From the Left-The Daily Commercial : Mask and vax for now

Rose Fitzpatrick  Guest Columnist

What are we becoming that we have so little regard for others? The hatred and vitriol of the anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers are disheartening and exhausting.

The wearing of the mask or getting vaccinated is not about personal freedom. The big picture is that we are in a worldwide pandemic, the likes that none of us have ever seen. I am at a loss as to why there are some who think “herd immunity” is the way to go. Whose child or teacher, mom or dad, grandparents, are you willing to sacrifice? I hear those who say, “My body, my choice,” but that choice ends when others are affected, especially if it can kill someone or cause unknown long-term effects. Shame on you if you drive drunk, too, “your choice.”

I think it is a dereliction of duty that there are elected officials who refuse to protect their citizens. Gov. DeSantis is making a big donor of his a lot of money by promoting treatment rather than prevention. He has appointed a new Surgeon General who has criticized the efficacy of COVID vaccines and wearing masks. It really seems he is a doctor who is anti-science. How can that be?

DeSantis is now calling for a special legislative session to undermine federal requirements that some workers be vaccinated against the coronavirus. On top of that, Florida House and Senate leaders issued a statement saying they are looking into the governor’s request and might consider legislation to withdraw Florida from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency in charge of carrying out the vaccination mandate. How absurd is that?

The governor also wants to bring in anti-vaxxing police officers. Officers who deal with the public. Can this action be a more COVID-spreading opportunity?! The public health risks of having unvaccinated officers on the streets, as well as health care workers or anyone who interacts with the public, is unconscionable.

I’ve heard there are those who think we who wear masks are “afraid, being manipulated.” This is absolutely not true. I — and there are a majority of us — want to be part of the solution. We are committed to ending the pandemic. We may have been vaccinated and feel that we are not carrying the virus, yet we still wear a mask to set an example and we have camaraderie with our fellow citizens that we are in this fight together to stop this virus. We refuse to be a host. We know masks work; hospitals have been using them for 100 years. If there were any ill effects they would have been discovered by now. The coronavirus vaccine appears to be working to keep people out of the hospital and out of the morgue.

It is temporary, what is asked of all of us. Until this deadly virus is mitigated, we are never going to overcome its transmission, and it could certainly mutate to something even more contagious and deadly. Everyone’s cooperation is needed. Mask and vax for now. Actually, we are obligated, and have a vested interest in stopping this pandemic. I dare say it’s our patriotic duty to not give a host to this killer virus. Otherwise, we are going to continue to play Russian roulette with people’s health and lives for who knows how long this vicious cycle will persist. Still not time to let our guard down just yet.