Freedom's Just Another Word For....

 

Now that the Delta variant of Covid-19 is ripping through red states, some of the elected officials are just nonplussed at the gosh-awful irresponsibility folks are showing about not getting vaccinated. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey would like people to get vaccinated and show some common sense because they "are letting us down". Well, she's right as far as that goes--grown people should take responsibility for themselves and understand the risks their behavior poses to themselves and others. But it doesn't count for a lot when you consider she knows that there is a certain population that has no choice about getting vaccinated whatsoever, and she would not impose one necessary requirement that would reduce Covid-19 spread.  Vaccine passports were prohibited. And she certainly doesn't think people should be going door-to-door proselytizing the Good News of the vaccine to people. 

But otherwise she's done all she can--what the heck? 

The problem is, folks are still thinking freedom means also being free from responsibility, and that just isn't the case. It doesn't come home to them that there are consequences for what they do sometimes until it is too late. And sometimes even after rueful experience, people convince themselves they still want to persevere in their unique denial--posing a health risk to others. 

The "mask hysteria" remains, for me, the most puzzling aspect of GOP signifying, Margarine Tater Grease recently went off on the subject of children being masked even though a child (too young to be vaccinated) recently died in her district. She's obviously doing not one single thing to mitigate the illness and death her constituents and their families may face. Because "freedom".  She's indignant people even ask her about her own vaccination status, because she would not dare to be a good example for others. She wants the power of being a member of congress and the attention it brings, but appreciates none of the responsibility. 

Masks are apparently too much stress compared with a disease that can lead to pneumonia, blood clots, strokes, death? Take the image above of Josh Mandel, Ohio GOP Senate hopeful.  Why is the mask so dangerous, Josh? Show me where on the freedom doll the mask hurt you? 

Masks aren't the enemy. They are a valuable tool. It doesn't mean people are sucking on more CO2 (although children, gather round and I will bore you about eventual climate change atmospheres). It doesn't mean kids get weird face infections (Jesus Christ, do laundry and rotate the masks, you nasty hoes!)  Does freedom mean you don't wipe your ass if you don't want to? Does freedom mean you don't look both ways before you cross a busy road? 

Of course in life you need to do shit you don't like. Pay taxes. Tell people their ugly kids are cute. Floss. Eat some kind of vegetables. Cardio. Turn down offers of sex or drugs when your situation is all good but maybe? Grown people don't need to have performative tantrums about masks anywhere, and especially don't need to be abusing cancer patients. 

Maybe freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose but here certainly is your life and those of your loved ones to consider. And maybe even those of people you don't even know. Maybe freedom means you have a choice to do the right thing and should know it because you bothered to be well-acquainted with the risks from good sources of information. And that is a consideration too important to lose. 

That isn't nothing. But pretending to be opposed to restrictions on FREEEDUMB! is totally free--no taxpayer money involved. All you need is near criminal negligence regarding what happens with the death tolls in your state.

So when FL Gov. DeSantis, who pronounces freedom all over everything in his state, has the reality that he actually has to deal with, and still doesn't deal with it? That is a choice--what he did with the freedom he has as a man and his responsibility as a governor.  Add I don't think he should be rewarded for it.