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Informed Dissent’s Jeffrey C. Billman spent his last column (“Immunized against reality,” July 14) inveighing against the pig-headedness of Trump supporters and fellow travelers who refuse to get the COVID vaccine, saying it’s an encapsulation of the mindset of too many in power who choose to fiddle as, sadly not figuratively, the planet burns. “We chose stupidity,” wrote Billman. Naturally, our readers had thoughts and takes.
@Marta Lucia VivasGutierrez: But Trump got his!
@Rikard Linn Granstav II: And the IQ test continues. Darwin would appreciate this situation.
@Gary Goldenbaum: Glad they are standing up for their freedom of choice. They are going to show the rest of us how wrong we were.
@Joe Llorens: This is not “good,” it isn’t “Darwinism,” and it should in no way be cheered or applauded. The more air this virus has to breathe the more it’ll continue mutating. The more it mutates, the less effective the vaccines will be — even the vaccines coursing through the veins of everyone feeling smug about this article. I wholeheartedly agree that everyone medically eligible should have the vaccine. I can’t wait for expanded access to younger ages. But if your reaction to this is coming from a place where you feel safe from its effects then you’re not displaying much more understanding of the situation than those who are refusing to get the shot.
@Marie Cooper: Joe, great points! Also, those who refuse the vaccine are displaying a callous disregard for themselves and others. Let’s not stoop to that level by celebrating tragedy.
@Carol Shirley: Joe, you’re right, but I am so angry that they’ve prolonged this virus, empowering the mutations to dominate and reducing efficacy of the vax. They are the ones holding society, schools, hospitals and the economy hostage. If they’d think about someone besides themselves, we’d already be on the exit ramp of this. Now our kids and educators have to deal with another dangerous school year. I’m angry. I don’t want to wear my damn mask, but I must because of the anti-vaxers. Something is very wrong with this.
@Monica Wire: This is really bad for children under the age of 12, who are returning to school with no masks required.
@John Alexander: It’s 2021 and COVID is still around, will these ass clowns admit it was real all along and they were wrong? Nah, they’d rather people die than slightly inconvenience the economy even though Wall Street is going to crash soon anyway like it always does. They just know they’ll get a bailout.
@Chris Girolamo: The reality is that mutations generally mean that a given virus eventually becomes significantly less dangerous, not the other way around. It’s OK to be a little smug because the vaccines do protect against variants, and they are extremely effective in even reducing transmission on the off chance you still contract COVID while vaccinated. Statistically, you are safe from COVID if you’re vaccinated. Even breakthrough cases are asymptomatic or extremely mild. This is an extremely important thing to understand going forward: Vaccines work, are working, and will continue to work for those vaccinated. Pretending otherwise is irresponsible.
@Jim Brumbaugh: Definitely not a Republican & definitely not getting jabbed. I’ll stick with my naturally acquired immunity. It’s very bizarre how it’s now automatically assumed that you’re a Trumpster when you question the Establishment narrative. Reminds me of this: “The general population doesn’t know what’s happening, and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know” —Noam Chomsky.
@Nick Rowell: Jim, you know that people who are relying on their natural immunities are getting infected and reinfected, right? You know that some of the lasting effects this can have damages your heart, lungs and brain, right? Why are you against vaccines? Do you hate science? Why are you using technology if you don’t trust science?