I appreciated the recent commentary by Daniel Benyshek regarding vaccine and mask mandates. He points out the “dutiful responsibility” that freedom-loving Americans should embrace, and I agree wholeheartedly.
Freedom certainly is not free. For a civil society to prosper and flourish, it requires the participation of every citizen to practice basic “love thy neighbor” principles. Caring for one’s self is one thing; caring for others is another and just as important.
Mandating a vaccine that has not been fully FDA approved is ridiculous, especially for those who have already survived the COVID-19 virus and those who are pregnant or have other medical concerns. As science has proven, COVID-19 survivors have an antibody immunity to the virus, an immunity that is much more effective than the vaccine itself.
Science has also shown that anyone who has received the vaccine can still acquire and spread the virus. Therefore, the only benefit of getting vaccinated is to protect oneself from potential hospitalization or severe symptoms.
Mandating a vaccine would be similar to requiring that everyone wear helmets even though not everyone rides motorcycles. Helmets, similar to vaccination, only protect the rider, not those around him. The vaccine doesn’t necessarily protect anyone other than the individual who is vaccinated.
Masks have been proven to provide little or no benefit in spreading this virus, which has been demonstrated repeatedly with the many indoor and outdoor venues in recent months where almost all participants were unmasked, and a super spreader result never materialized. Masking school children and hindering their ability to breathe even though science has shown that children are less affected by this virus is also unwarranted.
I realize that it is often difficult to embrace the scientific logic regarding these issues. Without science, a correct and responsible response to this pandemic is impossible. As Daniel has said, we must balance freedom and civic responsibility. At the same time, however, we need to fight for those very freedoms that are continually threatened. It is our civic responsibility to do so.
The opinions expressed above belong solely to the author and do not represent the views of the Boulder City Review. They have been edited solely for grammar, spelling and style, and have not been checked for accuracy of the viewpoints.
G. Kevin Savord is currently a professional pilot and former small business owner. He can be reached at gksavord@gmail.com.