While ultimately it will be a lost fight, I do not summarily dismiss people who reject the COVID vaccination as irrational, minus the trump supporters, solely because of their position.
Our government(s), the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession have earned this mistrust. Yes, there are the indisputable facts of Tuskegee, which is but a drop in the bucket of medical experimentation on human subjects, and the rantings of a mad man masquerading as POTUS who had the shot himself (SMH) but who among us does not believe that there exists a cure for cancer, is not resentful of being gouged financially by doctors, hospitals and big pharma, who trusts that FDA approvals are granted free and clear? I could go on.
The mistrust is real and earned. It is not limited to Black folks or even crazy trump supporters. These entities must own it and start sharing all of the facts with the American public instead of shutting down the dialogue, even of fellow professionals, of those who disagree with them. Allow the discourse. Perhaps then, some of the resisters might be swayed to vaccinate. Is that not the overall goal? To dismiss or denigrate them however, only adds fuel to the[ir] fire. But soon, public pressure that will look much like the pass system reminiscent of apartheid and being reduced to the social status of leper, even with friends and family, will force or at the least, serve as a mandate for most to ultimately vaccinate.
As a society, we either passed this test, if you will, with flying colors or we failed miserably. It depends on which side of the issue one stands. There must always be a segment of society that challenges our government. History has taught us that. I ain't mad at the resisters. I just want them to accept that no matter their position, COVID is real, people are dying and vaccinated or not, they too, must respect the now socially acceptable codes of conduct to wear masks, wash hands and respect personal spaces, social distancing at a minimum...
This is the article that prompted this writing...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/vaccine-refusers-hesitancy-mandates-fda-delta/619918/
Great article. You're right it's coming.
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