EDIT: Both my Stepdad and my Mom got their booster shot for COVID-19 while I'm waiting to get mine in early March this year. Much like everyone else we're still waiting for Pfizer and Moderna to release their vaccine specifically designed to fight against the Omicron variant.
No, just get the booster, dude. The booster is effective against Omicron.
Scientists are currently working on a way to engineer the COVID-19 vaccine so that they won't have to continually update it for each new variant that arises. My friend who recently lost her husband to COVID-19 also lost members of her church to it as it seems as though the virus is causing as many hospitalizations and deaths as those who are unvaccinated and are at much higher risk of infection than fully vaccinated people. I've been hearing rumors that the reason why Omicron doesn't appear to be as lethal as Delta and past variants of COVID-19 is due to a large amount of the human population now having better immunity against the virus but then why are people still dying from it?
People are still dying from it because people are still being infected by it.
You are less likely to die from an infection from the Omicron variant than the Delta variant. I believe the factor is 9 deaths per 1,000 cases vs. 13 deaths per 1,000 cases from the Delta variant. However, as you can see, the fact remains that Omicron variant is still a deadly disease.
What is also extremely important to note is that Omicron is also significantly more infectious than the Delta variant, so the Omicron has infected far more people than the Delta variant did. And while a recent study from the UK said that people fully vaccinated are about 93% less likely to die from Covid, you must realize that the Omicron variant continues to infect thousands per day. The New York Times reported that yesterday there were over 25,000 new cases of Covid reported. That's just yesterday. And this is down from January, in which there were hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, new cases daily. So you have to consider the volume of people infected. If you have a million people infected per day, and 9 out of 1,000 of those people are likely to die, then you will have 9,000 deaths.
And the fact of the matter is that a lot of the deaths and hospitalizations are from people who are NOT vaccinated. Only about 65.8% of the country is fully vaccinated. This is, of course, the national average and it varies between states, with it being skewed along party lines - strongly conservative states have significantly less than 65.8% of the population vaccinated, strongly blue states are more likely to have more. This is because conservatives strongly politicized efforts to combat the coronavirus, making things like vaccines and wearing a mask political issues. We can see this reflected in your stance. You have proven very susceptible to right-wing propaganda, and this is reflected in your posts in this thread.
This is why it is so vitally important to do proper research and to listen to scientists and other medical professionals and experts, not conspiracy theorists and pundits.
Here's another example: many states are now pulling back their mask restrictions due to the dropping coronavirus numbers. So, clearly the answer is no, contrary to right-wing fearmongering, mask mandates will not be permanent and are not the fruit of an evil totalitarian regime trying to force you to wear a mask to get rid of your freedoms for nefarious ends. Moreover, not only was that clearly never true, but how could that possibly have even made sense? I'm reminded of the South Park meme:
Step 1: Make everyone wear a mask and stand 6 feet apart
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit
The idea was pure nonsense, and yet many, including yourself, were roped into this nonsense. But the relevant question is WHY?
Because you failed to do proper research and listen to scientists and other experts who were providing you good information, instead allowed yourself to be poisoned by people who were feeding you lies and propaganda. When the only people you listen to are liars, you will find yourself believing in lies naturally.
So I hope that with this experience, Card Slinger J, you will make active steps in the future to stop listening to whoever you've been listening to and start listening to facts. Let this be the time you abandon the American right-wing, who has clearly been feeding you misinformation, and instead seek reputable sources for data.
Card Slinger J: I’m going to try to explain this so you get it.
We have a pandemic. A LITERAL PLAGUE is going on. It’s killed millions of people and continues to rage on.
So sensible people have seen this and realized that we can’t just live out our lives the way we used to when there’s a highly infectious, deadly disease running rampant, because that would be irresponsible and kill a ton of people. What we need to do is take necessary precautions to combat the spread of Covid-19. Thus, we have public health and safety measures.
Now, let’s be very clear: no one particularly likes these safety measures. But the prudent among us understand that these measures are necessary to get the virus under control, and if we do that, we can then safely go back to our regular lives. These people recognize that public safety measures are the solution to the problem. Adhering to them is the path to getting to a point in which we no longer have to.
We have seen it demonstrated across multiple countries that adherence to safety protocols such as social distancing, testing, masking, and vaccination help to get the virus under control and facilitate a return to relative normalcy. The coronavirus is a problem, but it’s a problem with a known solution.
The issue has been the significant percentage of people who refuse to adhere to safety protocols, either out of ignorance of the facts surrounding the threat of the coronavirus and the efficacy of public safety measures, or out of not caring whether or not people die as long as a person is not inconvenienced by them. These people have actively undermined attempts to control the virus in many countries - including the United States, in which hundreds of thousands of otherwise preventable deaths have occurred.
And this is what makes the Covid-19 situation such a uniquely infuriating one: there is absolutely no reason for the problem to have ever gotten this bad, and wouldn’t have had people acted sensibly by adhering to public safety precautions. Yet many consistently did not, which has subverted the responsible majority at every turn.
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We originally attempted a lockdown to try to get the virus under control. This would have worked, as evidenced by countries who did so successfully, but while it did get the numbers down, it failed to do enough because not enough people locked down.
We eventually opened the country back up, and then prescribed a regimen of social distancing and rigorous testing for the virus. This would have worked, as evidenced by countries who did so successfully, but while it did get the numbers down, it failed to do enough because not enough people got tested nor adhered to social distancing protocols, nor quarantined when they got it.
Amazingly, we ended up getting a vaccine for Covid that was over 90% effective against the major strain in record time, and the US accumulated enough of the vaccine to be able to vaccinate every American. The plan was to get enough people vaccinated to get the numbers for Covid down. This would have worked, as evidenced by countries who did so successfully, but while it did get the numbers down, it failed to do enough because not enough people got vaccinated.
Once again, public health measures would have not only combated the coronavirus’ spread, thus saving hundreds of thousands of lives, but would have also reduced the numbers to the point that we would have been able to relax said public health measures, thereby allowing us to live more freely.
Yet, at every turn, America seen vociferous opposition to health measures that would have protected lives and allowed us a return to relative normalcy. And a major contributing factor to this has been the sheer volume of speakers on the internet spreading misinformation and maligning both scientists and healthcare workers, and the safety measures they have recommended. We’re in the mess we’re in because of these people.
So that’s why it’s so maddening to see you post something like this:
No, you’re not. You’re actively spreading misinformation about Covid-19, and you’re also calling for an end to masking for children - a safety measure that has saved countless lives, and the removal of which would kill countless numbers of children and leave still more immunocompromised for the rest of their lives - for ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD REASON AT ALL.
You’re part of the problem!
That’s why it’s so maddening to see you post something like this:
I'd much prefer If we all work together as one
Great, SO GET ON BOARD THEN! Go do your part! You're the one who isn't doing what he's supposed to be doing! It’s people like you who are the holdouts that are subverting the work that the responsible people are doing.
The good news is you don’t have to be an obstacle. You can change.
Are you tired of this pandemic? Do you want to get back to regular life and not have to wear masks? Cool. SO DO WE. The difference is we understand that it’s not safe to do so right this moment and it will take some work to get there.
You want to help? First of all, get vaccinated. Second, socially distance, and wear a mask when unable to remain 6 feet apart from someone in a public setting. Third, keep an eye on your health, and get tested if you feel symptoms of Covid-19. If the test is positive, adhere to proper quarantining protocols until you are no longer infectious.
And fourth, encourage this behavior in others. Encourage people to get vaccinated, to wear masks, and to get tested. Rather than copy/pasting articles from anti-science radicals, or making posts about promoting measures that would cause countless children to die, instead do the opposite:
Share articles from experts in the field of virology and from reputable medical professionals.
Actively promote public health measures and share data about their demonstrated efficacy.
Try to promote plans that don’t involve countless children dying horrible deaths for no good reason.
