So I wrote a little column in the PerthNow newspapers this week… about what might happen… when anti-vaxxers… return to workplaces… that the government’s vaccine mandates… had banned them from.

I won’t rehash it all here… but the gist was… the return of these people…. might not be all smooth sailing.

And it’s not hard to see why.

Before the pandemic… it wasn’t always easy… to tell which co-workers… were conspiracy theorists… flat earthers… or part of the tin foil hat brigade.

But the COVID vaccine… and associated mandates… made it pretty obvious.

There was this one percent of West Aussies…  who protested in the city… who made effigies of Mark McGowan… who sent death threats… to politicians and journalists… and bombarded our social media spaces… with Joe Rogan quotes… vax misinformation… and flat out lies… about the pandemic.

And some of it was really stupid… and honestly disgusting.

Like when these idiots tried to hijack Warnie’s death… and turn it into a vax related thing.

So now you’ve got these people coming back into your office…. And I’m not the only one who has concerns.

I’ve already heard of one bloke going around his workplace… calling his colleagues sheep for getting the jab.

I’ve heard from a guy in the mining industry… who thinks there could be punch ups in the break room.

Now no nobody wants this… And it would be great if everyone just got along.

But the response I got from my column… proves just how hard that’s going to be.

And it sure ain’t because… of the 99 percent of us… who got the jab.

In the past 24 hours… I’ve copped abuse over email… I’ve had people find me on Instagram… and abuse me.

They’ve sent through… so-called facts… but are obvious misinformation… they’ve lied about knowing someone… who’s died of the vaccine.

None of it bothers me to be honest… because anti-vaxxers… have been sending me this crap… for a year now.

And that’s the whole point.

How will things ever get back to normal… while you have a group of people… who are proud to go against…. The expectations… of our community.

And aren’t afraid… to be in our faces about it.

We will get past the pandemic… and the reality is… COVID vaccination… will become just like flu vaccination… 

Something that some people do… and some people don’t.

But the only way we’ll do it together… is if the anti-vax extremists… dial it down a bit.

Because if they don’t… they’ll make it impossible… for the 99 percent vaxxed majority… to accept them back into civilised society.

So I wrote a little column in the PerthNow newspapers this week&hellip; about what might happen&hellip; when anti-vaxxers&hellip; return to workplaces&hellip; that the government&rsquo;s vaccine mandates&hellip; had banned them from.
I won&rsquo;t rehash it all here&hellip; but the gist was&hellip; the return of these people&hellip;. might not be all smooth sailing.
And it&rsquo;s not hard to see why.
Before the pandemic&hellip; it wasn&rsquo;t always easy&hellip; to tell which co-workers&hellip; were conspiracy theorists&hellip; flat earthers&hellip; or part of the tin foil hat brigade.
But the COVID vaccine&hellip; and associated mandates&hellip; made it pretty obvious.
There was this one percent of West Aussies&hellip;&nbsp; who protested in the city&hellip; who made effigies of Mark McGowan&hellip; who sent death threats&hellip; to politicians and journalists&hellip; and bombarded our social media spaces&hellip; with Joe Rogan quotes&hellip; vax misinformation&hellip; and flat out lies&hellip; about the pandemic.
And some of it was really stupid&hellip; and honestly disgusting.
Like when these idiots tried to hijack Warnie&rsquo;s death&hellip; and turn it into a vax related thing.
So now you&rsquo;ve got these people coming back into your office&hellip;. And I&rsquo;m not the only one who has concerns.
I&rsquo;ve already heard of one bloke going around his workplace&hellip; calling his colleagues sheep for getting the jab.
I&rsquo;ve heard from a guy in the mining industry&hellip; who thinks there could be punch ups in the break room.
Now no nobody wants this&hellip; And it would be great if everyone just got along.
But the response I got from my column&hellip; proves just how hard that&rsquo;s going to be.
And it sure ain&rsquo;t because&hellip; of the 99 percent of us&hellip; who got the jab.
In the past 24 hours&hellip; I&rsquo;ve copped abuse over email&hellip; I&rsquo;ve had people find me on Instagram&hellip; and abuse me.
They&rsquo;ve sent through&hellip; so-called facts&hellip; but are obvious misinformation&hellip; they&rsquo;ve lied about knowing someone&hellip; who&rsquo;s died of the vaccine.
None of it bothers me to be honest&hellip; because anti-vaxxers&hellip; have been sending me this crap&hellip; for a year now.
And that&rsquo;s the whole point.
How will things ever get back to normal&hellip; while you have a group of people&hellip; who are proud to go against&hellip;. The expectations&hellip; of our community.
And aren&rsquo;t afraid&hellip; to be in our faces about it.
We will get past the pandemic&hellip; and the reality is&hellip; COVID vaccination&hellip; will become just like flu vaccination&hellip;&nbsp;
Something that some people do&hellip; and some people don&rsquo;t.
But the only way we&rsquo;ll do it together&hellip; is if the anti-vax extremists&hellip; dial it down a bit.
Because if they don&rsquo;t&hellip; they&rsquo;ll make it impossible&hellip; for the 99 percent vaxxed majority&hellip; to accept them back into civilised society.

If you enjoyed listening to The West Live for your daily news fix, then come and join us over on The Nightly Five.  Host Ben O’Shea continues to deliver punchy news and analysis, in a new podcast to get you in front of tomorrow’s news today!  Subscribe on your favourite podcast player and visit the thenightly.com.au

If you enjoyed listening to The West Live for your daily news fix, then come and join us over on The Nightly Five.  Host Ben O’Shea continues to deliver punchy news and analysis, in a new podcast to get you in front of tomorrow’s news today!  Subscribe on your favourite podcast player and visit the <a href="https://thenightly.com.au">thenightly.com.au</a>

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