One of our local rabid right-wingers, in a typical fit of anger, told several of us over coffee in The Blue Ridge Diner in Floyd recently that he has no intention of getting vaccinated against the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
“This is all a hoax by the g-dd—n liberals,” he declared. “I don’t wear a mask and I haven’t gotten the f–king thing.”
He’s in the hospital now, fighting for his life against the deadly virus that has killed more than 10,500 people in Virginia, 579,951 in the United States and over three million worldwide.
His foolishness is not an exception. Polls say 45% of Republicans also say “no way” to vaccinations.
More than two in five Republicans said they would avoid getting vaccinated if possible, suggesting that President Biden has not succeeded in his effort to depoliticize the vaccines — and leaving open the question of whether the country will be able to achieve herd immunity without a stronger push from Republican leaders to bring their voters on board.
The results of the Monmouth poll lined up with those of a separate survey by Quinnipiac University, also released on Wednesday, that found 45 percent of Republicans saying they did not plan to get vaccinated.
Among Democrats, two-thirds have already received at least one vaccine dose, according to the Monmouth poll. Just over half that share of Republicans have done so (36 percent).
–The New York Times
“Good riddance,” says a friend. “The law of natural selection will take care of them and there will be a lot less of right-wing loonies among us.”
Although I get threats weekly from those who call me “a dangerous liberal” or “left-wing nut job,” I cannot wish death on any of my fellow citizens, be they conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican or independent, sane or otherwise.
America was designed by its founders as a melting pot of different ideas, political beliefs or religious faiths. That, sadly, seems to be a lost civility in our nation.
Floyd County added six new infections of COVID-19 in Saturday’s report from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). New cases are increasing again, this time up to 1,608 with 228 hospitalizations added to the total of more than 27,000.
I see unmasked people more and more in grocery stores and other establishments. A couple kisses while sitting to watch the Backyard Jamboree behind the Floyd Country Store Friday evening. They weren’t wearing wedding rings. Let’s hope they at least have had both their vaccine shots (or the one Johnson & Johnson one).
One woman told me this week that she would be getting her second shot on Saturday and planned to celebrate with drinks and dancing at Dogtown Roadhouse and will throw her mask away.
When I said the Centers for Disease Control, our state Health Department and the governor says masks are still required in public places, the fired back: “I don’t give a f–k! Wait a minute, that is what I also intend to do Saturday night.”
Last we heard, social distancing is all but impossible when having sex, but is it OK if you’re wearing masks?
Maybe natural selection is not a bad idea.