These small actions can produce a lot of positive change, and can encourage others to take proactive steps to do so as well.
There's something among psychology nowadays known as COVID Anxiety Syndrome (CAS) where more children than ever have anxiety, depression, with suicide rates going up because of this global pandemic. What are we doing to the mental health of our children? There's now children drawing self-portraits of themselves with their face masks on because they've associated themselves with how they look 24/7 with face masks on. Sad part is that these children don't really know what it's really like to see their actual faces. Because of this we as a society are creating HUGE mental disorders down the line which is already happening right now and it's up to parents to protect the mental health of their children.
Children have become too afraid to play with each other or be brave enough to speak without worrying about infecting other people without a face mask on. As an end result these children are losing their social skills as they're not communicating and they're not learning how to communicate in-person because of the fear around us and we got to remind ourselves that fear is the greatest thief of our joy, happiness, and serenity. We have to learn to choose love over everything even though that might sound a little bit cliche but it's the truth. We're learning the harsh lesson of taking our freedoms for granted because this is all we have. A lot of people mock the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution but there's a reason why it's number one.
Would you rather the children die?
Because that is what we're wearing the masks for. Because otherwise children will die. Because, and again, I have no idea how you continue to not understand this: WE HAVE A PLAGUE GOING ON.
We're not making children wear masks for *****s and giggles, we're doing it because there's a plague going on. One which has killed over 5 million people in less than 2 years.
So I ask again, would you rather the children die?
Because if you were to say to me, "Yes, I would rather millions more die from a virus than to have to go through the minor inconvenience of wearing a mask," then at least you would be demonstrating self-awareness and honesty.
But you do not, DO NOT ever, ever, EVER get to post anti-science, anti-vaxxer, anti-medicine nonsense on the internet and then close it by saying you're choosing love.
You are perpetuating a problem that millions have died from, that people have given their lives to combat, that people are risking their lives now to stop, that people are laboring tirelessly to treat, that people are working around the clock to try to educate people that we can get this problem under control. How dare you say that you're choosing love by actively trying to undermine their efforts and their sacrifices? How dare you say you are choosing love by openly advocating for the death of innocent children? You might as well have just pissed on five million graves.
I'm not defending my position on this when I was being manipulated by the YouTuber whose info I cited.
No, here's your problem: you didn't "cite info." There was absolutely no information in that entire post. It was baseless opinion, statements that were obviously counter-factual at the time. There was no information, no data, nothing.
And here you are doing the same thing. You may have moved on from that person, but you've clearly gone from one anti-science social media person to another, because the statements you are making are still anti-science, still counter-factual, and still devoid of data.
What matters now is that we have more data on how to get this pandemic under control
Yes. Vaccines, masking, and social distancing. They work. The data proves it. When they're actually implemented, they work.
as opposed to 1 1/2 years ago when there was no need to completely paralyze the foundations of our society in the name of safety.
There clearly was. Social distancing saved lives.
Travel bans I can get behind but the global economy and public education in a state of prolonged gridlock?
It's not in a state of prolonged gridlock. We closed nonessential businesses because it was a necessary measure to get the virus under control. We did remote distance learning because it was a necessary measure to keep children safe. Both schools and businesses have since reopened.
Again, how are you still maintaining this stance after 1 1/2 years? We've seen what happens when the virus numbers drop: things reopen. We close them as a matter of public safety. We reopen them when the virus numbers drop below a certain point. The answer is no, we're not in perpetual lockdown, as demonstrated by us not being in lockdown anymore.
How are we supposed to keep up with millions of people quitting their jobs over vaccine / mask mandates?
What are you talking about? Virtually no one is quitting their job over the vaccine mandates. The number is estimated at 1% of all workers in the US. 1%.
What are we doing to the mental health of our children and their children as they get older? What kind of example are we setting for them?
Who do you think is traumatizing the children more: the people who are adhering to public safety advice to benefit society in the face of a widespread global pandemic, or the people who refuse to listen to science and reason and pursue courses of action that would directly lead to the pandemic continuing and, in turn, causing greater threat and harm to said children?
Because doing a year of remote learning is not going to be anywhere near as debilitating as being immuno-compromised, to say nothing of dying from covid.
No I'm not trying to undermine how many people have died from this virus
Really does feel like you are, dude, especially since those measures that you're railing against saved countless lives, and because you're spreading the very misinformation that no doubt cost many people their lives.
especially since most of the healthcare workers and researchers who should be providing as much info about the virus to the public as possible are ALL unemployed either because either they chose not to abide by the government mandates
Once again, not actually happening, it's close to like 1% if that.
or that they couldn't keep up with hospitals exceeding their max capacity of COVID-19 patients on a daily basis.
Which was preventable, and would have been prevented had people distanced, adhered to mask policy, and gotten vaccinated.
Thankfully it's not as bad now that over 70% of all American citizens are fully vaccinated with only 30% that didn't get vaccinated
Wait, "thankfully?" Why are you spreading anti-vaccination nonsense like eating fruits and vegetables to combat covid if you're pro-vaccine?
Second, we are definitely not at 70% vaccination. Where are you getting your data? We're at about 60%. The goal is over 80%. And one of the biggest problems towards getting there has been rampant misinformation about healthcare measures such as the vaccine against Covid. Which you are participating in. If you want more people to get vaccinated, you should aspire to do your part by seeking to listen to the very experts you are deriding and actually propagating things grounded in fact, rather than misinformation.
What I was referring to in regards to "the experts" are medical professionals within Mainstream Media like Dr. Fauci, Dr. Oz, etc.
Ok, Dr. Oz is a media personality, sure. Dr. Fauci, on the other hand, is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President. There is absolutely no comparison between the two.
who are bought and paid for by Big Pharma to keep people in fear and anxiety instead of telling them the truth about how to handle COVID-19 in a way that's kind, compassionate, and caring
And here we are with the conspiracy theories.
Again, specifics. What, SPECIFICALLY, about what Fauci has said do you take objection to?
Is it that he advised people to socially distance, wear masks, and get vaccinated - the measures that have been proven to work to combat covid?
What do you actually have about Fauci that's actually objectionable?
What this is teaching us is for us to do our own research instead of relying on those who don't know the answers and are just there to keep the fearmongering
Which is really astounding coming from someone who admits himself he propagated conspiracy theories, and also is STILL DOING SO.
going which is exactly what Big Pharma is doing to extract as much money as possible by prolonging the pandemic as long as possible.
... How, exactly? By making a vaccine to the pandemic? The one you admit is a good thing?
I've already said that I was being manipulated by a YouTuber at the time in which I cited the info from not realizing the full context of who the individual was in regards to the bad reputation he had but lesson learned. Nobody is perfect we all make mistakes from time to time even myself. Move on.
Except you're still propagating anti-science nonsense. You've just switched from one source of misinformation to another.
I guess that's one way to put it bluntly.
Are you agreeing with me that the sources of misinformation are the ones who are really the ones spreading anxiety and fear, or are you agreeing with the post that has been explicitly proven to be nonsense, I'm confused.
My friends' husband who recently died from COVID-19
I'm sorry to hear that.
was fully vaccinated with the first two doses of Moderna but didn't receive a booster for Omicron,
Well, it's not a booster for Omicron. It's a booster. There's still research ongoing as to whether the vaccine/booster are effective against Omicron.
however what I think happened was that he had an underlying condition that was triggered from when he got the virus that made it hard for the vaccine to control. Like I said earlier, there's not enough data and research studies on how COVID-19 triggers underlying and pre-existing conditions that manages to take someone's life with the most common case among COVID-19 patients being Myocarditis which is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can also affect your respiratory system.
My friend and her daughter also managed to get COVID-19 while fully vaccinated with the first two doses of Pfizer except the cases were only mild where my friend and her daughter were recently released from quarantine with no signs of being able to infect other people. She told me that she temporarily lost her sense of taste and smell which is a common symptom among COVID-19 patients and thankfully she got her senses back. I have another friend at work whose husband got Myocarditis from getting vaccinated so hopefully he's doing better now. First time I got vaccinated I had muscle aches and body fatigue but that was really it.
