I am a normal person who is tired of hearing about Covid.  Maybe you are, too.

I try to avoid the media these days but apparently there are “important issues” about the President’s authority to enforce vaccination in businesses with over 100 employees.

It sure sounds as if a lot of people are forgetting some common sense.

Let’s get our facts straight.  Any individual, private business or organization has the right to deny access for anything their little heart desires. 

If a business owner or organization decides that every employee or customer must wear a purple hat, we would wear the hats or, if we don’t like it, we would search for other employment or shop somewhere else.  If it turns out that customers don’t like purple hats, then the business would have the option of changing policy.  It’s that simple.  What a wonderful country this is.

If an organization—say a Scout camp—decrees that campers must have a vaccine in order to attend, they are within their rights.  Many, many organizations have such health requirements.  You’re also not allowed in with chicken pox.  It’s common sense and it’s right.

If a person says we can’t enter his home with loaded guns, he is on solid ground. We would likely abide by his rules.  Why?  Because it’s his castle.

Only one entity in this country does not have the right to impose such rules: The government. The government can impose restrictions on its own employees, but it’s the same game.  Employees have the right to leave; the government can fire them or change the rules.

This is the dunderheaded argument the media claims is “raging across our country” and causing me to be even more distracted than normal. Mostly because the media has determined it is “an issue.”  It is not.

The anti-vaxxers say we shouldn’t get the vaccination and the vaxxers say we should.  Again, it’s a free choice, regardless of what someone tries to tell us.  I chose to do it.  I’m older and I have several co-morbidities.  I researched.  I asked a lot of people who were knowledgeable about Covid. I felt the best science was telling me that my odds were better.  No other person in this country will intimidate me one way or the other, and no other person in this country need follow my lead.  I don’t care.  Before you label me as cruel and heartless, here are a few facts:

Most of us realize that loaded guns in the hands of children are a bad idea and we advise our children to never point a gun at something they don’t intend to kill.  Yet it is estimated that nearly 1300 children are killed annually in gun accidents. Tragic.

Most of us understand that alcohol and automobiles are a dangerous combination and we advise our young adults to not drink and drive.  And an alcohol-related traffic death occurs every 52 minutes in this country.

Most of us, I assume, don’t want to be hit by a speeding automobile and we look both ways before crossing the street.  We teach our kids the same thing.  But this year over 6000 pedestrians will be killed by the proverbial pie wagon.

We are as “informed” as we can possibly be at this point about Covid. We’ll get smarter about it as time goes by.  We know that it is contagious.  We know it will kill some of us, lamentably, a small number of young people.  The rest will survive. This is the reason I say to anyone who refuses the Covid vaccine:  “The best science says your odds are better if you get it.  But if you don’t, I wish you well and I hope you don’t suffer and die.”  I mean it sincerely.  Even though I said I don’t care.

This is what ought to be said to an individual, business or organization exercising their rights.  Not in judgement or unkindness.  Here are the known facts and the choice is yours.  We will bury some of you and that will be tragic.  But would we not say the same about the pie wagon?

Now let’s remove the portions of the broadcast media devoted to Covid.  Enough of the newspaper segments devoted to Covid coverage.  If we want “normal” back, let’s go there, intentionally.

Actor Morgan Freeman said something a while back, profound in its simplicity.  He was talking about another “issue” and he said “If you’re tired of hearing about it, then stop talking about it.”