by Tom Kando
I have to write about Covid again. I have to say the obvious.
Anyone who hasn’t been asleep for the past few weeks should already know this: The pandemic is gaining steam again. We are blowing it. And this time, there is no excuse. It’s not the virus. It’s those people who are not vaccinated who are causing this.
All the numbers are going in the wrong direction again. I’ll spare you the exact figures, you can check them out yourself. But here is a summary of the sad story: Daily number of infections worldwide: rising again Daily number of deaths worldwide: rising again Daily number of infections in the US: rising again Daily number of deaths in the US: rising again Daily number of infections in California:: rising again Daily number of deaths in California: rising again Daily number of infections in Sacramento: rising again Daily number of deaths in Sacramento: rising again We all know about the new, more virulent variant(s), etc.
But here is the thing: Variant or no variant, we HAVE THE SOLUTION IN HAND, but some people refuse to use it! What lunacy is this?
Six months ago, we started a massive vaccination campaign which promised the speedy end of the pandemic. And then, for some unfathomable reason, half the population began to drag its feet, dilly-dallying or outright refusing to take the vaccine.
HALF the population remains unvaccinated! That is, only 48.4% of the population has been fully vaccinated, while 55.9% has received one dose. The daily number of vaccinations has declined by 80% over the past three months!
There is not a single argument against taking the vaccine. It is extremely efficacious, there is ample supply, it is free, the side effects are minimal. IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.
What is the matter with people? They are not only behaving in a suicidal fashion; they are endangering OUR lives. Their behavior is criminal.
The anti-vaxers speak of human rights, your individual freedom of choice, etc. But this has nothing to do with human rights.
When the polio vaccine became available in the 1950s, Americans were still rational. The people readily and willingly underwent vaccination, and that was the end of polio.
People have been protecting themselves with vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and other diseases for decades. Often such vaccines are mandatory (for some travel, public school attendance, etc.).
It’s the same thing with a myriad of other protections of public health and public safety. From seat belts to motorcycle helmets, from anti-smoking ordinances to drug laws, traffic laws, and all the other requirements of civilized society.
I thought that we were a civilized society. But faced with the worst threat to public health in a century, half the population suddenly rejects the very thing which it had accepted for generations: MEDICAL CURE!
The imbecility of half the population’s reaction to the Covid vaccine requires more than kind-hearted “persuasion.” Speaking of vaccine “hesitancy” is much too kind. These people are a threat to society. A Covid vaccine should be mandatory in many settings, as other vaccines and other public health requirements have been for a long time. This should be the case in many public environments such as public transportation, schools, restaurants, theaters, hospitals, offices, etc. Why is it okay to ban smoking in such places, but not to ban a deadly virus? Is this not absurd?
The other day I went to the dentist for the first time in a year, and after the dental assistant had messed around in my mouth for an hour, she revealed that she had not been vaccinated. This is outrageous.
Some people have joked that there should be a “Darwin Prize” for the stupidest and most self-destructive position taken by someone: Those who refuse to take the Covid vaccine are more likely to become sick and to die. This can be seen as a form of Darwinian natural selection.
