A last post on the plague... until further notice

I probably need to stop writing about the pandemic and our national dysfunction about everything from masks to vaccines, but I just wanted to try to capture some of my own confusion and angst, while also making a basic point about logic in arguments.

The CDC announced that anyone fully vaccinated is, in effect, immune (at least to the worst effects of the virus) and also unlikely to spread the virus (though there seems to be no clear evidence about that). That put a number of rational states in a bind and most states and businesses have simply dropped the mask requirement completely.

I see the Rockies announced last night that masks are no longer required at Coors Field, though there is reduced seating until June 1, when it goes up to 35,000. The best part of the announcement was that the Rockies still recommend that those not fully vaccinated continue to wear a mask... but there will be no enforcement or checking. After all, what is there to enforce?

The pandemic is over. 

But is there one person who can honestly say that their neighbors can be trusted to wear that mask without vaccination? If I have learned anything over the past five years, starting with the Trump cult and extending through the pandemic, it's that a significant percentage of Americans are willing to reject logic, expert advice, and even the evidence of their own eyes (see the incredible feats of denial by many Republican legislators regarding Jan. 6).

On the other hand, something that never really changes throughout history is that people ultimately are selfish and take care of themselves (and their loved one, mostly). 

I see that about 60 percent of Americans over 18 have had at least one shot, and the total is going up about 2 percent per week. If that holds, we could reach 70 percent fully vaccinated by July 4, as President Biden hopes. 

That means that a number of people who gleefully engage in all manner of conspiracy theories and political posturing eventually do what is best for THEM: they get the vaccine. I'm not sure why this is not stated more frequently, but the former president got vaccinated just before leaving the White House.

Fear is the great motivator, and this is universal. The race to get to an overwhelming majority of vaccinated Americans (not to mention the rest of the planet) comes down to which fear seems most immediate: tiny robots from Bill Gates injected into our arms or the threat of so many unhealthy people dying of Covid.

Those brave Americans who raise their middle finger to the government, except when their social security or PPP payments roll in, may tick me off. But, at some point, my way forward is to make sure those I love are vaccinated and ignore the naysayers.

They should not expect sympathy when they find themselves seriously ill, but they will still be cared for. Even bad neighbors are still neighbors.