Have you ever had the urge to play Russian Roulette? It’s a simple game, full of suspense, hope and dreadful anticipation. The rules are simple. Load a revolver with one bullet, spin the cylinder, place it against your head, and pull the trigger.
Sounds like fun, does it not?
The odds are straightforward. You have a 1 in 6 chance of blowing your brains out. Who wouldn’t take those odds? You also have a 6 in 6 chance of proving you’re an idiot, not afraid of playing the odds that you have a 5 in 6 chance of walking away unscathed. You could probably tweak that accomplishment a little and put it on your resume to impress your potential employer. Or at least use it as bragging rights over a drunken night of slamming shots in a seedy bar. The two scenarios seem about as equally brilliant. Or maybe coexistent.
What does this have to do with COVID-19, you ask?
I’m not a doctor, but I have a couple of functioning brain cells. I know (knew) a half-dozen people who died either directly or indirectly over the past 15 months as a result of a COVID-19, and a bunch of others who got very sick.
It was heartbreaking. None of them deserved it. Then, the vaccine arrived quickly and was highly effective against all odds (even though researchers had been working on the concept for decades). Hallelujah! We could finally fight this horrible pandemic with high expectations of success. All we needed were shots in arms. Unfortunately, as we all know by now, all too many Americans have decided to ditch their few remaining functional brain cells in favor of Russian roulette. Whether the reason is political, abject stupidity, selfishness, or just plain arrogance is beyond my comprehension.
I’m infuriated with the so-called “anti-vaxxers” who think public health does not apply to them. Too bad their moms and daddies made the decision to protect their precious little ones against polio, measles, mumps, and rubella before they had a say in the choice. Imagine the world we would live in today.
With a very small exception for people who have a legitimate reason not to get vaccinated, I find zero empathy for the “not me” crowd. If they were only playing Russian roulette with their own health, I could chalk it up to ignorance and let them weed themselves permanently from society.
Unfortunately, that’s not reality. Carrying the virus is similar to Russian roulette with one notable exception to the rules: You’re not only pointing the gun to your head, you’re pointing it to anyone you ever encounter with blatant, selfish disregard to the consequences.
To make matters worse, I would argue you’re also violating another premise of Russian roulette. Instead of one bullet, the chamber is potentially loaded with four or five.
How do you like those odds now? More importantly, how do think the people around you—acquaintances, innocent strangers, or loved ones—like those odds?
Use your brain cells. For something other than a lethal target and collateral damage. Δ
Brenda Carol is from San Luis Obispo. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jul 1-11, 2021.
Thank you Brenda !!
With a 98-99% chance of survival…sounds like the writer isn’t using their brain cells. Democrats and television are ruining this country
Well-written letter, Brenda! It’s full of common sense. Anti-vaxxers are just doing nothing but prolong the pandemic and making lives harder for everyone. We don’t need that.
Terrible article Brenda. Please refrain from
Writing anything else
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/08/covid-cdc-study-finds-roughly-78percent-of-people-hospitalized-were-overweight-or-obese.html
Also…this…let’s shut down gyms, let people sit at home and gain weight…that’s the solution….
Although I have been vaccinated myself, I can sympathize with those who do not trust the medical establishment and media. After they lied about masks (first, they help, then they don’t help because they are needed for medical personal, and finally, yes they do help), and then lied about the probable origins of the virus in a Chinese lab, it is clear that they are pursuing a different agenda than the well-being of us individuals. It is clear that they are willing to lie to serve what they see as the “greater good”, and that the impact on individuals is of secondary concern. Perhaps they have made the calculation that, while the vaccine may be dangerous, they have to encourage people to use it to serve the greater social good of eliminating the virus.
Satchmo, masks help prevent the spread of the virus. That never changed. Some of what you referred to as lies, were not lies at all. The Covid pandemic was to a great extent unprecedented and it took some time for experts to better understand what they were dealing with and how to handle it. Weve been very fortunate that the dominant vaccines being given work well and have not presented any unexpected dangers. Thank you God!
Mean while countries and states with low to no lock downs are doing just fine. You lefties are a cult at this point. Recall Newsom
Mean while
Singapore is to treat covid like the common flu…
I got plenty more to share. My brains cells are the best.
https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/explained-singapores-roadmap-to-new-normal-of-living-with-covid-19-9862301.htm
Vote Republican!!!!!!!
“Better to remain silent and though a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”. Abe Lincoln
Does anybody doubt that the United States is on a better footing now than it was a year ago? Things sure seem a lot better to me. American voters did the right thing in November. True patriots no longer have to walk with their heads bowed in shame, knowing, as the rest of the world was well aware, that our country was being led by a liar and a crook of unprecedented proportions.