be if anything, angry at a wasted life.
> 
> Also, where is the "finger wagging?"  I cannot detect any, but I am sure you are one of those people who can read anything where there is nothing to read.
> .


Exactly, well said.


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## ohioboy (Jan 30, 2022)

Warrigal said:


> I'm wondering about the trooper's claim to have an exemption on "religious grounds".
> 
> What does that mean exactly?



Core based in the 1st AM's Free Exercise Clause. Since it is a government mandate, of course it triggers a Constitutional issue, used as a false by-pass, or a genuine one. The claim basically is probably, the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, thus no other spirit (needles/drugs), etc. are permitted to contaminate the pureness. That may be a broad example, but it is a simple one to contrast.

There was a case back many years ago that went to the United States Supreme Court that involved certain native Americans who wished to use Peyote in their religious rituals, and claimed a 1st AM right to do so. The SC ruled in the negative.


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## Warrigal (Jan 31, 2022)

Thanks. I keep forgetting about the Bill of Rights.


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