According to the CDC, nearly 190 million Americans (48.6% of the US population) have been fully vaccinated, which statistically means we will all have family members who are refusing the vaccination.
I greatly appreciate the resources you've provided in this article. I strongly believe that they will assist your readers with having those difficult conversations with their beloved family members who are resisting both science and common sense. I recently had one of those conversations with my sister.
She's 5 years younger than me - in her early 60s - and feels that she can't get vaccinated because of the possibility of having an adverse reaction which would necessitate incurring medical bills. Despite being told that I would gladly handle any medical bills incurred should she have a reaction, she still resisted. Despite assuring her that I would drive to her city from my home and stay with her until the possibility of a reaction was past, she refused. Despite all my offers of support and assistance, she remains unvaccinated and - for the foreseeable future - will stay that way.
Sis claims she goes nowhere that she would contract COVID. She swears she wears a mask in every situation when she goes out in public. She does NOT, however, wear a mask around our mother in her 80s. It makes me angry, frustrated, and feeling helpless, especially since Mom won't take her to task for it either. My other sister in Florida is also not helpful, having fallen into the Trump cult at some point. Like the proverbial horse, though, I can't *make* her do what *I* view as right.
I wish everyone else having to hold these conversations the very best of luck. Meanwhile, I'll cross fingers and toes that my recalcitrant sister doesn't make things worse for anyone other than herself.
I am very, very fortunate that my family, with no exceptions at all, has been vaccinated--that goes for my ex-wife and her family as well. For those who are not as fortunate, your template will hopefully enable some people to convince family members who are vaccine-resistant or vaccine-hesitant. The stakes could not be bigger.
I have noticed that the resistance to being vaccinated seems to exist for various reasons across our population. There are, of course, the QAnon/Trumpist crowd, profoundly stupid and perhaps even more profoundly arrogant in their stupidity. But then I have friends who are generally on the opposite end of the political spectrum - the namaste/holistic/foo-foo/hippie types. Personally, being a liberal, I know more of the latter, although they are probably in the minority as compared with the Trumpists. However, both camps tend to believe - against all reason - all or part of similar false conspiracy theories, all based on some combination of fear, Pride/arrogance, needing to 'be right.'
Perhaps the fringes have pushed so much further towards their respective extremes that they've looped back towards one another on some level, an "Ouroboros of Stupid." Except in this case, the snake kills the rest of humanity as it eats its own tail.
This makes me want to barf. Who is brainwashing whom here, really.
“ Because to take away a man's freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.”
I greatly appreciate the resources you've provided in this article. I strongly believe that they will assist your readers with having those difficult conversations with their beloved family members who are resisting both science and common sense. I recently had one of those conversations with my sister.
She's 5 years younger than me - in her early 60s - and feels that she can't get vaccinated because of the possibility of having an adverse reaction which would necessitate incurring medical bills. Despite being told that I would gladly handle any medical bills incurred should she have a reaction, she still resisted. Despite assuring her that I would drive to her city from my home and stay with her until the possibility of a reaction was past, she refused. Despite all my offers of support and assistance, she remains unvaccinated and - for the foreseeable future - will stay that way.
Sis claims she goes nowhere that she would contract COVID. She swears she wears a mask in every situation when she goes out in public. She does NOT, however, wear a mask around our mother in her 80s. It makes me angry, frustrated, and feeling helpless, especially since Mom won't take her to task for it either. My other sister in Florida is also not helpful, having fallen into the Trump cult at some point. Like the proverbial horse, though, I can't *make* her do what *I* view as right.
I wish everyone else having to hold these conversations the very best of luck. Meanwhile, I'll cross fingers and toes that my recalcitrant sister doesn't make things worse for anyone other than herself.
I am very, very fortunate that my family, with no exceptions at all, has been vaccinated--that goes for my ex-wife and her family as well. For those who are not as fortunate, your template will hopefully enable some people to convince family members who are vaccine-resistant or vaccine-hesitant. The stakes could not be bigger.
I have noticed that the resistance to being vaccinated seems to exist for various reasons across our population. There are, of course, the QAnon/Trumpist crowd, profoundly stupid and perhaps even more profoundly arrogant in their stupidity. But then I have friends who are generally on the opposite end of the political spectrum - the namaste/holistic/foo-foo/hippie types. Personally, being a liberal, I know more of the latter, although they are probably in the minority as compared with the Trumpists. However, both camps tend to believe - against all reason - all or part of similar false conspiracy theories, all based on some combination of fear, Pride/arrogance, needing to 'be right.'
Perhaps the fringes have pushed so much further towards their respective extremes that they've looped back towards one another on some level, an "Ouroboros of Stupid." Except in this case, the snake kills the rest of humanity as it eats its own tail.
Thank you. Crying too hard right now to actually send this to my brother, but I will.
Just lost my ex, not ex love, because I never stopped loving him. My ex husband, my sons Dad.
His mental illness & drug abuse left me no choice.
I had to save me & my son.
He was found dead on June 29.
We thought drug abuse, but now they suspect homicide.
I can't lose my brother.
My son can't lose me.
I'm immune compromised.
&
Drowning in grief.
I will show him what you wrote.
With eternal gratitude
"Puddin Tame"
This makes me want to barf. Who is brainwashing whom here, really.
“ Because to take away a man's freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.”
Madeline L'Engle