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Miesbacher ex-district administrator in the vaccination debate: "You have to show a clear edge"

2022-01-20T12:07:29.399Z


Miesbacher ex-district administrator in the vaccination debate: "You have to show a clear edge" Created: 01/20/2022, 13:00 Green district councilor Wolfgang Rzehak © THOMAS PLETTENBERG Former District Administrator Wolfgang Rzehak does not hide his opinion on the Internet either. A conversation about the Corona discourse, silent majorities and headwind. He posts a photo of his freshly boosted


Miesbacher ex-district administrator in the vaccination debate: "You have to show a clear edge"

Created: 01/20/2022, 13:00

Green district councilor Wolfgang Rzehak © THOMAS PLETTENBERG

Former District Administrator Wolfgang Rzehak does not hide his opinion on the Internet either.

A conversation about the Corona discourse, silent majorities and headwind.

He posts a photo of his freshly boosted arm, sketches about lateral thinkers, corona deniers and opponents of vaccination or appeals to be vaccinated: Ex-District Administrator Wolfgang Rzehak (Greens) does not avoid discussions on his Facebook page.

For this he not only reaps approval.

We spoke to the Green district councillor, who lives in Gmund with his wife and two daughters, about his experiences and the opposition from his own ranks.

Mr. Rzehak, you are very open in the discourse on your Facebook page, appealing for vaccinations, discussing with critics.

How are your experiences?

I think the big problem in our society is that a very small, aggressive minority dominates the debate.

And a majority is silent, partly because they are also afraid of being attacked – and not entirely without reason.

I've also received insults and threats, in social networks and also by letter.

Of course, that's not pleasant, but I'm not afraid of it.

What upsets me is when it comes from people you never thought it would.

Are you alluding to your recent discussion with a former municipal and district councilor of the Greens, who also announced his departure from the party?

I don't want to show it publicly.

It's a pity when someone was a member of the district parliamentary group three years ago and now he's sharing things that scare you - I don't want to go into detail about that.

It amazes me how anyone can believe that.

And this missionary that some develop there.

If someone is a vaccine skeptic, you can still understand that somehow.

But that someone is an opponent of vaccination who also wants to prevent others from vaccinating... Even the expression is crazy - as if there were 'painkiller opponents'.

So far, the Greens have been a party in which alternative currents had a place – including alternative medicine.

Does that bring a breaking point in this pandemic?

You can say that.

With all openness to alternatives, science comes first.

But I think something has already broken in the party.

Some of the alternative scene turned away from the Greens a few years ago.

In surveys, Greens and Greens voters are now also those who are most behind the measures.

At the CSU, there is the farming community, which has always been skeptical about vaccination, as we see throughout the Alps.

Prime Minister Söder also gets a lot of trouble.

Let's get back to the discussion on Facebook.

Some people overshoot the mark with their criticism of you.

Are you considering filing a complaint?

A person from Gmund insulted me violently and threatened me verbally.

I've thought about reporting him.

But I gave him a chance to apologize.

He did, and that's the end of the matter for me.

But next time I won't do it that way.

Do you regret discussions in such situations?

I'm definitely not the bravest person in the world, but I don't regret anything.

We sensible people have to show that we are the majority – that tends to get lost on social networks.

And even if there are 400 'walkers' on the market square in Miesbach: there are many, many more who have been vaccinated.

Even among those over the age of 12, who have not been able to be vaccinated for that long, the vast majority have already been vaccinated.

The others are just very loud.

Do you still have to keep in touch with these people?

I used to think so.

You might still be able to convince a vaccination skeptic, but that's over with vaccination opponents.

A crazy belief may not bother anyone, but this is about human lives and our everyday life.

Our children have not had a normal everyday life for two years, and that has to stop sometime.

I think you have to show a clear edge.

The Red Line is where someone shares things of an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist, calls for subversion, or threatens others.

You don't talk to them and you don't go for a 'walk' with them, not even for a good cause.

The end doesn't justify the means.

Source: merkur

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