1 in 500.
1 in 500.
That’s the number today.
1 in 500 Americans have died due to the coronavirus pandemic.
664,572. That’s how many Americans have died because of this virus.
There are over 90,000 American citizens hospitalized due to COVID complications. There are people who cannot receive the proper healthcare they need because hospitals don’t have the capacity.
1,262 deaths in America EVERY DAY over the last seven days.
In June, 99.5% of Covid deaths were from unvaccinated people. 99.5%.
These numbers come from foxnews.com today. I’m just throwing that out there to illustrate the point. This is serious.
What’s frustrating is that there are actual human beings in America that won’t be moved by these numbers.
What is even more infuriating is that these numbers will likely continue to escalate.
It’s especially maddening considering that we actually have had an effective deterrent to this for months. There aren’t really any excuses.
My preferred style of writing is to never tell my audience what to think. I believe everyone can think for themselves. Because of this, I’ve hesitated over the last few months to really speak about any of this on a forum of this kind. I deeply want to respect the freedom of others to choose for themselves, even if I don’t respect the decision itself.
But here we are. In a pandemic. That’s almost wholly avoidable in this country at this point. Here we are, with all of our economic resources, with an actual vaccine that can change the course we are on. Yet we haven’t changed course.
I’m tired of not using my voice when anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers are shouting theirs.
It’s exhausting.
It’s created a lot of doubt within me about those around me who claim to care about those around us.
What happened to caring for and loving your neighbor? Where is the golden rule?
I get it. We all want our freedoms. I understand individual rights and the freedom to choose what’s best for ourselves and our kids. I understand the apprehension around a vaccine shot. After all, there have been 14,000 breakthrough deaths in the United States. That seems like a lot until you consider that there are 179 million fully vaccinated Americans. So deaths after being fully vaccinated equate to .00007885 percent.
.00007885.
If we are truly pro-living human beings, and if we are vaccine-hesitant, the minimum we can do for others is wearing masks. Even if it’s for a few minutes when we run into the store or grab a coffee at Starbucks.
I’ll admit, I really don’t enjoy wearing a mask. I don’t. Sometimes I have to remind myself to put one on when I enter a grocery store or anywhere indoors. But hey, if employees have to wear a mask for hours, I can wear mine for a few minutes. I know what it’s like, I’m required to wear one for work. It’s not enjoyable.
And yeah, my daughter wears a mask at school. What I’ve found is that children model the behavior and attitudes they witness. I’m sure she’s not fond of her masks, but she’s also quite happy about doing what she can to keep her classmates safe.
If I claim to care about others, if I’m actually pro-living human beings… I have to follow through on that. I have to do what’s best to ensure I’m doing my best to keep others alive. Even if that means wearing a mask. Especially if it means receiving a vaccine that has overwhelming been proven to be an effective deterrent against a deadly virus.
1 in 500.
664,572.
0.
If we’re all pro-living human beings, that’s the number we should be reaching for. That should be our ambition.
-JG