Welcome to Alabama, where Trump carried the state in both 2016 and 2020, where my Congressman, Mo Brooks, said he was glad those Texas Democrats who left the state got infected with COVID, and where the population would rather put a losing football coach in the US Senate than a Democrat. White Jesus runs the state government as well as many of our houses of worship. You know white Jesus, right? He’s the one who tells you to quit whining and do it your damn self – unless it involves the University of Alabama football, that is.
At present, only one-third of Alabamians eligible for the COVID vaccine have been vaccinated; we have the lowest vaccination rate in the nation. Despite Governor Ivey’s year-long mask mandate, she no longer thinks masks are necessary, and she’s not inclined to mandate vaccination. These days very few people wear masks in public and you can’t tell the vaccinated from the unvaccinated… unless it’s after church on Sunday. Most of the people in restaurants and grocery stores at that time are not vaccinated. Forty-seven of our sixty-seven counties are at very high risk of COVID spread, including the one where I live.
So who are these Alabamians who are not vaccinated? Sadly, they are a large percentage of the Black and Latino communities, with only 22% of the Hispanic population and 27% of the Black population having been vaccinated. Approximately 30% of the Caucasian population has been vaccinated (Source: USAFacts).
I am fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. I don’t wear a mask because I trust the health officials like Dr. Fauci who say I don’t need to. I am aware that the World Health Organization and some medical professionals here in the US suggest we should still mask up, and that many people still choose to wear masks. I respect that, though if you are still wearing a mask that’s not covering your nose, I wonder why you bother (yes, people still do that).
It’s sad that more people choose to not vaccinate. The guy that mows my lawn recently tested positive for COVID. I’m grateful that he never showed symptoms and no one else in his family became ill, but I also am flabbergasted that a man who cares as much about his family as he does put them all at risk. Vaccinations are free here, and readily available at pharmacies and medical clinics. The CDC reports that 99% of COVID deaths in the last six months were of unvaccinated people. There truly is no reason for not being vaccinated if you can be.
So why are so many Alabamians not vaccinated? A New York Times opinion piece from May of this year noted that thirteen percent of Alabama’s unvaccinated don’t think they can afford the time or cost of getting vaccinated. I wonder if they think they can afford hospitalization or a funeral. Three percent don’t trust the system. These are mostly people of color and have good reason. Remember the Tuskegee Experiment? Ten percent are watching to see what happens. OK, y’all, none of us who are vaccinated have died and so far no chips have been found inside us, so pony up already. Then there are the over 20% of unvaccinated Alabamians who still don’t believe COVID is a threat. These people are so ridiculous I can’t even.
Personally, I’m tired of this dog and pony show. If the past year-and-a-half hasn’t taught them anything, maybe they need a dose of COVID in their lives to show them this shit is real and their preachers and political leaders are full of shit. Or maybe they’re beyond hope and we’d all be better off without them.
Too harsh? How much longer do we have to put up with this nonsense from people who think Jesus will save them from COVID but still need to carry a handgun while grocery shopping? How much longer do we have to wait for those on the fence to accept the disease is far worse than the vaccine? How much longer are we going to let liars and those who choose to believe their lies trump the daily lives of the majority of Americans?
I was reminded this morning that those who refuse to become vaccinated are helping spawn strains of the virus even more dangerous than the current Delta variant sweeping the nation. After thinking about it further, I’ve come to believe what we’re doing now can’t be any worse than what is happening in countries that don’t have access to the vaccine like we do in the US. I say give these holdouts 20 days to get their first shot, then start shipping every dose to countries that need it and will actually put it to use. Such actions will likely do more to stop further variants from developing than kissing all this unvaccinated American ass.
Politicians talked about acceptable losses at the start of the pandemic. Perhaps we need to have that conversation again. For those of you who will die, sorry for your luck, but we can’t have the stock market diving over you. We have to reopen the economy. Isn’t that what you said last year?
