Took a while, but I finally did it. Reluctantly.
Why did I wait?
My thought process was multi-pronged. I am not a kooky mouth-breathing conspiracy theorist or anything like that. I do not think Bill Gates is injecting people with tracking devices (In fact, if Microsoft was in charge of bugging people’s bodies, no one should worry at all because none of their shit works anyway. But I digress).
Back to the thinking process.
First, I am a healthy, active, outdoorsy, mid-40s male with no comorbidities.
Second, I have three kids who have been in school in person for over a year. All three played or play multiple sports, and I am at almost all the games, including inside stuffy basketball gyms. I’ll bet I’ve been to over 150 youth sporting events in the past year, maybe more. No problems.
Third, I have been sparring with random dudes for a year during my martial arts training. Many times a week. No problems.
Fourth, I do not like or trust pharmaceutical companies in general, and I do not like putting their garbage in my body if I can avoid it {takes a sip of wine}.
Fifth, well……..I think I was a little scared, honestly.
Sixth, my wife says I’m just lazy about this stuff.
Seventh, I have sued pharmaceutical companies for making shitty vaccines that hurt people, including right now, where I’m involved on the leadership committee for the group of lawyers suing Merck for the Zostavax shingles vaccine. It is a fact that pharmaceutical companies over the years have knowingly made dangerous, shitty products that killed or maimed hundreds of thousands of people. That is a fact, period.
Lastly, I’m Irish and a Texan, and everyone knows that Irishmen and Texans come from the toughest stock around. Ain’t no little wimpy bug gonna take down a full-blooded Texas Irishman in his prime.
So what changed my mind?
Honestly, science and reason. That’s it.
I spent a lot of time reading about the science of vaccination generally and these vaccines specifically.
While I’m certainly not an epidemiologist or infectious disease expert, I do have scientific training, mathematical training, philosophical training, and some training in how to identify, read, and comprehend scientific papers. And I actually read the papers.
I also listened to the advice of a lot of people who I really respect who are full-blown experts in this stuff, including medical doctors and actual, real-life scientists. Yes, they exist, and yes, you can ask these folks questions. I tried to avoid the wispy mustached Marlboro smoking dude from high school on Facebook who’s an expert at changing your oil and about 500 other topics. Stick to the experts. The real experts.
Here’s a hint: If the person spouting nonsense has a TV show on cable TV on one of the major cable networks, they don’t have any idea what they are talking about, about anything really, and about the science of vaccination specifically.
And finally, some of my friends and family gently encouraged me to get it done. They didn’t pressure me too much (I would have resisted any pressure). They were nice.
So that’s how I kind of finally came around. Through reason, reflection, evaluation of the science, and with some gentle prodding from people I love and respect.
At the end of the day, this is a personal choice, and I do not think “vaccine-shaming” or anything like that is a good approach at all.
People need to make their own decisions about their own individual biology (by the way, people should be able to make their own decisions about their individual biology in every respect, not just in this instance, as long as those decisions don’t hurt other people. See, e.g., the stupid-ass “War on Drugs.” End that shit now.).
Many people will come around and decide to get vaccinated on their own. Some will not.
People who choose to get vaccinated—great.
People who choose not to get vaccinated—your body, your decision. But understand there may be consequences to that decision.
