By Jon Lynch
As COVID continues to ravage through Vermont, so too does the increasingly invective rhetoric deployed against those who are unwilling or unable to take the vaccine.
A vaccine so remarkably ineffective at preventing contagion, that Vermont – the state with the highest vaccination rate in the nation – recently made national headlines for also having the highest case rate in the nation. And higher case rates have led to more deaths – many more deaths. There have been three times as many COVID deaths since the vaccines than before.
Now, we should not repeat Governor Scott’s favorite illogic by inferring causation where only correlation has been observed, but that does look a bit funny, doesn’t it? What kind of vaccine leads not only to more infections, but also to more deaths? Don’t dig too deep, Vermonters – remember, this is “science” and you just don’t understand it.
Don’t worry though – Governor Scott understands it, and he knows whom to blame. He told us with great conviction and contempt at his weekly press conference that 5% of Vermonters are responsible for burdening Vermont’s healthcare system with 75% of Covid hospitalizations. He added, “…the 95% of adult Vermonters who have done the right thing are not the problem… …and they should not be punished.”
As if it wasn’t clear enough who should be punished, Governor Scott then paraded his mask-on, mask-off name, blame and shame team to drive the point home. Secretary Smith chastised the unclean with the ominous and foreboding aphorism “some choices have consequences…” while Dr. Levine encouraged us to inquire which of those at our holiday gatherings weren’t yet vaccinated and to encourage them “to do the right thing.” Conspicuously missing was any advice from Dr. Levine on how to appropriately apologize if – after being coerced to get the jab – your loved one has an adverse reaction resulting in serious injury or death.
Governor Scott then described the private sector’s “voluntary” progress towards vaccine mandates as “a step in the right direction.” Really, Governor? A step in the right direction towards what, I wonder? Towards a pre-civil-rights era where people are arbitrarily discriminated against? Because that is exactly where we are heading.