I believe that, in Los Angeles, where I live, as of tomorrow, anyone who wants to dine, or go to a movie, or to an outdoor or indoor site of more than 1000 people, will have to show proof of vaccination.
Now to be clear I am vaccinated. I did it as soon as it was available to me, between February and March. I had concerns. I still have concerns both practical and moral, but, as I have told people, and as I rationalize, I used prudential judgment as handed down to me especially by the Catholic Church to conclude I would take it.
Let me back up. As to masks: I believe they are intended to be a permanent fixture in certain states, and if Mr. Biden has anything to do about imposition from the Federal Government in derogation, in my opinion, of states' rights, it will be a permanent fixture, nationally. What began as "flatten the curve" is now going onto two years after a complete flip flop from "they do no good" to "mandate". The science of Covid may have changed. But the science of masks surely did not. Now to be clear, again, where I have to wear them, I have, and I do. I really have no choice. Well, there is one choice. I have been attempting to make it as best as one can in a soft tyranny soon to be a very hard one. There are some places where, out of religious or personal obligation, I must go and I must wear a mask. Church is one and various activities on that religious campus. The other is visits to Nursing Homes and Assisted Living facilties to people I care about and have long known. Prior to this month, I had one or two social engagements long in planning and schedule, and I felt it inappropriate to cancel, so I attended masked. I had a yearly day of medical tests, which I might add, I almost cancelled because of the requirement to wear a mask. But I did not. I have another coming up and I will go. I do my shopping mostly on line now, including for groceries. Of course, there too, the mask invasion exists, because you are "encouraged" to wear a mask while receiving your groceries. Sometimes I am able to have them just drop the stuff outside my glass entry way. Sometimes I can't. So, I guess, there are a few places where I feel compelled to "rise above my principles". But overall, when it comes to going inside for any purposes, the movies, a show, a museum, things that make modern life a pleasure, I will not do so.
Today I wanted to have my car cleaned. But I realized that I would have to go inside to pay. And there was neither obligation or need. So I cleaned my car in the garage. Since I usually get the full service clean, I saved like 30 bucks. And the car is passably neat.
Now, we have the new mandate, no entry inside without proof of vaccination. The bad and unclean (unvaccinated) will be separated from the good and clean (vaccinated) in ever expanding world of Covid and your medical good as determined by others, not you, and your doctor, or conscience.
Does anybody see? Some do. They are being told they are nuts. And, in the language of one of my favorite TV shows from the Sixties, The Prisoner, they are being shunned or punished for being "unmutual". They have their opinions "fact checked". Yes, opinions. And these are largely opinions based on the memory of real events of the past where evils were perpetrated for a good posited by a hierarchy to whom good was an ever shifting matter of personal need and power. And these are opinions based on a terrifying awareness of arbitrary application of the facts depending on who is engaging in this or that activity.
There is no point in my giving examples, related say to Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump. Whether a mission is accomplished beautifully or is an utter human disaster. Or whether who wears masks or does not in the leadership is dependent on whether they think no one is looking. Or when protest becomes rioting or not. Or when the Pope says abortion is homicide but pastors should dialog over it as if endless dialog for fifty years has made a difference.
I would call what is happening now the "tip of the iceberg" but I think that iceberg is turning over to reveal its full expanse. The truly fearful thing is when people you have known your whole life tell you that you are not seeing the descent to Hades that you are. I can't accuse the people I know of gaslighting, because they, as Marc Antony said of Brutus and Caesar, are all honorable men (and women). But weak though I am, and I am, I have to do something in my small and weak way. So, as far as this new mandate, as long as I live in California, which apparently is eager to continue its socialistic decay, I will be more a homebody than I ever have been. I know that my resolve will not be perfect. But to the extent that I can, I will not patronize inside venues or places outside where masks are required or where vaccination proof is required. I realize since many many people will do otherwise, my little rebellion will have no impact on the larger world, but it is all that I have. And fortunately, I am one of those people for whom being alone is not a particular fear. It is a legacy of being an only child but also of having been someone who was trained to abide by legitimate authority, but not to walk off a cliff because every one else is doing so. But the fact that now we have a precedent for health based masking, vaccination and imposed treatments (or prohibition of treatments people want to try, with concomitant shaming a la Communist China), expect that there will be new crises looming with mandates, enforced as laws, galore. Every action you and I take will be monitored and mandated by other human beings who will happily lie and say "It's for the public good" when it is only about solidifying their power.
I know. Most of you don't think that this will happen. Or, worse, even notice that it has happened. Human history is rife with these moments in time. We made the mistake of thinking that America was immune. We couldn't keep our corruption from destroying the ideal.
What got me on this again? A relative sent me a You Tube piece which I will post here. It is called "Just".
https://youtu.be/gHrACix89ec
The reality is that it just may be too late.
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