Yesterday there was a conversation that contained several blatantly anti-vax comments. I had previously included in the community description a rule against anti-vax posts and comments, but I was not enforcing it well. I will be enforcing that rule going forward. I have also included a new rule against personal attacks. Please remember to report violations.
If anti-vaxxers wish to have a discussion, they are free to create their own community. This community is not a home for that sentiment.
While the community management is free to run it as they prefer, there are many strong arguments to reconsider the position being taken now. For one, many people who joined lemmy, the federated reddit alternative, joined it because reddit often censors allowing existence of alternative narratives to be known, even when it is well reasoned and evidence backed.
Second, lemmy is socialist/commumist in ideology, while risky vaccines are backed by big pharma.
Third, in this pandemic, often the authorities are as ill-informed as the public and literally doing anything to give a semblence of control over the situation.
Fourth, side-effects like myocarditis, were initially ignored by public at large, their reporting prohibited by authorities and social media alike, in the name of stopping the “anti-vaxxers”. But an year later, these are acknowldged to be genuine and published on the pamphalets that accompany vaccine vials.
To summarise, please reconsider your editorial position. Science proceeds by answering those who question it, not by censoring them.
