6 minute read
OPINION
from Issue 3
Those against mandatory vaccines such as the newest coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, commonly referred to as antivaxxers, have been vocal about their distrust and refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, arguing that the mandates are an infringement on people’s rights despite the vaccine’s proven safety and ability in slowing the virus’ spread. On Nov. 12, at a Special Committee on Government Outreach in Kansas City, Kansas, a group of anti-vaxxers arrived wearing a yellow Star of David taped to their chests. In attendance at the Government Outreach, Kansas residents and business owners, who are against receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, are demanding unemployment insurance following termination from their jobs for lack of vaccination. The star that these people wore mirror the Jewish badge from World War II, which all Jewish people were required to wear by law in Nazi-occupied lands. The Jewish badge served as a form of branding as part of Adolf Hitler’s larger plan to stigmatize, separate and eventually deport Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust. Given this history, it is disgusting to see the comparisons made between the industrialized genocide of Jews, where at least six million people were killed, and the vaccine mandates instituted to help slow the spread of a deadly virus and keep people safe (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).
This is not a one-time occurrence; anti-vaxxers’ arguments often make light of the Holocaust. On Apr. 24, many British citizens protested the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine documentation in London by sporting a yellow Star of David on their clothing, according to Cable News Network (CNN). One banner reportedly went as far as to state, “stop the vaccine Holocaust”. However, this offensive and absurd analogy is not exclusive to the COVID-19 vaccine; anti-vaxxers who are against vaccinations in general have brought up this comparison for years. In 2015, during the anti-vaxxers’ protests against California’s mandatory school vaccination laws, they edited images of the yellow Star of David onto themselves to make the comparison that forcing their children to receive vaccinations was reminiscent of the Nazis’ treatment of Jews during the Holocaust (CNN).
Despite anti-vaxxers’ main argument being that the vaccine limits their civil liberties and thus deems the mandate an act of oppression, getting the vaccine does more to benefit the community than it does to harm oneself. With the vaccine’s high efficacy rating before being approved for mass distribution, the foundation upon which their argument is built on is faulty and their actions only put those around them at risk. Furthermore, anti-vaxxers’ basis for the terms of infringement are unfounded under the 10th amendment of the Constitution, which addresses police power under the state’s authority as overruling those opposing the vaccine and, more generally, placing citizens’ health as the highest priority (Hartford Courant).
Thus, this appropriation of vaccine requirements being a mass genocide is blatantly tone-deaf and demonstrates a significant lack of proper education about the Holocaust. Not only is it disrespectful to Holocaust survivors and their families that their trauma is being used for this purpose, but also to Jewish people as a whole, as the mass extermination of millions of Jews is not comparable to certain people’s distrust of science. Anti-vaxxers’ constant need to portray themselves as an oppressed victim perpetuates this harmful normalization of antisemitism, as the two are not comparable and anti-vaxxers are simply trivializing the Holocaust and using it to further their own selfish agenda. This casual normalization of antisemitism in current society is unnacceptable and must be properly addressed. It is imperative for people to educate themselves on the Holocaust, as there are many resources online and no excuse to remain ignorant to why casual references to the Holocaust should not be made lightly or to prove a point.
Although advocates for disability rights have been speaking on it for decades, the issue of insufficient accessibility in public spaces is just now entering mainstream news coverage. In a recent article from Cable News Network, it was reported that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett threatened not to attend the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) if the organizers did not provide proper wheelchair access for guests. This statement was issued after Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, who uses a wheelchair, spent two hours on Nov. 1 trying to enter the COP26 venue and ultimately was unable to participate in any events. The U.N. Climate Change secretariat claimed that it was due to “exceptional and unprecedented logistical circumstances”, even though the COP26 President Alok Sharma had previously stressed the importance of an inclusive conference. True inclusivity cannot exist without accessibility, and the negligence of the COP26 organizers exemplifies an overarching societal disregard for disabled individuals.
Unfortunately, poor accessibility is not a problem exclusively faced by adult wheelchair users. A 2021 report conducted by the Government Accountability Office, an office responsible for monitoring federal spending and performance, showed that 63% of school districts have physical barriers that limit disabled students’ mobility and potentially violate the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (American Broadcasting Company News). Schools and organizations like the U.N. have the civic duty to facilitate a comfortable environment for all participants, which includes maintaining basic accessibility and teaching individuals to be conscious of how their actions affect those with disabilities.
“Even at Peninsula, our wheelchair accessibility is not that great,” Associate Principal Katie Clovis said. “It is a maze for people coming from [the front entrance] to get down onto campus. Adapting buildings so that everyone can access them is a legitimate problem. I think it is important to put funds toward it.”
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that all students with disabilities are to be given a free public education that is individualized and ensures maximum academic participation with non-disabled students. Although Peninsula complies with these guidelines by supplying necessary equipment for students that use wheelchairs and designing customized special education curricula, this is far from widespread. An investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2016 found that 83% of public schools in New York City had entrances, bathrooms or playgrounds that were not ADA-compliant. Most nondisabled students have no idea what it is like for people who use wheelchairs to navigate the world, and they are not conscious of them in a packed school hallway. In order to maximize student safety, sophomore Yuna Oh is required to lower the speeds on her mobility device and leave classes early to avoid crowds.
“[Students] just run around, even when there is a wheelchair,” Oh said. “They rush in front and do not make way [for me] because they do not understand [that] I need to slow the settings [to keep everyone safe].”
The next step for Peninsula and other schools to take would be to foster more interaction between disabled and non-disabled students, ultimately encouraging an empathetic approach to disability awareness. Furthermore, major renovation in public infrastructure, both inside and outside of school campuses, needs to take place before the world is truly disability-friendly.
“[People should be] more aware of other [people] who have physical needs,” Resource teacher Crestina Quesada said. “I know everybody is in their own world, but just be more conscious of what is going on around you.”
THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL
27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
EDITORS IN CHIEF Keila Bara Caitlyn Lee
HEADS OF DESIGN Shai Becker Sakura Sasaki
HEAD OF BUSINESS Makayla Lui
ADVISER Jaymee DeMeyer
PUBLICITY PUBLICITY MANAGER: Victoria Rhodes WEBSITE MANAGER: Savanna Messner Rodriguez
OPINION EDITOR: Clara Reckhorn WRITERS: Leigh Fitch Audrey Lin Sarah Porter
NEWS EDITOR: Jeremy Kim WRITER: Aarushi Chaudhari Christian Downs Zahra Habib
FOCUS EDITOR: Hannah Corr WRITERS: Jacelyn Chen Brian Park Alena Rhoades Neha Sambangi
STUDENT LIFE EDITOR: Nomi Tsogmagnai WRITERS: Tessa Kang McKenna McCallister Juliette Lin Lauren Webster
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/SPORTS EDITOR: Jenna Long WRITERS: Nick Jones Josie Kwak Eleanor Olsen Kuru Romanov
GRAPHICS Josephine Cho Hana Fujii Kiara Lee Jihee Seo Lynn Takahashi Brooke Vo
ADS Riley LeongKaye Hana Rivera Priya Thakar
“The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced jounalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Head of Business Makayla Lui at (310)753-9550. Copyright © 2021
