I’m a little confused at the “making people feel bad about how their choices harm others is bad advocacy” takes. Didn’t we do that with smoking? Wasn’t the “secondhand smoke kills” education campaign exactly that? Isn’t “if you drive drunk you could kill someone” exactly that?

Since when is it controversial to point out how our choices could harm other people? Some people seem to think advocacy should never make anyone feel uncomfortable… Do they really not realize that they’re out here shaming the oppressed for making their oppressors feel bad?

We’ve created a system of structural violence against the immunocompromised, disabled, and clinically vulnerable. One that now extends to healthcare. We deserve to feel ashamed about it and we should always feel uncomfortable with perpetuating structural violence against others.