New Hampshire recently made national headlines as the state with the most COVID-19 cases per population. It’s hard to understand why, but this unpredictable virus is taking turns spreading wakeup calls state by state – and humility. No more “We’re safe in NH” complacency.
Part of the obvious, larger answer is that COVID-19 vaccination has become partisan and ugly, instead of focusing on the tragedy of lives lost and how to come together to better meet the challenge. Fox News leads the anti-vax campaign, beating that horse daily and loudly, while quietly the Fox Corporation mandates that all full-time employees prove they are vaccinated. Those who don’t are tested daily. Ninety percent of full-time employees have been vaccinated. If Fox recommended that policy, COVID cases and deaths would decrease.
As we sort out masks and vaccinations, let’s look for hypocrisy. Here’s another big one – aggressive anti-vaxxers (politicians, news groups, Facebookers, etc.) are now blaming President Joe Biden for increased COVID-19 rates while fighting his efforts to increase life-saving vaccinations and masks. His approval rate falls because people believe the blame. What’s real is that no one is this country is working harder than Biden to combat this plague.
In the past we could say that Americans come together in times of crisis.
Today the forces of division are winning.
Could COVID be the wakeup call we need?
So far, not so.
Francie Von Mertens
Peterborough