By Clint Younts
Well, here we are again wearing masks and practicing anti-social distancing. Kids are back in school having to deal with new teachers, new classrooms and new safety precautions.
Back in April, many of us thought we’d have a normal school year thanks to the Covid vaccine. We were thinking this pandemic was on its way out. Many of us were thrilled to get vaccinated, knowing we will most likely survive this plague and everything will soon return to normal.
After receiving the relatively painless injection, friends and family were able to see each other without the help of a computer screen. We returned to indoor dining and walking up and down the beer aisle, searching for some brew we haven’t sipped since 2020. We boarded airplanes and traveled to distant lands to see family. Yep, we thought we were getting back to normal.
Then we began hearing about all these so-called fellow Americans who flat-out refuse to get vaccinated. Some have legitimate reasons but most, in my humble opinion, are simply egocentric, insensitive malcontents. Why wouldn’t everyone jump at the chance to not only protect themselves from the virus but to protect others and assist in achieving herd immunity?
We defeated polio and smallpox back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Americans rallied against a common enemy, rolled up their sleeves and were victorious against these deadly diseases. Today, for some illogical reason, millions of Americans won’t step up to plate and help end this pandemic. Some believe it’s some hoax, claiming it is some government conspiracy, but have no explanation for why the pandemic is in every continent. Some misguided souls believe wild conspiracy theories on the internet but don’t trust the word of brilliant medical authorities.
I’ve read posts from some cerebrally vacuous wackadoodles who claim there is a microchip in the vaccine so the government can track our every move. This theory floated around college campuses back in 1976 with the Swine Flu vaccine. I guess Jimmy Carter noticed I spent more time in bars than the library.
I see posts on Facebook that read “My body, my choice”. My, my, aren’t we a tad selfish? Indeed, you have the choice of not getting vaccinated, and you don’t have to wear a mask. And I have the choice to avoid you like the plague.
Millions of sympathetic citizens have gotten vaccinated and are somewhat helping control the outbreak. Unfortunately thousands of unvaccinated people have filled our hospital beds, preventing many others from getting immediate medical care. Over 90% of hospitalized Covid patients are unvaccinated, and most of those are wishing they had swallowed their pride and gotten the shot.
Look, I’m not going to try too hard to persuade those narcissists who will never get vaccinated, no matter how many lives they affect. Life’s too short to spend your days arguing with closed-minded individuals. Perhaps one day, maybe as they see another ventilator being wheeled into their ICU room, these folks who are afraid of a tiny needle will see the light, right before they go to the light.
