A University of Iowa Health Care Carver College of Medicine professor called Eli Perencevich took to Twitter on Thursday to make some really bad comparisons when it comes to Americans who are unvaccinated when it comes to COVID-19.
“I refuse to go to my basement during a tornado warning because it restricts my freedom.”
“I know the boat is sinking but I won’t wear a life jacket because it restricts my freedom.”
“The bottle rocket going off in my apartment is a bad idea, but not lighting it restricts my freedom.”
So far, The Iowa Standard has not heard of anyone losing their job for refusing to go to the basement during a tornado warning. We also aren’t aware of anyone being required by executive order even to put on a life jacket when a boat is sinking. And to our knowledge, no government entity has mandated anyone light a bottle rocket inside their apartment.
People may — or may not — choose to do all of those things. That is called freedom.
And there is risk in all three of those decisions. Just as there is risk in getting vaccinated — and not getting vaccinated.
And, as Americans, people should be free to take the information available to them and make their own educated decision on what is in their best interest.