"People, get vaccinated!"

Created: 01/19/2022, 08:00 p.m

By: Silke Reinbold-Jandretzki

"Corona shouldn't tear us apart": Murnau's Mayor Rolf Beuting (ÖDP/Bürgerforum).

©Andreas Mayr

The consequences of the pandemic are turning the lives of many people upside down.

Murnau's Mayor Rolf Beuting (ÖDP/Bürgerforum) explains in the Tagblatt interview why he is never to be seen at the Corona protests in his community, he talks about aberrations of opinion and dangers for the community.

Hundreds of people take to the streets in Murnau every Monday: some speak out in favor of vaccination, for democracy and against radicalization, others against compulsory vaccination.

How many times have you been asked to show your colors by being present?

Rolf Beuting:

I've often been asked to join one side or the other.

Beuting emphasizes: "I will not stand on one side or the other of the demonstrations"

Which would be your side?

My side is the mayor's.

I am responsible for everyone: for the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.

Therefore, I will not side with one side or the other of the demonstrations.

I don't think that's appropriate as mayor.

I very much support the call for people to get vaccinated.

Markt Murnau and I will do everything to make vaccinations possible.

In December we had a special vaccination campaign that I initiated and helped with.

I fully support the view that vaccination makes sense: individually and socially.

But that does not mean that I would stand at one of the two demonstrations.

So you deliberately did not go to any protest action.

Don't you think some people expect the mayor to take a stand?

I have often done that.

The last time I took a position in the Christmas edition of the Murnauer Marktboten.

But that doesn't mean for me that I have to take part in this concrete form of debate, a demonstration.

Of course, a demonstration is perfectly legitimate in a democracy, but it is just as important now to signal a willingness to engage in dialogue.

Mayor demands respect - also for other opinions

How can that look like?

Each of us, in Murnau there are exactly 12,224 people, has to face the topic and the dialogue.

In the family, in a club, at work or with friends.

I can well understand that this dialogue is sometimes difficult and sometimes difficult to bear.

But these are the right places to show each other: I respect you even though you have a different opinion than I do.

This applies to both sides.

You have to be able to face each other afterwards.

That's not the first and only issue on which there are differences of opinion.

Warns, appeals - and calls for dialogue: Rolf Beuting.

© Mayr

But these have seldom been carried out with such violence.

.

.

That's correct.

I suppose that has to do with the fact that it affects everyone.

Everyone has to make up their own minds this time, and I think that's why the debate is so intense and passionate.

I experienced the same thing before, in 2015 in the great refugee movement.

It was also a profound social discussion.

The same thing applied back then: you had to face the arguments, no matter how absurd you thought them.

In the end, it was all about emotions.

Then as now, you can feel that the many emotions stand in the way of a proper discussion.

Murnau as an anti-vaccination stronghold: “a fairy tale,” says the mayor

Why are these protests so popular in Murnau?

I don't think that's a Murnau specialty.

I'm starting to think it's a myth that Murnau is absolutely the anti-vaccination stronghold.

This cannot be substantiated at all based on the current situation.

Of course there are also demonstrations here, as in many other places.

In Weilheim, Peißenberg, Penzberg, for example, the demonstrations are larger than in Murnau.

Or let's look at the results of the federal election for the party "Die Basis".

Of course, these values ​​are slightly elevated, but they are not incredibly high.

There are also other anti-vaccination groups.

This also includes your party, the ÖDP.

Even then, the voting percentage was not increased (laughs).

I'm sure you would have liked it to be different. But seriously: The ÖDP is in favor of the principle of voluntary vaccination and regards the vaccine as an "opportunity", but also "with great caution". Do you share your party's attitude?

Personally, I have no opinion on compulsory vaccination. Every day I find new arguments for and against. Basically, I think it's a good thing when people think about what they're putting in their bodies and whether it always has to be an injection or a drug right away. Personally, however, I have come to the crystal-clear conviction that it is best, both individually and for society as a whole, if people get vaccinated. We see the many problematic consequences that result from the pandemic: the overload in the healthcare system, the various lockdowns have so far caused serious social and economic damage. We need to end this now. This is such a significant impact that I say people, get vaccinated! Even if,if you cannot immediately see the benefit to yourself. Everyone has to keep an eye on the big picture and work to get us down from these high numbers of infections.

