Dooda Covid Pile-On BACKFIRES

As if Murdoch property and noise floor occupant TalkRADIO needed to prove just how in tune with the public mood it wasn’t, breakfast show host Julia Hartley Brewer - who, apparently, will remain in place after the transition of the station to TalkTV next month - has opened mouth and inserted boot in no style at all. As so often, it is the Covid-19 pandemic that she has taken as the subject for her thankfully brief sermon.

Ms Hartley Dooda saw that James Smith of York University, who you can tell as he’s a doctor, had committed the heinous crime of visiting a supermarket while wearing a face covering. Worse for her, it was not just your average face covering. He then commented “Shopping this morning. Most customers and employees were maskless”. Ms Hartley Dooda was deeply affronted. “Imagine being the mother of this”. Hypocrisy, much?

After all, Ms Hartley Dooda is the great libertarian - when it comes to anything that affects Herself Personally Now. Others proceeded to remind her of this highly selective application of high principles. “Ahhh, I get it now. You’re vehemently arguing for the freedom of the individual, so long as the individual chooses the options that you think are right”.

There was more. “Still wearing a mask? You care about others, even strangers. Refuse to wear a mask? You care only about yourself. It's that simple”. The Dooda family history also featured. “Your dad would be ashamed of this tweet. He was a principled man, a man who ran for parliament as a Labour candidate. Your mum, well she was a GP, an NHS employee. I have literally no doubt she'd be thoroughly ashamed of this too”.

The adverse comment kept on coming. “Imagine being bothered about someone’s personal decision to wear a mask” … “Has Lawrence fox hacked your account?” … “I wear one similar, they are surprisingly comfortable, my glasses don’t steam up, don’t hurt my ears and are cheaper in the long run” … “If you have any kind of health condition I imagine that you feel much safer with a son like this and very proud of him. I think it is cruel to sacrifice vulnerable people because you don't want to smudge your lipstick, don't you?”

OUCH! “This man is a Doctor, a sensible one at that, wanting to protect himself and others. He SAVES LIVES for a living. Hell, I'd be so proud and honoured to be his Mother” … “Looks way over the top but hey I don’t know him or his issues so what’s it to do with me, and certainly I wouldn’t be bullying and trolling him on a social media platform”.

Could it get any worse? As if you need to ask. “Oh what a libertarian hero you are. Freedom of choice, but only if it’s the same choice as mine” … “Very possible he cares about the vulnerable. His mum might indeed be just that. He himself might be. Given the fact govt and yourself don’t give a sh*t about rising cases we all have to do what we can to stay covid free”. Not going to be much of a warm-up act for Piers Morgan, is she?

And the points stand: freedom of choice extends to those with whom you disagree, taking Covid seriously when our Government has pretended it’s all over means taking your own precautions, and being selfish and inconsiderate is not a merit badge. This might not be allowed to enter the world of Ms Hartley Dooda, but these are the kinds of considerations that millions of real people are having to make every single day.

Among all the other decisions. Like taking no notice of the clown car that is TalkRADIO.

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