An LA Times Editorial from July 20 says “It’s time to get tough on COVID vaccine evaders.”
According to the all-knowing publication, were it not for the continued refusal of many Americans to take the vaccine, the pandemic would have been old news. Not only this but the intellectual dissidence within the nation regarding collective immunizations must be rooted out before there can be any hope for the pandemic's end.
The Times doesn't mention why or how portions of the population withhold taking the vaccine -- it gets right to suggesting methods the state and private institutions can adopt to ensure that these individuals are vaccinated.
We should have reached the end of the tunnel by now, thanks to amazing feats of science and government that developed and mass produced several COVID-19 vaccines in record time. Yet it’s still agonizingly far away because of falling demand for the abundant and free shots, despite pleas and cash giveaways to nudge vaccine holdouts.
Efforts to educate skeptics about the undeniable benefits of the vaccines must continue, and the social media platforms need to do a better job at cracking down on deliberate misinformation that serves solely to stir up confusion and doubt about the vaccines - or worse.
It seems that nobody has any real and legitimate concerns regarding the vaccine, and the Times is in a panic over rising cases. “But meanwhile, the highly contagious delta variant is driving a scary resurgence of COVID-19 infections across the nation. Cases have risen so quickly in Los Angeles county over the last week that the public health department reinstated the indoor mask mandate for everyone regardless of vaccination status.”
That doesn't make much sense, but compliance is the issue, not lucidity. “Republic commentators, activists and lawmakers'' are “making matters worse.” They have “taken an antagonistic position on vaccines rather than celebrating them as the triumph of the one pandemic initiative for which the former president deserves legitimate bragging rights.” Incredible. The Times must be in earnest to give props to President Trump.
“Its time to break out the sticks” for the “41% of Americans who have yet to get a single shot.” That's a disturbing statement. Is the LA Times advocating for medical tyranny? Forced vaccinations using a non-FDA approved injection? Medical apartheid? What about their admission that “people should have the right to decide what goes into their bodies, including life saving medication and vaccines?”
The tone of the piece is remarkably condescending, “We don’t support corporal punishment, even for those who foolishly put the lives of others at risk by going mask-less and unvaccinated into public places.” That's reassuring. The sticks are only metaphorical.
But they do think there's a “solid legal precedent for sweeping government vaccine mandates.”
“If someone rejects inoculation for reasons other than medical, they should not be allowed to fully participate in society until this current public emergency is over.” Who gets to say when that is, exactly? The people who first told us masks weren't needed and then mandated them? The ones who scoffed at the idea effective vaccines were a possibility within years, and who now are demanding vaccination?
If that sounds harsh, consider the stakes. More than 600,000 Americans have already died of COVID-19, and the latest variant is so contagious that it can be transmitted in outdoor settings and is even sickening vaccinated people (though most of them not seriously).
The piece celebrates the growing “momentum toward a crackdown,” citing the over 580 higher Universities requiring vaccinations on the part of students, faculty and staff. San Francisco's recent move to impose vaccinations on its workforce once they are given eventual FDA approval is mentioned as a shining example of how best to up inoculations.
But if prudent action is taken now, then there would be no need to even contemplate such draconian action. It’s time to get tough on COVID-19 vaccine evaders.
Too late for that. These are draconian measures and will only enhance anti-vaccine sentiment and prompt skepticism.
