Covid Vaccine, Covid’s Ability to Morphe and the Attacks from the Religious Right on Others But Not Themselves
By: Chris Gilmore*/TRT Columnist—
How long will this pandemic last? What will it take for COVID to kill us all? These questions are for Trumpists, QAnon cultists, or others who somehow disbelieve science or vaccines, for one reason or another. It will, until it kills us all, at this rate. If people are not willing to get vaccinated, we will continue to let the virus top us and annihilate us because it has the ability to continue to evolve and outsmart us. Let’s face it, its willingness to survive and live is bigger than any human’s willingness to even show up and at least protect their loved ones. They’re not only disregarding their lives and the lives of those they love but then also our lives — the rest of us who did what was needed to be the ones still standing. So, not getting the vaccine is detrimental to their loved ones, others who’ve been vaccinated and are at high risk, and then humanity as a whole.
There are hundreds of millions of people from other countries who cannot receive the vaccine or don’t have the means to get it, yet here in the U.S. people are turning away from it and from that responsibility to themselves and one another. How can we be the “United” States of America when all we see is disunion and discord, even over health and the difference between life and death — even as those people promulgating that COVID was a hoax have continued to die while wishing they’d acted differently after it’s been too late.
This enemy isn’t a wealthy one. It’s not originating from a war with another country. It’s not sending missiles here, or bombing us. It is, however, shredding us to pieces and, I ask you, how long are you (those of you who haven’t gotten the vaccine and refuse to do so because Trump told you so or to follow a political statement) going to wait to make things right? Wouldn’t it be better to get vaccinated, to at least be safe for you and your loved ones? Are you willing to die for a momentous victory of sort — a victory of will, or pride or an inflated sense of righteousness? If that is the case, then you’ve already succumbed to this pandemic mentally. I’ll tell you, however (and sadly), it is a matter of time before you mortally succumb from it too. And, once you’ve gotten it, it’s too late to get the vaccine and it is so aggressive that it will most likely win that personal battle with you at the moment.
If you are a religious person and you see children die from this virus, have you thought about selflessness? Have you thought about loving others, thy neighbor, and seeing that they are ok too?
This is not just about you or your battle of wills. There is scientific research done that shows you what has been done. And, there are also the nefarious numbers of senseless deaths from those who have perished from it — too many great people, young, old, children, loved ones. This shouldn’t happen at this time in history. You’d think we’re advanced enough to be able to decipher what’s a hoax v. a reality. But, perhaps that was prior to Trump, QAnon, and the likes. Yet, you won’t get vaccinated, but you’ll allow a simple movement to control what you once didn’t question when you and your ancestors received the polio vaccine, which was a mandate, and all followed such a mandate to a tee.
Photo: Samantha Sophia / Unsplash
This affects others around you. Keep in mind that more variants are coming from other places and there could be a time when there is nothing that could potentially annihilate Covid. We still don’t know if those of us who’ve been vaccinated will be able to survive the more intelligent variants surfacing. As the virus replicates, it becomes smarter and stronger. That’s where everyone’s longevity is at peril.
Just as the polio vaccine was a mandate, the Covid vaccine should be one as well. There should be ample consequences of all kinds for those who knowingly choose to not get vaccinated. This is not about personal choice, but about the health of the nation and the outlook of future generations — if there is one or whenever Covid is eradicated. At this pace, however, that may not even happen in our lifetime. I wish that were a joke, but it’s not. It’s more of a reality show ending abruptly and in the worst possible way.
Don’t let FOX News or One America News Network, OANN, tell you about science and medical experts’ findings. You won’t find that there. On the contrary, all you’ll find there is a biased opinion from biased people who know almost nothing about this. I don’t claim to know lots either. What I do know is that I don’t rely on TV channels to find out more about Covid or anything else that may pertain to science or medicine. So please read research papers and medical journals about the scientific findings related to this virus and remember, just watching right-leaning TV channels isn’t to be informed.
Non-binary and trans people
As I went on a tangent about COVID, I’ll also share what I’ve been thinking about when it comes to religion and trans people. I felt inspired to write about this because the hypocrisy of some Christians baffles me.
Do you only think about rights or religion — like you do when it comes to the COVID vaccine — when you’re questioning other people’s lives, who are living peaceful and genuine lives that don’t affect your life at all — like the members of the LGBTQIA+ community—and those who they love? Or, is that not part of being a Christian or someone who believes in a higher power who should honor the life and who will answer to a supreme being or the being that you pray to if you do? What’s with the convenient pointing of fingers at others, but not yourself?
Why is it ok to do breast or penile enlargements, or face lifts, but it’s not OK for a trans or non-binary person to live their lives as they see them fit, whether it is via surgery or not.
No one tells you that you’re mutilating your body or changing what God gave you or who he made you? I mean, aren’t you doing the same, but that’s ok when it’s for vanity’s sake but not ok due to dysphoria or a condition that, in some, requires them to have any surgery they need to live authentically? Really. What’s it to you? How are you different? To use your arguments, God made you that way. You should stay that way, by your own arguments. Don’t do the penile augmentation or the facial lifts or the pectoral surgeries, or the tummy tucks, the buttocks augmentations, or the breast reductions, etc. I mean, hypocrisy much? And, how can you still call yourself a Christian? Jesus didn’t advocate for hating others, punishing them, judging them, treating them poorly due to race or ethnicity. He didn’t promote infidelity nor the domination of one race over the other either. So, since you’re not like Jesus and not like the Christianity He taught, you must not call yourself a Christian. You’re giving true Christianity a bad name and condemning people just because. You weren’t called to be that. You’re as human as the person next door. Come down from that high horse and take a look at who you really are and where you are going. Or, stop the hate and start following the true Christianity that Jesus called us upon to follow, and not your own made-up Christianity, for it sucks that you only apply to some people and not all.
*Chris Gilmore is a senior reporter for The Rainbow Times, a columnist, and an assistant to the publisher when her time permits. You can reach her at chrisgilmore@therainbowtimesnews.com.
[This column originally ran on the August 2021 issue of The Rainbow Times].
