The vax wars continue

On July 22, Gov. Kay Ivey said “it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks” for COVID-19’s continued spread.

“The data proves that it works. It doesn’t cost you anything. It saves lives,” she said.

When asked what more she could do to get Alabamians to get vaccinated, she responded, “I don’t know. You tell me. Folks are supposed to have common sense. But it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.”

This, of course, made the vaxxers (aka the Regular folks) happy and the anti-vaxxers (the Irregulars?) livid. This week she managed to make everyone mad.

The Biden administration announced last week it would require businesses with 100 or more employees to require proof of vaccination or weekly negative tests. Many Republican governors — even those who, like Ivey, have encouraged their residents to get vaccinated — pushed back against a mandate.

Biden said he would use his power as president to “get them out of the way.”

Ivey fired back saying, “You bet I’m standing in the way. And if he thinks he’s going to move me out of the way, he’s got another thing coming. I’m standing as strong as a bull for Alabama against this outrageous Washington overreach. Bring it on.”

While the “Irregulars” immediately pounced on her tweet by reminding her just two months earlier she had blamed them for this ongoing crisis, the “Regulars” were mad she wasn’t happily using this as cover to be a “bull” to make the un-jabbed get jabbed.

More division! Yay!

I know this is a crazy notion, especially in this day and age when you have to choose a side to pledge your allegiance to, but you can be 100 percent for vaccination and still feel uncomfortable with the government mandating it.

There seems to be very little information on how this would even be implemented and/or enforced. And we all know how quickly and efficiently the government moves — so is this really even a feasible solution to the problem? Or just all for show? So the Democrats look like they are looking out for public health while the Republicans appear to be standing up for personal liberties? Are they clinking glasses of scotch behind closed doors, laughing, saying this is a “win-win” for both of us?

Meanwhile, we are all just out here screaming at each other. Just like they like it.

A poll released this week said 17 percent of all vaccinated people had ended friendships with people who refuse to get vaccinated. Even one of the world’s best known “Friends,” Jennifer Aniston, said she could no longer “be there for you when the rain starts to pour” — well, that is, unless you have your shots.

And it’s not just happening on the Left Coast. I can think of multiple examples of friends and families torn apart over this on the Gulf Coast. Some that are not even speaking. And none of it is pretty.

One of my oldest friendships with an East Coaster has suffered over this as well. I am fully vaccinated, but my mere residence among the unvaccinated apparently has put me on a blacklist.

This friend and I spent 9/11 together. We lived in Austin, Texas, at the time, but she now lives in New York and has for a decade or so. And before the pandemic, I would go up and visit her usually once a year. I texted her last Saturday, as I do every 9/11. It was all friendly enough. Until I said, “You really need to get out of the city and come down for a visit.”

I should have known something was up as the three dots on my phone loomed seemingly forever, as she was crafting a response that should have probably just said, “Yeah, that sounds great!”

Instead, I got, “I hate Alabama. There I said it!” Followed up with, “I haven’t spoken to [another friend who lives in the unvaccinated hell hole that is the Yellowhammer State] in months because she won’t get vaccinated.”

Mind you, this was a person she was only ever going to talk to over text, email or phone anyway. Last I checked, the virus wasn’t transmissible over fiber optics — not even 5G!

I texted back there were people all over this country, including New York, who aren’t getting vaccinated — you can’t just hate on Alabama.

I got nothing back. Maybe I never will. I don’t know. We’ll see.

But it just made me mad. And sad. And defensive of the state I do love, warts and all.

Is this really what it has come to? Is the next study going to be one in seven people have ended friendships with people who live in states with the majority of the population unvaccinated — even if the people they know are vaccinated? One in 12 people believe Jennifer Aniston should not be friends with Courtney Cox because she is from Alabama?

I am being silly, but when does this end? How much more than just our bodies is this virus going to infect?

I know people are beyond exhausted and cranky. And some certainly have the right to be more than others. And I don’t know the answer to making more people get vaccinated. I wish I did.

But bullying and severing ties with people you love just doesn’t seem to be an effective strategy either. Because when this ends — and it will — then what?