May I ask you something?
What is your actual argument, here, exactly?
Like, I'm genuinely trying to figure this out. What is even your stance at this point?
You accuse doctors and politicians who are advocating things like masks and vaccines as being wrong and bad and fearmongering, which shows you are clearly listening to anti-science, anti-vaccination people on the internet, and yet, you say that vaccines are good and not only do you concede that covid is not a hoax, but you personally know people who have gotten it.
The Republicans are still under the impression that the virus isn't a real threat and any measures made by the other party are nothing more than a threat to take away personal freedoms.
Except not even most Republicans believe this.
The politicians who rail on about personal liberties are vaccinated. Fox News goes off on how wrong the Biden administration's vaccine and Covid-testing policies are when the ones that Fox News operates on are even more stringent. Donald Trump himself, who ran around talking about how all of this talk of Covid was going to go away after the election, (A) got covid, (B) received a variety of drugs to treat covid, and (C) got a covid vaccine.
Hell, we're now seeing an influx of natural cure bloggers and social media people getting the vaccine, and then advising followers take vinegar or silver or whatever dumb thing to remove the nonexistent harmful effects of the vaccine.
It's overwhelmingly just pandering to the crowd who believes this nonsense, as well as fomenting general ignorance to advance their own gain.
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Card Slinger J: Have you actually read the article you cited?
When the Coronavirus (COVID-19) first appeared, mathematical modelers looked at the small amounts of evidence available and concluded that millions of people were going to die.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE DIED.
I mean, come on, dude, it's been 1 1/2 years since the OP. We know how this all plays out, we know damn well that the coronavirus has killed millions. How are you still defending your position?
I think we're already past the point now where most of the conspiracy theories surrounding the vaccine have been 100% debunked not by "the experts" or Dr. Fauci himself but by people who actually put in the time, effort, resources, and research to figure this out by directly communicating with their doctors, pediatricians, and health experts who use actual common sense and rationale
A. You are promoting conspiracy theories right now as we are talking.
B. Why did you put "experts" in quotes and then proceed to list actual experts? You even said "health experts" in the list of people you were contrasting with "experts." That makes no sense.
instead of keeping people in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety.
That's not what's happening. The only people who are trying to keep people in a state of irrational fear are the people who are trying to spread unfounded, baseless misinformation over the pandemic.
I will point out, once again, that the article you've based this thread around claimed that the coronavirus was a hoax and wasn't going to kill millions of people, when we know that's exactly what the hell it did.
When you keep people in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety for a long period of time you're actually creating a mass psychosis on our society that eventually will lead to totalitarianism in order to control the human population much easier which was similar to what we saw back in the 1940's with what Nazi Germany did to the Jews which is still a very sensitive subject to this day and rightfully so.
Specifics. WHO is spreading a perpetual state of fear and anxiety, and HOW, exactly?
Keep in mind that the obviously wrong article that you started this thread around concluded with, "Governments will enthusiastically promote social distancing as the only way to keep us safe but unless we stand up and fight and tell the truth, social distancing will be with us for years possibly forever and as a result our lives will be ruined in every conceivable way."
What I find crazy is that there are still a majority of people who've gotten the first two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and still got hospitalized running on ICU with COVID-19 where the risk of death is much greater.
This is completely false. The majority of people who have been hospiralized with Covid-19 are unvaccinated. Vaccines are proven to prevent hospitalization of Covid-19.
Unless... Are you saying that you find it crazy that people who severe cases with Covid-19 are sent to the ICU? Because of course they're sent to the Intensive Care Unit, dude. The Intensive Care Unit is where you send people who have a medical emergency and therefore need intensive care. That's why it's called the Intensive Care Unit. Where else would you send them?
So unless you dramatically change your eating habits with fruits and vegetables instead of eating foods that aren't wholesome to help improve your body's natural immune response then you're probably going to end up at the hospital with COVID.
Fruits and vegetables have nothing to do with preventing Covid.
Furthermore, the entire idea of a strong immune response preventing Covid hospitalization is nonsense. A lot of the deaths of Covid are because of complications resulting from inflammation, which is the result of the body's immune system reacting too strongly to Covid.
The "experts"
Again, why are you quoting "experts" when you've already said that the people who are informed are the ones who talked to health experts?
are already talking about a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna to help combat against the new Omicron variant yet pre-existing variants of the virus like Delta are now somehow evading the spike protein that is supposed to fend off the virus from entering into our immune systems.
They were talking about a third dose before Omicron. Further, the vaccine is still proven to be effective against Delta.
I don't like social distancing and masking as much as anyone who values their freedom, liberty, and sovereignty as rationale human beings.
Nobody likes socially distancing or masking. We do it because it is the responsible thing to do during a major health crisis. There's a global pandemic going on and the path to combating said pandemic is to socially distance, wear masks, and above all get vaccinated.
Remember back when "the experts" said that it was supposed to only take two weeks to flatten the curve? Well look where we are now...
Because so much of the country did not actually do so. Largely because of rhetoric like what you are parroting.
Contrast the US with New Zealand, a country that actually did pursue aggressive lockdown measures. Indeed, compare our covid numbers with South Korea, who got it at the same time we did, or, hell, China, who was ground zero for the virus. These preventative measures work when they're actually followed.
Sadly, we have people who refuse to do what is responsible and who continue to refuse to get a vaccine - A VACCINE DEVELOPED DURING THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY AND WHOM TRUMP HIMSELF HAS OPENLY ADMITTED TO HAVING TAKEN - who refuse to mask up, who refuse to socially distance, and who propagate misinformation when a highly-contagious disease continues to kill over a thousand people each day in America.
First and foremost, it's both blatantly hypocritical and overwhelmingly condescending to write, I have never talked down to a woman in my entire life after Azrael was absolutely behaving in a condescending manner, both to the individual he is addressing and to others, and said individual was correct in calling him out on it. This is textbook gaslighting, and would be offensive enough were this the full extent of Azrael's misconduct.
But Azrael does not stop there.
Azrael goes further to accuse the person of being a victim of abuse, and that the reason she interprets his behavior as condescending and belittling was not because he was behaving in a condescending and belittling way (he very definitely was), but because she was not thinking clearly due to past trauma.
Let me repeat that for emphasis. Azrael openly behaved in a rude and condescending manner, but whne he was called out on it, proceeded to say, I've never talked down to a woman in my life, you only think I am because you're incapable of being rational due to having way too much emotion because you were probably a victim of abuse.
This is appalling.
I want to point out at this time that discussion of domestic abuse and whether or not a person is having a PTSD trigger is - in addition to being totally inappropriate to mafia - can, in and of being discussed, cause people to become triggered. Moreover, to accuse someone of disagreeing with you due to the fact that the person has PTSD, and therefore is incapable of thinking illogically, is disgusting. It's not just unsportsmanlike, it's not just totally inappropriate to a forum based around a children's game, it's outright abhorrent.
For Azrael to create a discussion about abuse and trauma and speculating about whether or not a fellow player may or may not have had a history of it was unnecessary, uncalled for, and has absolutely no place in a mafia game. His attempting to say, I'm not talking down to people, you only think that because of your history of abuse, let me make a prolonged post about that, is totally out of line.
We've had toxic, abusive behavior on the site. But this extends beyond just someone getting irate at losing. One should not have to use labels like "sexist" and "ableist" to describe what is wrong with a person's conduct in a children's game. One should not have to worry about a content warning with regards to a post in a forum based on a children's game. This isn't just wrong, it's outright disgraceful.
I reported this post back in January when it was first made. No moderator action was made towards Azrael, nor has Azrael ever made any statement of apology for his behavior. By this silence, I believe we are to assume that this type of conduct is one that is condoned.
