By Jeremy Steiner / For The Herald
With the deadline for covid vaccination mandate now past for state workers, thousands continue to protest. Their objection to the mandate mainly involves the freedom of choice and personal liberty.
However ardent the anti-vax arguments are against the mandate, the required vaccinations work. Since late July when vaccination requirements were enforced, nearly 30 million more Americans are now vaccinated. Not only are mandates popular and effective, they are historically as American as apple pie and patriotic as the Pledge of Allegiance.
One of the first major mandate success stories occurred before America became a nation. The gravest threat Gen. George Washington faced was not the British, but the deadly disease of smallpox that caused an estimated 90 percent of deaths in his Continental Army. He enacted mass inoculation for his troops and his strategy was seen as a great success. Historian Ron Chewnow wrote: “This enlightened decision was as important as any military measure Washington adopted during the war.”
Jefferson vaccinated his family and slaves and instructed Lewis and Clark to encourage Native Americans to get vaccinated for smallpox. During the War of 1812, Madison signed: An Act to Encourage Vaccinations. Abigail Adams got her children smallpox inoculations. Franklin did not, but after his son died of smallpox he bitterly regretted not giving his son the inoculation and urged parents not to make his mistake.
The Founders saw vaccinations as a patriotic duty to keep the public safe and healthy. For them, protecting the lives of Americans was more vital than providing time for individuals to choose based on personal liberty.
When does a personal opinion override the fundamental virtue of a higher civic calling to keep our country safe? There’s an old line: “Your liberty to swing your fist ends just where my nose begins.” This principle takes priority over a right to express a freedom you may think you’re entitled to and stops when that liberty threatens life.
Nothing is more patriotic than reciting the Pledge. Students learn it early and say it often, but it’s not mandatory in public schools. What is required are various vaccinations in all 50 states before entering school.
Before mandates, millions made the moral choice voluntarily receiving the vaccine. The ask by our government was simple: take a shot that’s free, safe and easy, and Americans responded in droves. For personal reasons and with a sense of duty, they lined up for a shot of safety, acting out of common sense and a patriotic duty for their country.
Others shunned the shot, so governors rolled out incentives to encourage the reluctant, such as: sports tickets, spas, college scholarships, lotteries and trips. New York City spent over $25 million providing the unvaxxed $100 per person to receive the shot. The mayor praised the program as money well spent, leaving many vaccinated New Yorkers wondering why they didn’t wait for the free money.
Instead of free money, how about a fee for not doing your civic duty to get a vaccine that keeps you and others healthy?
Some still stubbornly stand against the vaccine, and we currently face a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Besides the delta variant, doctors face the daily dilemma of providing help to patients in dire need of medical attention versus rationing care to the unvaccinated.
With a history of utilizing mandates, the state and federal government enforced vaccines. Many reached success levels over 90 percent vaccinations. Even in Eastern Washington, WSU’s campus is now over 90 percent vaccinated, no thanks to their now unemployed football coach.
Hopefully we are turning the tide with over 190 million fully vaccinated in the United States. Sadly other nations now beat the United States in vaccination rates, even countries like Cambodia.
What turned this massive medical miracle and scientific success into such a petty and pathetic political battle? Why are so many Americans angry at and divided against each other over a vaccination that’s only bipartisan goal is to help save lives? While covid kills anyone regardless of their politics, the vaccine protects all Americans.
On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we remembered the event when our enemies attacked America apart and over 3,000 Americans died. There were many days covid killed that same amount. If terrorists were conducting this constant killing, Americans would have all come together long ago to end the daily deaths.
General Washington saw a larger danger in losing more lives to deadly disease than did the British. During this pandemic, we don’t need our own adversaries to attack us, we’re doing it ourselves.
Weeks ago marked a milestone of over 700,000 covid deaths, nearly the same number lost during the Civil War. The difference, it only took covid 20 months.
Lincoln famously said a house divided against itself cannot stand. Now is the time to stop the divisions and celebrate a great American tradition of fully vaccinating the population by proudly partaking in our patriotic duty to keep the nation safe from the harm within us.
Jeremy Steiner lives in Edmonds and is executive producer of the “The Michael Medved Show.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
