we live in an area of the country that is one of the hotspots for the spread of covid-19. just recently i read of an unvaccinated man in his 30s who had a serious case of the virus. he lived in a tourist town about thirty miles north of our town. when he needed to be hospitalized, his local hospital was filled to capacity because of the large number of covid cases. his doctor was able to find a bed for him in a hospital about sixty miles to the north, though that hospital was almost full. for a while, it didn't appear that he would pull through, and he was told that he needed to say his good-byes to his family by telephone. soon after, his condition began to improve, though his recovery is far from being assured. in an interview with a news reporter, again by phone since he can't have visitors at his icu bed, he said that ten members of his family had come down with covid, though his case was the most serious. he went on to say that they were "a strong conservative family," that refused the vaccine.
as i thought about his words, i wondered what being politically conservative had to do with taking a life-saving vaccine developed during the administration of a conservative extremist with that administration's support. how had being a trumpist come to mean being an opponent of preserving one's own life and that of one's loved ones? are ignorance, obstinance, and lack of caring for yourself and those around you a mark of political conservatism? our hospitals are filled with those who refused to be vaccinated. others with medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and broken bones can't find hospital space because of needless covid hospitalizations. wait times in many emergency rooms last for hours because of covid infections. those who are suffering endure long delays for treatment because of vaccine opponents. in our state, there are no pediatric icu beds available for sick children. as our governor has traveled around the state begging people to take the vaccine, he has been met with rude, close-minded protesters who equate taking the vaccine with surrendering to "socialism." he has had to call the legislature into special session to try and convince them to repeal a law they just passed that prohibits schools from requiring masks as more and more children fall victim to the delta variant, at the time schools are set to fully reopen for the new school year.
the politicization of covid prevention methods and treatments means that our country will never recover from this pandemic. we are becoming a potential breeding ground for deadlier forms of the virus, endangering the entire world. why can't those who have made this a political issue see that unscrupulous politicians are using this issue for their own selfish advantage? why are trump followers taking actions that are counter to the preservation of their very lives? there are some indications that unreasonable opposition to vaccination is weakening. some people are seeing that the only way to bring the infection rate down is to wear masks, practice social distancing, and take the vaccine, despite the influence of political hacks. recently, there have been reports of former opponents of vaccination in a neighboring state secretly getting the vaccine and asking their doctors not to disclose their vaccination status to others who continue to oppose vaccination. these clandestine vaccine takers publicly oppose the vaccine, even as they fear the effects of not taking it.
may we care for ourselves and those around us in the best ways we can. may we listen to the advice of medical experts and scientists rather than heeding the words of politicians and editorialists who are more adept at spreading misinformation than in telling the truth. may we understand our obligation to behave responsibly for our own well-being and that of those we love. shalom.
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