Not all of your colleagues in the district share this assessment.

Not every mayor is vaccinated.

.

.

Unvaccinated mayors: "It's not up to me to judge"

It's not for me to judge.

However, during the refugee movement in 2015, I experienced that the basic tone I set as mayor was heard.

It is therefore advisable for the mayor to always keep an eye on this when performing his duties.

By acting as a role model for mayors?

Yes.

That's why it's not so easy to say: I'm going to this or that demo now.

It's all evaluated.

I can understand why people are struggling with that.

Demonstrations: "I'm surprised who's on the road there"

Do you also worry about these demonstrations in Murnau?

I'm surprised who's out there, especially among those opposed to vaccination.

There also seem to be demonstration tourists traveling from one demonstration to another.

So I ask myself: Where is the local connection, why is it so important to demonstrate in Murnau of all places?

Why can't you do this in your home town?

What worries me: I see some people trying to exploit this pandemic.

There are also people who, on the basis of conspiracy theories and fake news, have converted the vaccine skepticism of some into a business model.

You speak of certain Internet sites.

.

.

Yes, there are websites where it's obvious that it's all about creating a buzz.

Apparently you can make money with it.

There are also political parties that try to capitalize on this dissatisfaction and take it for themselves.

Nevertheless, I have the impression that we are not at the same point in development as elsewhere in Germany.

You mean: in places where there is violence.

Yes.

That's not the case with us.

If someone is afraid of a vaccination, they lack information, then you have to take it seriously.

You have to deal with that and be careful not to push these people into a certain corner.

I know some people who didn't get vaccinated.

But I really appreciate them as people.

I don't understand why they argue like that, but I'm not breaking off the relationship because of it.

Hence my appeal: We are a community that must live together again after the pandemic.

Corona shouldn't tear us apart.

That would be bad.

Rolf Beuting: "There is no avoiding dialogue"

You mentioned demonstration tourism.

In fact, many people seem to come to Murnau from abroad.

Do you think this phenomenon will increase - or will it peter out?

That depends a lot on how we deal with it.

Staying open to dialogue can help prevent people from "walking around" to voice their opinions.

There is no way around dialogue.

In some cases it might still be difficult - take Reich citizens or supporters of the lateral thinking movement, extremists.

.

.

We can discuss many things, but there's one thing we can't talk about: that this country is a dictatorship, that parallels are being drawn with the Third Reich, or that the government is an unjust regime – that's just not possible.

That's a complete aberration of opinion, I won't accept it, and I won't discuss it with people either.

We're welcome to talk about facts, about fears and worries, but we certainly can't talk about such things.

Vaccination skeptics or people who have a problem with vaccination must clearly distance themselves from this and realize that this is not their level of discussion.

Murnau's mayor keeps "no hate messages", but a lot of letters

Some people use other, out of the question means of dialogue: Against the background of the pandemic, many politicians receive hate messages.

They also?

No.

I don't get hate mail.

But there are many who write me their opinions.

That's okay too.

Of course, some also try to co-opt me – both opponents and advocates of vaccination.

Do you think there will be a general obligation to vaccinate?

No.

Why not?

I can currently see that people no longer think the situation is so threatening thanks to the Omicron variant.

The hope that the pandemic will end soon is currently being nurtured from many quarters.

Nevertheless: All scenarios that I know always end with one conclusion: Vaccination makes sense, also for Omikron - because of the lower probability of having a severe course of the disease.

Beuting: "I've been vaccinated and boosted twice"

From all your words I conclude: you are double vaccinated and boosted, no question.

I've been vaccinated and boosted twice, do a self-test three times a week, so I'm as careful as possible because I'm still in contact with too many people and I know that as mayor I can't work in permanent lockdown for two years.

This contradicts the role and the task of serving the citizens.