Several conservatives have died of complications of COVID as the Delta variant rages through the southern part of the U.S. Many of them have publicly downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic and have opposed mask mandate laws in the U.S.
On August 28, Texas anti-mask organizer Caleb Wallace died after being infected with the COVID-19 virus and remaining in the hospital since July 30. Wallace, 30, organized a “Freedom Rally” in early July for those “sick of the government being in control of our lives.” Wallace was a founder of the San Angelo Freedom Defenders.
On August 14, longtime conservative radio host Dick Farrel, 65, who was based in Palm Beach and a skeptic of the seriousness of the coronavirus, died. Farrel refused to get the COVID vaccine. During his show on July 2, Farrel described the Delta variant as “another avalanche of Footchi bull shif.” Farrel was referring to medical guidance by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden.
On August 21, another conservative COVID skeptic, radio host Phil Valentine, died. In late July Valentine’s radio station, 99.7 WTN in Nashville, announced that Valentine was hospitalized and “in very serious condition, suffering from COVID pneumonia.”
On August 5, another Texas anti-mask/anti-vaccine activist, Scott Apley, 45, died of COVID complications. Apley was a leader in the Texas Republican Party and a member of the Dickinson City Council. Apley wrote, “You are an absolute enemy of a free people,” as he replied on Twitter to news that clinical trials showed that the Pfizer vaccine was effective at fighting COVID.
On August 20, South Carolina Tea Party Republican leader Pressley Stutts died from complications of COVID. He was 64. Stutts opposed mask mandates but stated on social media that COVID-19 was a serious and deadly disease. Days before his death, Stutts wrote on social media that he was choosing to go on a ventilator to take “a short rest.”
Also, this week, Marc Bernier, 65, a conservative talk show radio host in Florida also died from complications of COVID-19. WNDB radio show announced his passing on Twitter on Saturday.  “It’s with great sadness that WNDB and Southern Stone Communications announce the passing of Marc Bernier, who informed and entertained listeners on WNDB for over 30 years.” Bernier reportedly referred to himself as “Mr. Anti-Vax.”
COVID has killed over 600,000 people in the U.S. before the pandemic struck in March of 2020. President Donald Trump attempted to downplay the seriousness of the pandemic. President Biden has had a different approach, imploring Americans to get vaccinated.
Plans for a booster shot of the vaccine are expected to get underway in September.
Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on Twitter at @LVBurke.
They all died of stupidity, and it’s no tragedy.
God killed these right wing fools for spreading the devil’s lies and misinformation about the vaccine. They died choking in pain, deservedly.
Their ridiculous snake oil cures didn’t work.
We’ll never know how many other fools died because they listened to them, but God knows, and God will punish them as mass murderers.
Thanks for the list.
What should we infer about the number of COVID19 Delta variant cases among fully vaccinated people? There were 117 deaths among 92K Delta variant cases recorded through June 21. And 50 of those who died have received the two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, The Wall Street Journal reported this data citing data from Public Health England.