About the unvaccinated

Thought for the day

I wish I could stop worrying about the unvaccinated, but I can't.  When it is easier to persuade half the nation to see a proctologist than it is to convince them to get a COVID shot, something is terribly wrong in America.  

At first, I thought corporate incentives, like discounts at malls or half-price tickets to baseball games, would encourage millions of unvaccinated to roll up their sleeves.  It worked for some but not that many.  

Next, I turned my attention to the most vocal of opponents -- Republicans who still support Donald Trump.  I believed the Number One GOP influencer could and should go public with a series of public service ads.  If I'm not mistaken, the former president did one.  

To be certain, on any given day you can see more PSAs to save sick and hungry animals than you can commercials to convince the unvaccinated to get their shots.  Which brings me to today.  

Unless we quickly inoculate tens of millions of reluctant Americans, the Delta variant, which some now call the Trump variant, is destined to mutate into another, more deadly, virus.  Those of us who have been vaccinated have done our part in the war against COVID.  In my opinion, we simply can't wait any longer for 100 million of our neighbors to eventually do theirs.

With this last thought in mind, it's time to admit the obvious:  We need a national directive requiring people to roll up their sleeves.  If they do, we can win the fight against the virus.  If they don’t, then here is what they can expect:  First, they will be refused entry to their local grocery store; second, they cannot buy gasoline at their local gas station; and third, their bank no longer will cash their checks or cover their online purchases.  In other words, the unvaccinated will be cut off from life's necessities. 

In the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, my parents and two older brothers did what every other patriotic family was expected to do.  They turned out the lights during the night and rationed their groceries, all with a sense of pride knowing they were doing their part during WWII.

Literary license aside, today we are facing WWIII.  If you have ever suffered a heart attack or a broken leg, who did you call?  Certainly not your member of Congress.  Why anyone would take the word of a politician over a physician is beyond me, but isn't this what's happening now?  

We need an all hands on deck response to the war against COVID.  Americans have risen to the challenge before and must do it again now.  I am tired of worrying about the unvaccinated.  Aren't you?

-DF