I am by no means opposed to vaccines. I DO hesitate at the thought of injecting a brand new vaccine into my body. But even I have gone ahead, taken the plunge, and scheduled my first COVID-19 vaccine appointment after observing how the rollout has gone thus far.
But you know what would still give me pause even if I wasn’t concerned with the newness of the vaccine? The virtue signaling coming from the Biden administration.
The whole incentive behind encouraging people to receive their COVID-19 vaccines was that if enough of the population did so, life as we know it would soon return to normal. Travel and events would return at pre-2020 levels. We wouldn’t be nervous in large groups or without a mask on our faces.
Even as the White House spouts this “return to normal” line, the actions of President Biden seem to suggest we’re nowhere close to normal. Biden, who has been fully vaccinated for months, is STILL wearing masks everywhere. This includes wearing masks outdoors and around other people who are fully vaccinated, which was highlighted during a question asked on a White House COVID-19 Press Briefing:
“This morning we saw the first lady outdoors wearing a mask, even though she’s vaccinated. The president yesterday said he would need to wear a mask if he was sitting close to someone indoors – even if they’re both vaccinated – which goes against CDC guidance. And so, given that the president focused on modeling the best public health advice when masks were required, why isn’t he doing more to show the country what you can do once you are vaccinated?”
The root of the problem is nailed by this question. Biden’s virtue signaling isn’t helping get people vaccinated. You can’t pretend to return to normal while refusing to do so.
If Biden truly wants to see the nation embrace the vaccine and return to normal, he should model the behavior of someone who has been fully vaccinated. After all, the vaccine is over 90 percent effective. Your chance of catching COVID-19 after vaccination is very slim. If he, however, wants to continue to appease the masks-and-lockdowns, sacrifice everything in the name of safety crowd through his posturing, he should just admit to doing so and quit pretending he’s helping play a key role in bringing about the return to normal.
The COVID-19 vaccines are important inventions. They will help keep people alive, and help others return to the lives they knew before the pandemic. It’s time for our nation’s leader to act like things are returning to normal instead of virtue signaling for those who refuse to do so.