A gym in the U.S. is offering free memberships to “all who don’t get vaccinated” against COVID-19, as a response to Krispy Kreme’s announcement that they would be giving out free doughnuts to people who have received their vaccine.
The Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey announced the news earlier this week, with owner Ian Smith tweeting:
In light of @krispykreme giving free donuts for receiving the CVD shot, here at @TheAtilisGym we are giving out free memberships to all who don’t get vaccinated. We believe in health – the real way – exercise, good diet, plenty of Vitamin D, Zinc, and an environment to destress.
Naturally, Smith received his due in Twitter criticism for his controversial – and dangerous – decision, with one noting the misleading information and irresponsibility in his tweet, saying: “VITAMIN D CANNOT GET RID OF COVID. THIS IS AN EXTREMLY IRRESPONSIBLE THING YOU’RE DOING.”
Another user pointed out just how dangerous such a decision can be, in the midst of a global pandemic:
Killing people is pretty much your thing. https://t.co/cxLefttJRX
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) March 24, 2021
However, despite the well-deserved backlash, there were still a few users who supported Smith’s decision, citing the usual anti-vaxxer logical fallacies, like “I won’t be injecting poison into my body” and “Good health comes from NATURE, not from science experiments.” Well, viruses also come from nature, and non-scientific medical treatments didn’t stop the Black Death from clearing out almost HALF of Europe’s population.
Smith previously made news headlines for other unsafe activities, like defying New Jersey’s stay-at-home order last May, receiving more than $1.2 million in fines for keeping his gym open. Fox News also reported that Smith was banned from American Airlines after refusing to wear a mask on his trip back from the Conservative Political Action Conference in February.
As the cliched maxim goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and unsafe pandemic rule-breaking behaviour doesn’t stray far from the anti-science.
In related news, click here to watch an anti-masker hospitalized with COVID-19 warn others against such stupidity in a viral video.