We must have standards of behavior on this site. For standards of behavior to exist, those who behave wrongly must be held accountable in some form. Some demonstration must needs be made to indicate that such behavior is wrong and will not be tolerated, for to do otherwise would be tolerating such behavior.
The fact that the person committing the wrongful action is a person of standing in the community does not diminish the necessity for wrongdoing to be reprimanded, but instead increases it. For a person to have a high position in a community means his actions openly reflect upon the community all the moreso. For that person to behave in a wrongful fashion is all the more a black mark on the community, and all the more undermines the legitimacy of the rules of the community, which are meant to apply to everyone. We should tolerate open contempt of rules and decency all the less when displayed by a member in a significant position on our forum, not give way to leniency.
Therefore, would like to petition Azrael be reprimanded, and for him to make a post of apology for the inappropriateness of his post. As long as this behavior never happens again, I don't think it necessary to go beyond that, but this can't happen again, and this level of inappropriate behavior demands not merely an apology, but also some sort of message needs to be made that this sort of post is unacceptable on this forum, or in decent forums in general. Especially coming from a member of the very governing council on this board.
Moreover, I petition that a member of the staff make a public statemen clarifying that no such conduct be tolerated on this forum, and affirm the staff's commitment towards keeping such misconduct out of future games.
If Azrael refuses to come forward demonstrating any contrition for his misconduct, I would like to formally petition he be removed from his position on the Mafia Council on the grounds of offensive and hostile behavior and contributing to a toxic play environment.
Such measures will promote a safe and wholesome play environment and clarify the mafia forum's commitment to a fun, non-toxic environment based upon the rules of the site and the demands of basic decency.
Thank you very much to everyone who participated and made this game possible. It was an honor and a pleasure to have hosted the closing game of this site.
I wish you all the best wherever you may go from here.
The chaotic maelstrom of the void between worlds. BLACK LOTUS, MOX JET, and MOX PEARL face the aftermath of the vote of the “day.”
BLACK LOTUS
So you finally figured it out.
MOX JET
Why’d you do it?
BLACK LOTUS
Why? Is that some sort of a joke? Look at what I was able to accomplish by just having one consistent ally I could turn my back on. Oh yes, the Power Nine are so powerful, the Power Nine can do anything… Except for one thing: actually put side their differences to work together! Our lives have been defined by conflict since the moment we came into being. Our entire existence has been defined by strife and warfare and bloodshed. Even now, facing an existential threat, it’s been nothing but infighting. Because we can’t do anything else! You couldn’t even cooperate even when your lives literally depended on it!
MOX PEARL
We figured you and Time Walk out, didn’t we?
BLACK LOTUS
Yeah, congratulations, you managed to find me out after killing everyone else. You could have formed an investigation to look into the threat, but no, you couldn’t do that. You instead had to split people up into sides and fight, because that’s the pattern we’ll always be locked into. That’s all we know how to do! And look where it’s lead. All of existence, everything that’s not us has been wiped out. You think any group this self-destructive deserves to survive? Time Walk and I just decided to take you all out before you had the chance to do the same to us.
MOX JET
Well there won’t need to be any more violence after you’re gone.
BLACK LOTUS
“After?” I’ve absorbed the power of every slain member of the Power Nine. There’s exactly two of you. Basic arithmetic will tell you that you’re screwed. So tell me, what, exactly, is your plan to kill me?
MOX JET
Actually, it just so happens we just telepathically communicated a plan to each other.
BLACK LOTUS
Go on?
MOX PEARL
We were going to summon every single creature, enchantment, and artifact that isn’t us and send them all at you to distract you while simultaneously hitting you with every single instant and sorcery that has ever been.
BLACK LOTUS
That’s a pretty good plan.
MOX JET
Yeah, we thought so too.
BLACK LOTUS
Very clever. It’s too bad I did it already.
We see behind Black Lotus a MULTITUDE OF HORRIFYING CREATURES MANIFEST INTO EXISTENCE, FOLLOWED BY ROW AFTER ROW OF ARTIFACTS AND ENCHANTMENTS, STRETCHING ALMOST ENDLESSLY.
MOX PEARL
Well, there goes our plan...
BLACK LOTUS
Sorry. If it’s any consolation, you never actually had a chance. But I’m feeling sporting. Why don’t you hit me with your best shot before I annihilate you?
MOX JET
Any brilliant ideas?
MOX PEARL
Well, I’m thinking, maybe he’s wrong. Maybe we can work together…
MOX JET
You mean…
MOX PEARL
By our powers combined!
BLACK LOTUS
What the hell are you doing?
Both Mox Jet and Mox Pearl glow with magical power. In a bright flash of light, all of the slain Moxen and Time appear!
BLACK LOTUS
Cute trick, but shades of the dead won’t save you.
MOX PEARL
Guess again.
Mox Jet and Mox Pearl use their magic to summon a MASSIVE METAL GAUNTLET, set with five slots on it for five stones.
BLACK LOTUS
No!
Black Lotus commands his gathered legions to attack!
MOX JET
Too late. Moxen, prepare to FORM VOLTRON!
The five Moxen insert themselves into each slot in the gauntlet, which then levitates onto the hand of Timetwister.
BLACK LOTUS
I destroyed the multiverse! I destroyed the multiverse!
His voice progressively becomes higher pitched with each outburst, a looping scream of indignation and fury.
BLACK LOTUS (Cont.)
I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE!
MOX JET/MOX PEARL
And we destroyed you!
SNAP!
THE ASSEMBLED CREATURES, ARTIFACTS, AND ENCHANTMENTS EVAPORATE.
LEAVING BLACK LOTUS ALONE. ONE BY ONE, BLACK LOTUS’ PETALS DROOP, WITHER, AND FALL TO THE GROUND. Black Lotus watches as…
HIS ATOMS DISSOLVE. FINALLY, BLACK LOTUS DISAPPEARS.
MOX JET
We did it. We won.
MOX PEARL
He’s really gone, it’s over.
The spell completed, THE REVIVED MOXEN AND TIME VANISH, leaving only the Gauntlet.
MOX JET
What happens now?
MOX PEARL
Well, we still have the Gauntlet. And we can revive our friends temporarily to power it. We have access to infinite power, right there in front of us.
MOX JET
Which leaves one of three possibilities. One is that we return Dominia to what it was. Two is that we work together to rebuild the world as we see fit, hopefully better than it was.
(beat)
And three is…
MOX PEARL
And three is one of us turns on the other, and then takes all the power there ever was for himself.
MOX JET
Exactly.
Beat. Both keep their distance from the other.
MOX PEARL
Well, now, that would be really depressing, if it turns out what Black Lotus said was correct.
MOX JET
It would. You believe that? Us being incapable of working together?
MOX PEARL
No. I don’t think that’s true. I’d really like to think we’re better than that.
(Beat)
Having said that, can you guarantee to me that I’ll be able to trust you?
MOX JET
No. Can you?
MOX PEARL
No.
They regard each other for a moment.
MOX JET
Well, then I guess we’re going to have to think of a way to pass the time, while we sort this out.
MOX PEARL
Guess so.
(Beat)
You play Magic: The Gathering?
MOX JET
I guess I’ll be learning.
FADE OUT.
THE END
Grapefruit21 was MAFIA! THE TOWN WIN! CONGRATULATIONS!
"Alright, let's begin the day and get this vote settled."
"Agreed,"
And so the sun rose on the next day.
"Wait, if ti's day, why is the moon still up?"
"That's no moon... That's a space station."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
Suddenly, all of Dominaria's atmosphere became bathed in the green light of a planet-killing laser.
"Ok, no, deflect it back at the station!"
The false moon exploded, sending shockwaves through space.
"Well, that was easy."
"You spoke too soon."
Where the Death Star was, there were now two more.
"Incoming fire!"
