Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine November 2021

HVACR NewsMagazine November 2021

A year ago, the vaccine was a promise that many political “ never Trumpers ” were determined never to take. After all, it had his name attached. Doctors, nurses, first responders, fireman, policeman, nursing home care givers — all were hailed as heroes. They served for endless hours in an environment of sickness and death. They watched the elderly die without a loved one by their side. They held a hand and offered comfort in the last moments of life into the first moments of death. They performed life-saving care in the middle of PPP shortages. Having worked doubles and sometimes triples, I recall pictures of them looking as though they couldn ’ t go on. They quarantined themselves from their family while their children cried for their mommy and daddy. It was a war zone for the country with these heroes being on the front lines. It has been a year and over 192,000,000 people have been fully vaccinated. This article does not intend to say what is right or wrong about the recent rush to mandate vaccinations for these first responders. There is no nationwide data to document the number of first responders that have been vaccinated or the number remaining. The AP states that there are over 19,000 first responders in New York alone that refuse the vaccination even with the threat of unpaid leave and eventual firing.

I don ’ t know why folks refuse the vaccination, especially when the pressure is so great. While some have medical reasons, I most often hear the resistance to the mandate as being a greater reason than health. Many have already had the virus and believe that their natural immunities are stronger than the vaccine and refuse to be dictated to by those that claim science as their guild only to ignore it when it contradicts their ideology. We find ourselves in a quagmire of resistance versus the demands and mandates of many politicians. All this while fire stations are closed and police staffing is at dangerous lows. I do not present myself as an omniscient arbitrator of opinions. That is for folks at a much higher pay and experience grade. I would; however, suggest that those that sacrificed so much in 2020 should be given a little leeway in 2021. Where would we have been without them then and where will we be without them in 2021. Are we not at a point where stubbornness and political power has taken control of our conversation leaving us to debate instead of discuss. Perhaps we do not even debate. Perhaps we are wrestling against ourselves that we might not appear to lose? I want to thank those that gave so much in 2020. I owe you consideration and---enough said, I owe you.