Twitter blew up Monday over Brown University Professor Emily Oster’s op-ed calling for “a pandemic amnesty” to forgive each other for what we did and said during the earliest part of the COVID pandemic.
The piece published by The Atlantic is headlined, “LET’S DECLARE A PANDEMIC AMNESTY: We need to forgive one another for what we did and said when we were in the dark about COVID.” In it, Oster lays out several examples of transgressions during that time, such as school closures that led to “alarming” learning loss, Los Angeles closing beaches, and confusion about the efficacy of various vaccines.
In one excerpt, the professor wrote that “getting something right had a hefty element of luck. And similarly, getting something wrong wasn’t a moral failing. Treating pandemic choices as a scorecard on which some people racked up more points than others is preventing us from moving forward.”
Political commentators quickly shared their responses to the article on social media.
“HELL NO,” Monica Crowley, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, tweeted. “Accountability is coming. Soon.”
HELL NO.
Accountability is coming. Soon. pic.twitter.com/enJjKi1pVC
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) October 31, 2022
“I started the pandemic giving the experts the benefit of the doubt,” Erick Erickson tweeted. “I embraced the vaccine (not all the boosters). There doesn’t need to be amnesty, but accountability for what experts over time got wrong and dogmatically used the press to censor dissent.”
I started the pandemic giving the experts the benefit of the doubt. I embraced the vaccine (not all the boosters). There doesn't need to be amnesty, but accountability for what experts over time got wrong and dogmatically used the press to censor dissent https://t.co/zZfcNiNik9
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) October 31, 2022
“Absolutely no Amnesty,” Dave Rubin tweeted. “Some of us did not lose our minds, did not force vaccines or lockdowns, and instead fought for freedom the entire time.”
“It’s one thing to have gotten some things wrong over the past few years, it’s another to have led the charge to destroy human freedom,” he added.
Absolutely no Amnesty. Some of us did not lose our minds, did not force vaccines or lockdowns, and instead fought for freedom the entire time.
It’s one thing to have gotten some things wrong over the past few years, it’s another to have led the charge to destroy human freedom. https://t.co/xKMRDkhVBk
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) October 31, 2022
“Amnesty???” Raheem Kassam tweeted. “Nah. How about mass public trials for the ‘experts,’ [Dr. Anthony] Fauci, [Peter] Daszak, big corporate bosses, and even task force chief Mike Pence?”
Amnesty???
Nah.
How about mass public trials for the “experts”, Fauci, Daszak, big corporate bosses, and even task force chief Mike Pence? pic.twitter.com/dMCeMJ8A9Y
— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) October 31, 2022
There were even posts from politicians like Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), who reminded people how there were so many who were kept away from dying family members.
“They made you cancel funerals and say goodbye to loved ones over Skype,” Nehls wrote. “No pandemic amnesty. Accountability is coming.”
They made you cancel funerals and say goodbye to loved ones over Skype.
No pandemic amnesty.
Accountability is coming. pic.twitter.com/S3cfGL2pqm
— Congressman Troy Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) October 31, 2022