The Power Nine - now only four - once again destroyed the space stations. In the blink of an eye, four more appeared.
"Ok, don't destroy them. Clearly every time they're blown up, they double."
Yet, before the sentence was done, there were eight in the sky.
"This is bad."
"Sixteen."
"We should leave right now!"
"Thirty-two!"
"To where? There's nowhere else to go!"
"The Blind Eternities! It's the only location left!"
"Two hundred fifty-six! Let's go now!"
In the Blind Eternities, the chaotic void between the realms, the remaining members of the Power Nine appeared. All save one.
"Where's Mox Ruby?"
"He's trapped! The remaining conspirator must have prevented his ability to teleport."
"He's anchored to that plane! It's about to be -"
Then a wave of energy was felt throughout what remained of Dominia, and the final three entities - the last in the multiverse - knew that their comrade had fallen.
"Mox Ruby is gone."
"And so is Dominaria."
"It took two million, ninety-seven thousand, one hundred and fifty-two of them to bring him down."
"Let's make sure his death is not in vain. We end this, right here."
"Let the voting begin.
LastWhisper is dead. He was TOWN.
DAY START!
With 3 alive, it is 2 to majority lynch.
Day will end on 12:05 AM, EST, on Sunday, August 1.
Immediately the Power Nine began aiming spells at Time Walk.
"Wait, aren't you supposed to go through a bunch of formalities, tell me I've been condemned and all that?"
"Yeah, we did that before, and look how well that went for us! Let's dispense with the pleasantries. We voted you to die, we're destroying you now."
Time Walk stared at the gathered four, then laughed. "Oh... Oh, YOU want to take the gloves off, do you? Alright then."
In an instant, Time Walk set off a massive explosion that leveled the entire continent that the remaining Power Nine were standing on.
"Wait, what the hell?"
"That's impossible."
"How is his power level off the charts? They're OUR charts!"
Time Walk laughed hysterically. "Don't you idiots get it? I've been absorbing the magic of each of you as you fall. I can easily outmatch all of you combined."
"He's one of them!"
"Destroy him!"
The Power Nine fired their spells at them, but each and every one bounced off harmlessly. "Now allow me to retort," Time Walk said.
With a wave of his hand, Time Walk unraveled the very laws of space and time. The Power Nine stared in horror at an enormous rift in time that threatened to swallow them all. "Have you any clever ideas before I go back in time and erase you from ever having existed?"
"Yes. Summon everyone."
"What? What do you mean -"
"EVERYONE!"
Within moments, every single planeswalker who ever existed appeared on the battlefield.
"Oh, you bastards..."
The battle was ferocious. Time Walk eviscerated each of the Planeswalkers, one after another, but they were able to keep him occupied long enough to allow the remaining Power Nine to destroy him through attrition. Crushing the life of the last Old Walker in his hands, Time Walk finally fell, and stirred no more.
People are still dying from it because people are still being infected by it.
You are less likely to die from an infection from the Omicron variant than the Delta variant. I believe the factor is 9 deaths per 1,000 cases vs. 13 deaths per 1,000 cases from the Delta variant. However, as you can see, the fact remains that Omicron variant is still a deadly disease.
What is also extremely important to note is that Omicron is also significantly more infectious than the Delta variant, so the Omicron has infected far more people than the Delta variant did. And while a recent study from the UK said that people fully vaccinated are about 93% less likely to die from Covid, you must realize that the Omicron variant continues to infect thousands per day. The New York Times reported that yesterday there were over 25,000 new cases of Covid reported. That's just yesterday. And this is down from January, in which there were hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, new cases daily. So you have to consider the volume of people infected. If you have a million people infected per day, and 9 out of 1,000 of those people are likely to die, then you will have 9,000 deaths.
And the fact of the matter is that a lot of the deaths and hospitalizations are from people who are NOT vaccinated. Only about 65.8% of the country is fully vaccinated. This is, of course, the national average and it varies between states, with it being skewed along party lines - strongly conservative states have significantly less than 65.8% of the population vaccinated, strongly blue states are more likely to have more. This is because conservatives strongly politicized efforts to combat the coronavirus, making things like vaccines and wearing a mask political issues. We can see this reflected in your stance. You have proven very susceptible to right-wing propaganda, and this is reflected in your posts in this thread.
This is why it is so vitally important to do proper research and to listen to scientists and other medical professionals and experts, not conspiracy theorists and pundits.
Here's another example: many states are now pulling back their mask restrictions due to the dropping coronavirus numbers. So, clearly the answer is no, contrary to right-wing fearmongering, mask mandates will not be permanent and are not the fruit of an evil totalitarian regime trying to force you to wear a mask to get rid of your freedoms for nefarious ends. Moreover, not only was that clearly never true, but how could that possibly have even made sense? I'm reminded of the South Park meme:
Step 1: Make everyone wear a mask and stand 6 feet apart
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit
The idea was pure nonsense, and yet many, including yourself, were roped into this nonsense. But the relevant question is WHY?
Because you failed to do proper research and listen to scientists and other experts who were providing you good information, instead allowed yourself to be poisoned by people who were feeding you lies and propaganda. When the only people you listen to are liars, you will find yourself believing in lies naturally.
So I hope that with this experience, Card Slinger J, you will make active steps in the future to stop listening to whoever you've been listening to and start listening to facts. Let this be the time you abandon the American right-wing, who has clearly been feeding you misinformation, and instead seek reputable sources for data.
We have a pandemic. A LITERAL PLAGUE is going on. It’s killed millions of people and continues to rage on.
So sensible people have seen this and realized that we can’t just live out our lives the way we used to when there’s a highly infectious, deadly disease running rampant, because that would be irresponsible and kill a ton of people. What we need to do is take necessary precautions to combat the spread of Covid-19. Thus, we have public health and safety measures.
Now, let’s be very clear: no one particularly likes these safety measures. But the prudent among us understand that these measures are necessary to get the virus under control, and if we do that, we can then safely go back to our regular lives. These people recognize that public safety measures are the solution to the problem. Adhering to them is the path to getting to a point in which we no longer have to.
We have seen it demonstrated across multiple countries that adherence to safety protocols such as social distancing, testing, masking, and vaccination help to get the virus under control and facilitate a return to relative normalcy. The coronavirus is a problem, but it’s a problem with a known solution.
The issue has been the significant percentage of people who refuse to adhere to safety protocols, either out of ignorance of the facts surrounding the threat of the coronavirus and the efficacy of public safety measures, or out of not caring whether or not people die as long as a person is not inconvenienced by them. These people have actively undermined attempts to control the virus in many countries - including the United States, in which hundreds of thousands of otherwise preventable deaths have occurred.
And this is what makes the Covid-19 situation such a uniquely infuriating one: there is absolutely no reason for the problem to have ever gotten this bad, and wouldn’t have had people acted sensibly by adhering to public safety precautions. Yet many consistently did not, which has subverted the responsible majority at every turn.
-
We originally attempted a lockdown to try to get the virus under control. This would have worked, as evidenced by countries who did so successfully, but while it did get the numbers down, it failed to do enough because not enough people locked down.
We eventually opened the country back up, and then prescribed a regimen of social distancing and rigorous testing for the virus. This would have worked, as evidenced by countries who did so successfully, but while it did get the numbers down, it failed to do enough because not enough people got tested nor adhered to social distancing protocols, nor quarantined when they got it.
Amazingly, we ended up getting a vaccine for Covid that was over 90% effective against the major strain in record time, and the US accumulated enough of the vaccine to be able to vaccinate every American. The plan was to get enough people vaccinated to get the numbers for Covid down. This would have worked, as evidenced by countries who did so successfully, but while it did get the numbers down, it failed to do enough because not enough people got vaccinated.
Once again, public health measures would have not only combated the coronavirus’ spread, thus saving hundreds of thousands of lives, but would have also reduced the numbers to the point that we would have been able to relax said public health measures, thereby allowing us to live more freely.