Dogpaddling Through Life 
GOT MY 1ST FIZZER(AS IM CALLING IT) & STILL NEEDING TO EXPLAIN TO OLD PEOPLE COVID DIDNT HAPPEN BECAUSE WE ‘LET’ GAYS/LESBIANS MARRY! SORRY, DIDNT MEAN TO YELL…….Cheers,H
Tell them it happened because bakers wouldn’t make wedding cakes for gay/lesbian weddings!
Your State Department has put the UK on your don’t travel list because we’re in an even worse mess. Most restrictions are now dropped even though cases are rising and the young have not had the chance to be vaccinated yet. Some say that makes us an ideal breeding ground for a new vaccine-resistant strain, as though the delta variant that is dominant here isn’t bad enough. 😦
Here the new cases are of the young and middle age, but they have been able to be vaccinated for months. Even teens here can be vaccinated. It’s all so insane.
My state has a high rate of vaccinations but I still know people who don’t believe it’s a thing. There was a news clip with a very ill guy in a hospital (unvaxxed of course) pleading with people to get vaccinated. He didn’t think it was a thing before he got very ill.
Bet he doesn’t think his life is an acceptable loss.
That’s different of course.
I hear you loud & clear Jen! There has been so much political wrangling about a Medical issue…so much misinformation…..so much confusion…..
I am stuck in the middle: I am one of the 10-12% of entire population who can not be vaccianted due to health issues.
So where does that leave me?
Sitting at home ALOT! Only going out for essentials. ALWAYS masking when out & keeping 6 feet between myself & others! For the rest of my Life. I KNOW how deadly Covid can be; I also know for someone in my situation the Vaccines are deadly too. So here I sit…..
I wish there were answers & resolutions to the Covid Crisis…
We are all so worn out…..
Sending ((hugs)) Sherri-Ellen & **purrss** BellaDharma
This whole thing has been one big cluster fuck. Maybe eventually all the naysayers will die off and we’ll develop herd immunity so you can rejoin the world.
I have been losing mobility even before Covid arrived so in that respect the being home alot is nothing new. The difficult part is the worry when I DO go out…what if I get Covid? What if I end up in Hospital too sick or I die? What happens to BellaDharma? Will she be all right with someone else as she does not like people or other animals??? (Yes she has a Guardian but Aunty Sheila has 8 cats & 2 ferals to care for).The worry goes on & on…
I worry for all my friends vaccinated or not….this Virus is terrifying. I hope you never meet Covid ever!
I pray for herd immunity soon too…
((hugs)) Sherri-Ellen
Oddly enough, not a lot of those politicians have managed to die themselves. Maybe they oughtta go first.
You’d think.
It is baffling but then your “people who think Jesus will save them from COVID but still need to carry a handgun while grocery shopping” analogy probably best describes it. Jeez…
The worst part and probably a large contributing factor, has been the politicalization of a health issue. Imagine where this country would have been had people decided against receiving the polio vaccine back in the 50’s.
I pissed off some liberals yesterday whining about people not getting vaccinated. I said quit wasting time trying to change these people’s minds and instead vaccinate the willing in other countries. That also explains a lot. They’d rather fight than actually do something that could possibly solve the problem.
Oh and my analogy is real. Their Jesus is armed to the teeth.
Best line: “How much longer do we have to put up with this nonsense from people who think Jesus will save them from COVID but still need to carry a handgun while grocery shopping?”
Try is this way: Those thinking for themselves living in a world easily propagandized. Welcome to the 21rst century.
The world has always been easy. We thinkers are far too few and far between.
This is the 1st issue of the whole world, I think we’re going crazy now.
I wish everyone a healthy day
If people read times of the past, they will realize, if they’re looking, propaganda and lies have always been a part. Whenever I hear it written about “The people of this country and age…” I have to ask, how did all these individuals get lumped into “them.” “Them”, refers to people who don’t think responsibly for themselves. In the Constitution, “We” never meant drones. It meant a people who embrace the principles of the U.S. Constitution. From that, they make their own decisions, and punch anyone telling them different.
Oh joy, a troll! Good day, sir.
Not a troll. It is a legitimate question. Answer please.
Had you read the post you’d have your answer.
I read it. I’m still waiting for the answer. Go on.
Good. Keep waiting.
I like living rent-free in your head.
You are a narcissist, aren’t you?