Yet, at every turn, America seen vociferous opposition to health measures that would have protected lives and allowed us a return to relative normalcy. And a major contributing factor to this has been the sheer volume of speakers on the internet spreading misinformation and maligning both scientists and healthcare workers, and the safety measures they have recommended. We’re in the mess we’re in because of these people.
So that’s why it’s so maddening to see you post something like this:
No, you’re not. You’re actively spreading misinformation about Covid-19, and you’re also calling for an end to masking for children - a safety measure that has saved countless lives, and the removal of which would kill countless numbers of children and leave still more immunocompromised for the rest of their lives - for ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD REASON AT ALL.
You’re part of the problem!
That’s why it’s so maddening to see you post something like this:
Great, SO GET ON BOARD THEN! Go do your part! You're the one who isn't doing what he's supposed to be doing! It’s people like you who are the holdouts that are subverting the work that the responsible people are doing.
The good news is you don’t have to be an obstacle. You can change.
Are you tired of this pandemic? Do you want to get back to regular life and not have to wear masks? Cool. SO DO WE. The difference is we understand that it’s not safe to do so right this moment and it will take some work to get there.
You want to help? First of all, get vaccinated. Second, socially distance, and wear a mask when unable to remain 6 feet apart from someone in a public setting. Third, keep an eye on your health, and get tested if you feel symptoms of Covid-19. If the test is positive, adhere to proper quarantining protocols until you are no longer infectious.
And fourth, encourage this behavior in others. Encourage people to get vaccinated, to wear masks, and to get tested. Rather than copy/pasting articles from anti-science radicals, or making posts about promoting measures that would cause countless children to die, instead do the opposite:
Share articles from experts in the field of virology and from reputable medical professionals.
Actively promote public health measures and share data about their demonstrated efficacy.
Try to promote plans that don’t involve countless children dying horrible deaths for no good reason.
These small actions can produce a lot of positive change, and can encourage others to take proactive steps to do so as well.
Because that is what we're wearing the masks for. Because otherwise children will die. Because, and again, I have no idea how you continue to not understand this: WE HAVE A PLAGUE GOING ON.
We're not making children wear masks for *****s and giggles, we're doing it because there's a plague going on. One which has killed over 5 million people in less than 2 years.
So I ask again, would you rather the children die?
Because if you were to say to me, "Yes, I would rather millions more die from a virus than to have to go through the minor inconvenience of wearing a mask," then at least you would be demonstrating self-awareness and honesty.
But you do not, DO NOT ever, ever, EVER get to post anti-science, anti-vaxxer, anti-medicine nonsense on the internet and then close it by saying you're choosing love.
You are perpetuating a problem that millions have died from, that people have given their lives to combat, that people are risking their lives now to stop, that people are laboring tirelessly to treat, that people are working around the clock to try to educate people that we can get this problem under control. How dare you say that you're choosing love by actively trying to undermine their efforts and their sacrifices? How dare you say you are choosing love by openly advocating for the death of innocent children? You might as well have just pissed on five million graves.
And here you are doing the same thing. You may have moved on from that person, but you've clearly gone from one anti-science social media person to another, because the statements you are making are still anti-science, still counter-factual, and still devoid of data.
Yes. Vaccines, masking, and social distancing. They work. The data proves it. When they're actually implemented, they work.
There clearly was. Social distancing saved lives.
It's not in a state of prolonged gridlock. We closed nonessential businesses because it was a necessary measure to get the virus under control. We did remote distance learning because it was a necessary measure to keep children safe. Both schools and businesses have since reopened.
Again, how are you still maintaining this stance after 1 1/2 years? We've seen what happens when the virus numbers drop: things reopen. We close them as a matter of public safety. We reopen them when the virus numbers drop below a certain point. The answer is no, we're not in perpetual lockdown, as demonstrated by us not being in lockdown anymore.
What are you talking about? Virtually no one is quitting their job over the vaccine mandates. The number is estimated at 1% of all workers in the US. 1%.
Who do you think is traumatizing the children more: the people who are adhering to public safety advice to benefit society in the face of a widespread global pandemic, or the people who refuse to listen to science and reason and pursue courses of action that would directly lead to the pandemic continuing and, in turn, causing greater threat and harm to said children?
Because doing a year of remote learning is not going to be anywhere near as debilitating as being immuno-compromised, to say nothing of dying from covid.
Really does feel like you are, dude, especially since those measures that you're railing against saved countless lives, and because you're spreading the very misinformation that no doubt cost many people their lives.
Once again, not actually happening, it's close to like 1% if that.
Which was preventable, and would have been prevented had people distanced, adhered to mask policy, and gotten vaccinated.
Wait, "thankfully?" Why are you spreading anti-vaccination nonsense like eating fruits and vegetables to combat covid if you're pro-vaccine?
Second, we are definitely not at 70% vaccination. Where are you getting your data? We're at about 60%. The goal is over 80%. And one of the biggest problems towards getting there has been rampant misinformation about healthcare measures such as the vaccine against Covid. Which you are participating in. If you want more people to get vaccinated, you should aspire to do your part by seeking to listen to the very experts you are deriding and actually propagating things grounded in fact, rather than misinformation.
Ok, Dr. Oz is a media personality, sure. Dr. Fauci, on the other hand, is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President. There is absolutely no comparison between the two.
And here we are with the conspiracy theories.
Again, specifics. What, SPECIFICALLY, about what Fauci has said do you take objection to?
Is it that he advised people to socially distance, wear masks, and get vaccinated - the measures that have been proven to work to combat covid?
What do you actually have about Fauci that's actually objectionable?
Which is really astounding coming from someone who admits himself he propagated conspiracy theories, and also is STILL DOING SO.
... How, exactly? By making a vaccine to the pandemic? The one you admit is a good thing?
Except you're still propagating anti-science nonsense. You've just switched from one source of misinformation to another.
Are you agreeing with me that the sources of misinformation are the ones who are really the ones spreading anxiety and fear, or are you agreeing with the post that has been explicitly proven to be nonsense, I'm confused.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Well, it's not a booster for Omicron. It's a booster. There's still research ongoing as to whether the vaccine/booster are effective against Omicron.
May I ask you something?
What is your actual argument, here, exactly?
Like, I'm genuinely trying to figure this out. What is even your stance at this point?
You accuse doctors and politicians who are advocating things like masks and vaccines as being wrong and bad and fearmongering, which shows you are clearly listening to anti-science, anti-vaccination people on the internet, and yet, you say that vaccines are good and not only do you concede that covid is not a hoax, but you personally know people who have gotten it.
So I don't understand your position at all.
The politicians who rail on about personal liberties are vaccinated. Fox News goes off on how wrong the Biden administration's vaccine and Covid-testing policies are when the ones that Fox News operates on are even more stringent. Donald Trump himself, who ran around talking about how all of this talk of Covid was going to go away after the election, (A) got covid, (B) received a variety of drugs to treat covid, and (C) got a covid vaccine.
Hell, we're now seeing an influx of natural cure bloggers and social media people getting the vaccine, and then advising followers take vinegar or silver or whatever dumb thing to remove the nonexistent harmful effects of the vaccine.
It's overwhelmingly just pandering to the crowd who believes this nonsense, as well as fomenting general ignorance to advance their own gain.
----------
Card Slinger J: Have you actually read the article you cited?
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE DIED.
I mean, come on, dude, it's been 1 1/2 years since the OP. We know how this all plays out, we know damn well that the coronavirus has killed millions. How are you still defending your position?
A. You are promoting conspiracy theories right now as we are talking.
B. Why did you put "experts" in quotes and then proceed to list actual experts? You even said "health experts" in the list of people you were contrasting with "experts." That makes no sense.
That's not what's happening. The only people who are trying to keep people in a state of irrational fear are the people who are trying to spread unfounded, baseless misinformation over the pandemic.
I will point out, once again, that the article you've based this thread around claimed that the coronavirus was a hoax and wasn't going to kill millions of people, when we know that's exactly what the hell it did.
Specifics. WHO is spreading a perpetual state of fear and anxiety, and HOW, exactly?
Keep in mind that the obviously wrong article that you started this thread around concluded with, "Governments will enthusiastically promote social distancing as the only way to keep us safe but unless we stand up and fight and tell the truth, social distancing will be with us for years possibly forever and as a result our lives will be ruined in every conceivable way."
This is completely false. The majority of people who have been hospiralized with Covid-19 are unvaccinated. Vaccines are proven to prevent hospitalization of Covid-19.
Unless... Are you saying that you find it crazy that people who severe cases with Covid-19 are sent to the ICU? Because of course they're sent to the Intensive Care Unit, dude. The Intensive Care Unit is where you send people who have a medical emergency and therefore need intensive care. That's why it's called the Intensive Care Unit. Where else would you send them?
Fruits and vegetables have nothing to do with preventing Covid.
Furthermore, the entire idea of a strong immune response preventing Covid hospitalization is nonsense. A lot of the deaths of Covid are because of complications resulting from inflammation, which is the result of the body's immune system reacting too strongly to Covid.
Again, why are you quoting "experts" when you've already said that the people who are informed are the ones who talked to health experts?
They were talking about a third dose before Omicron. Further, the vaccine is still proven to be effective against Delta.
Nobody likes socially distancing or masking. We do it because it is the responsible thing to do during a major health crisis. There's a global pandemic going on and the path to combating said pandemic is to socially distance, wear masks, and above all get vaccinated.
Because so much of the country did not actually do so. Largely because of rhetoric like what you are parroting.
Contrast the US with New Zealand, a country that actually did pursue aggressive lockdown measures. Indeed, compare our covid numbers with South Korea, who got it at the same time we did, or, hell, China, who was ground zero for the virus. These preventative measures work when they're actually followed.
Sadly, we have people who refuse to do what is responsible and who continue to refuse to get a vaccine - A VACCINE DEVELOPED DURING THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY AND WHOM TRUMP HIMSELF HAS OPENLY ADMITTED TO HAVING TAKEN - who refuse to mask up, who refuse to socially distance, and who propagate misinformation when a highly-contagious disease continues to kill over a thousand people each day in America.
This post is disgusting and beyond inappropriate.
First and foremost, it's both blatantly hypocritical and overwhelmingly condescending to write, I have never talked down to a woman in my entire life after Azrael was absolutely behaving in a condescending manner, both to the individual he is addressing and to others, and said individual was correct in calling him out on it. This is textbook gaslighting, and would be offensive enough were this the full extent of Azrael's misconduct.
But Azrael does not stop there.
Azrael goes further to accuse the person of being a victim of abuse, and that the reason she interprets his behavior as condescending and belittling was not because he was behaving in a condescending and belittling way (he very definitely was), but because she was not thinking clearly due to past trauma.
Let me repeat that for emphasis. Azrael openly behaved in a rude and condescending manner, but whne he was called out on it, proceeded to say, I've never talked down to a woman in my life, you only think I am because you're incapable of being rational due to having way too much emotion because you were probably a victim of abuse.
This is appalling.
I want to point out at this time that discussion of domestic abuse and whether or not a person is having a PTSD trigger is - in addition to being totally inappropriate to mafia - can, in and of being discussed, cause people to become triggered. Moreover, to accuse someone of disagreeing with you due to the fact that the person has PTSD, and therefore is incapable of thinking illogically, is disgusting. It's not just unsportsmanlike, it's not just totally inappropriate to a forum based around a children's game, it's outright abhorrent.
For Azrael to create a discussion about abuse and trauma and speculating about whether or not a fellow player may or may not have had a history of it was unnecessary, uncalled for, and has absolutely no place in a mafia game. His attempting to say, I'm not talking down to people, you only think that because of your history of abuse, let me make a prolonged post about that, is totally out of line.
We've had toxic, abusive behavior on the site. But this extends beyond just someone getting irate at losing. One should not have to use labels like "sexist" and "ableist" to describe what is wrong with a person's conduct in a children's game. One should not have to worry about a content warning with regards to a post in a forum based on a children's game. This isn't just wrong, it's outright disgraceful.
I reported this post back in January when it was first made. No moderator action was made towards Azrael, nor has Azrael ever made any statement of apology for his behavior. By this silence, I believe we are to assume that this type of conduct is one that is condoned.
We must have standards of behavior on this site. For standards of behavior to exist, those who behave wrongly must be held accountable in some form. Some demonstration must needs be made to indicate that such behavior is wrong and will not be tolerated, for to do otherwise would be tolerating such behavior.
The fact that the person committing the wrongful action is a person of standing in the community does not diminish the necessity for wrongdoing to be reprimanded, but instead increases it. For a person to have a high position in a community means his actions openly reflect upon the community all the moreso. For that person to behave in a wrongful fashion is all the more a black mark on the community, and all the more undermines the legitimacy of the rules of the community, which are meant to apply to everyone. We should tolerate open contempt of rules and decency all the less when displayed by a member in a significant position on our forum, not give way to leniency.
Therefore, would like to petition Azrael be reprimanded, and for him to make a post of apology for the inappropriateness of his post. As long as this behavior never happens again, I don't think it necessary to go beyond that, but this can't happen again, and this level of inappropriate behavior demands not merely an apology, but also some sort of message needs to be made that this sort of post is unacceptable on this forum, or in decent forums in general. Especially coming from a member of the very governing council on this board.
Moreover, I petition that a member of the staff make a public statemen clarifying that no such conduct be tolerated on this forum, and affirm the staff's commitment towards keeping such misconduct out of future games.
If Azrael refuses to come forward demonstrating any contrition for his misconduct, I would like to formally petition he be removed from his position on the Mafia Council on the grounds of offensive and hostile behavior and contributing to a toxic play environment.
Such measures will promote a safe and wholesome play environment and clarify the mafia forum's commitment to a fun, non-toxic environment based upon the rules of the site and the demands of basic decency.
I wish you all the best wherever you may go from here.
Grapefruit21 - 2 (Killjoy, Prophylaxis)
Killjoy - 1 (Grapefruit21)
EXT. THE BLIND ETERNITIES
The chaotic maelstrom of the void between worlds. BLACK LOTUS, MOX JET, and MOX PEARL face the aftermath of the vote of the “day.”
BLACK LOTUS
So you finally figured it out.
MOX JET
Why’d you do it?
BLACK LOTUS
Why? Is that some sort of a joke? Look at what I was able to accomplish by just having one consistent ally I could turn my back on. Oh yes, the Power Nine are so powerful, the Power Nine can do anything… Except for one thing: actually put side their differences to work together! Our lives have been defined by conflict since the moment we came into being. Our entire existence has been defined by strife and warfare and bloodshed. Even now, facing an existential threat, it’s been nothing but infighting. Because we can’t do anything else! You couldn’t even cooperate even when your lives literally depended on it!
MOX PEARL
We figured you and Time Walk out, didn’t we?
BLACK LOTUS
Yeah, congratulations, you managed to find me out after killing everyone else. You could have formed an investigation to look into the threat, but no, you couldn’t do that. You instead had to split people up into sides and fight, because that’s the pattern we’ll always be locked into. That’s all we know how to do! And look where it’s lead. All of existence, everything that’s not us has been wiped out. You think any group this self-destructive deserves to survive? Time Walk and I just decided to take you all out before you had the chance to do the same to us.
MOX JET
Well there won’t need to be any more violence after you’re gone.
BLACK LOTUS
“After?” I’ve absorbed the power of every slain member of the Power Nine. There’s exactly two of you. Basic arithmetic will tell you that you’re screwed. So tell me, what, exactly, is your plan to kill me?
MOX JET
Actually, it just so happens we just telepathically communicated a plan to each other.
BLACK LOTUS
Go on?
MOX PEARL
We were going to summon every single creature, enchantment, and artifact that isn’t us and send them all at you to distract you while simultaneously hitting you with every single instant and sorcery that has ever been.
BLACK LOTUS
That’s a pretty good plan.
MOX JET
Yeah, we thought so too.
BLACK LOTUS
Very clever. It’s too bad I did it already.
We see behind Black Lotus a MULTITUDE OF HORRIFYING CREATURES MANIFEST INTO EXISTENCE, FOLLOWED BY ROW AFTER ROW OF ARTIFACTS AND ENCHANTMENTS, STRETCHING ALMOST ENDLESSLY.
MOX PEARL
Well, there goes our plan...
BLACK LOTUS
Sorry. If it’s any consolation, you never actually had a chance. But I’m feeling sporting. Why don’t you hit me with your best shot before I annihilate you?
MOX JET
Any brilliant ideas?
MOX PEARL
Well, I’m thinking, maybe he’s wrong. Maybe we can work together…
MOX JET
You mean…
MOX PEARL
By our powers combined!
BLACK LOTUS
What the hell are you doing?
Both Mox Jet and Mox Pearl glow with magical power. In a bright flash of light, all of the slain Moxen and Time appear!
BLACK LOTUS
Cute trick, but shades of the dead won’t save you.
MOX PEARL
Guess again.
Mox Jet and Mox Pearl use their magic to summon a MASSIVE METAL GAUNTLET, set with five slots on it for five stones.
BLACK LOTUS
No!
Black Lotus commands his gathered legions to attack!
MOX JET
Too late. Moxen, prepare to FORM VOLTRON!
The five Moxen insert themselves into each slot in the gauntlet, which then levitates onto the hand of Timetwister.
BLACK LOTUS
I destroyed the multiverse! I destroyed the multiverse!
His voice progressively becomes higher pitched with each outburst, a looping scream of indignation and fury.
BLACK LOTUS (Cont.)
I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE! I DESTROYED THE MULTIVERSE!
MOX JET/MOX PEARL
And we destroyed you!
SNAP!
THE ASSEMBLED CREATURES, ARTIFACTS, AND ENCHANTMENTS EVAPORATE.
LEAVING BLACK LOTUS ALONE. ONE BY ONE, BLACK LOTUS’ PETALS DROOP, WITHER, AND FALL TO THE GROUND. Black Lotus watches as…
HIS ATOMS DISSOLVE. FINALLY, BLACK LOTUS DISAPPEARS.
MOX JET
We did it. We won.
MOX PEARL
He’s really gone, it’s over.
The spell completed, THE REVIVED MOXEN AND TIME VANISH, leaving only the Gauntlet.
MOX JET
What happens now?
MOX PEARL
Well, we still have the Gauntlet. And we can revive our friends temporarily to power it. We have access to infinite power, right there in front of us.
MOX JET
Which leaves one of three possibilities. One is that we return Dominia to what it was. Two is that we work together to rebuild the world as we see fit, hopefully better than it was.
(beat)
And three is…
MOX PEARL
And three is one of us turns on the other, and then takes all the power there ever was for himself.
MOX JET
Exactly.
Beat. Both keep their distance from the other.
MOX PEARL
Well, now, that would be really depressing, if it turns out what Black Lotus said was correct.
MOX JET
It would. You believe that? Us being incapable of working together?
MOX PEARL
No. I don’t think that’s true. I’d really like to think we’re better than that.
(Beat)
Having said that, can you guarantee to me that I’ll be able to trust you?
MOX JET
No. Can you?
MOX PEARL
No.
They regard each other for a moment.
MOX JET
Well, then I guess we’re going to have to think of a way to pass the time, while we sort this out.
MOX PEARL
Guess so.
(Beat)
You play Magic: The Gathering?
MOX JET
I guess I’ll be learning.
FADE OUT.
THE END
Grapefruit21 was MAFIA! THE TOWN WIN! CONGRATULATIONS!
Thank you to all who played!
Killjoy - 1 (Grapefruit21)
Grapefruit21 - 1 (Killjoy)
With 3 alive, it is 2 to majority lynch.
Day will end on 12:05 AM, EST, on Sunday, August 1.
"Agreed,"
And so the sun rose on the next day.
"Wait, if ti's day, why is the moon still up?"
"That's no moon... That's a space station."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
Suddenly, all of Dominaria's atmosphere became bathed in the green light of a planet-killing laser.
"Ok, no, deflect it back at the station!"
The false moon exploded, sending shockwaves through space.
"Well, that was easy."
"You spoke too soon."
Where the Death Star was, there were now two more.
"Incoming fire!"
The Power Nine - now only four - once again destroyed the space stations. In the blink of an eye, four more appeared.
"Ok, don't destroy them. Clearly every time they're blown up, they double."
Yet, before the sentence was done, there were eight in the sky.
"This is bad."
"Sixteen."
"We should leave right now!"
"Thirty-two!"
"To where? There's nowhere else to go!"
"The Blind Eternities! It's the only location left!"
"Two hundred fifty-six! Let's go now!"
In the Blind Eternities, the chaotic void between the realms, the remaining members of the Power Nine appeared. All save one.
"Where's Mox Ruby?"
"He's trapped! The remaining conspirator must have prevented his ability to teleport."
"He's anchored to that plane! It's about to be -"
Then a wave of energy was felt throughout what remained of Dominia, and the final three entities - the last in the multiverse - knew that their comrade had fallen.
"Mox Ruby is gone."
"And so is Dominaria."
"It took two million, ninety-seven thousand, one hundred and fifty-two of them to bring him down."
"Let's make sure his death is not in vain. We end this, right here."
"Let the voting begin.
LastWhisper is dead. He was TOWN.
DAY START!
With 3 alive, it is 2 to majority lynch.
Day will end on 12:05 AM, EST, on Sunday, August 1.
Ecophagy - 3 (Killjoy, LastWhisper, Prophylaxis)
Killjoy - 2 (Ecophagy, Grapefruit21)
Immediately the Power Nine began aiming spells at Time Walk.
"Wait, aren't you supposed to go through a bunch of formalities, tell me I've been condemned and all that?"
"Yeah, we did that before, and look how well that went for us! Let's dispense with the pleasantries. We voted you to die, we're destroying you now."
Time Walk stared at the gathered four, then laughed. "Oh... Oh, YOU want to take the gloves off, do you? Alright then."
In an instant, Time Walk set off a massive explosion that leveled the entire continent that the remaining Power Nine were standing on.
"Wait, what the hell?"
"That's impossible."
"How is his power level off the charts? They're OUR charts!"
Time Walk laughed hysterically. "Don't you idiots get it? I've been absorbing the magic of each of you as you fall. I can easily outmatch all of you combined."
"He's one of them!"
"Destroy him!"
The Power Nine fired their spells at them, but each and every one bounced off harmlessly. "Now allow me to retort," Time Walk said.
With a wave of his hand, Time Walk unraveled the very laws of space and time. The Power Nine stared in horror at an enormous rift in time that threatened to swallow them all. "Have you any clever ideas before I go back in time and erase you from ever having existed?"
"Yes. Summon everyone."
"What? What do you mean -"
"EVERYONE!"
Within moments, every single planeswalker who ever existed appeared on the battlefield.
"Oh, you bastards..."
The battle was ferocious. Time Walk eviscerated each of the Planeswalkers, one after another, but they were able to keep him occupied long enough to allow the remaining Power Nine to destroy him through attrition. Crushing the life of the last Old Walker in his hands, Time Walk finally fell, and stirred no more.
Ecophagy is dead. He was MAFIA.
NIGHT ON!
This is in 19 hours and 35 minutes.
Vote Count:
No one is currently voting.
Deadline is 10:30 PM, EST, on July 24.