NEWARK, NJ – New Jersey’s largest newspaper, the Star-Ledger today is calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for New Jersey residents. Tom Moran, a senior writer and member of the newspaper’s editorial board published an article on Tuesday entitled, “It’s time. Mandate the vaccine“.
Moran and the Star-Ledger editorial board champion the decree by New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio this week, who said the time for voluntary vaccination is over.
“So, three cheers for Mayor Bill DeBlasio for having the guts to impose a vaccine mandate on all New York City employees, who now must get the jab, or agree to take a Covid test every week. Let’s hope New Jersey follows that example soon, given the urgency in the face of the Delta surge,” Moran wrote.
It’s not just Moran. The call for mandatory vaccinations is now being pushed by America’s Democrat left. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo even went as far as saying he will knock on doors and throw people into cars to get the COVID-19 vaccination shots.
The COVID-19 virus is serious and vaccines have proven to be relatively safe and effective most of the time, but where does government draw the line between national health emergency and personal freedoms.
“My body, my choice.”
That’s the line Democrats have touted for decades when it comes to the government interfering in the medical health decisions of the individual. Now, that battle cry is being abandoned when the medical activity is something they support and for whatever reason, a small percentage of the American population does not.
People have many reasons for not taking vaccines. Some COVID-19 survivors feel that their bout with the illness has created sufficient natural antibodies to fight off reinfection. Some have medical and religious concerns about vaccines. Others simply don’t trust the government’s word on the vaccine after it has been used for the past year as a political football.
Last year, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both said they do not trust the vaccine, calling it a Trump vaccine. Some Republicans have downplayed the effectiveness of the vaccine. Others simply don’t know what to believe, especially when the Biden administration and liberal states like California are once again suggesting fully vaccinated people should revert to wearing face masks. Such policy does not invoke confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine.
“But those who refuse vaccines are putting all of us at risk. The reason is that as this pandemic drags along, the virus has more time to mutate into new and even deadlier forms,” the Star-Ledger said. “So far, the vaccines have proven effective against all the variants, but experts say there is no guarantee that will be the case next time.”
As the editor of Shore News Network, I have been vaccinated. My entire family has been vaccinated including my children. We personally believe as a company that vaccines are effective and relatively safe, but who are we as the media or even as any member of the government to tell people what to inject into their bodies. I am vaccinated. I feel safe. I take precautions. If I want to wear a mask I do. If I don’t, I won’t. That is a choice I make and I choose to make responsible choices.
It’s not like the COVID-19 vaccine is the anthrax vaccine that the U.S. Government injected into me in 1991 while in U.S. Marine Corps boot camp in case I was deployed to Iraq. That vaccination left me with lifelong neurological issues, but the government refuses to take responsibility and doesn’t offer any medical or financial assistance through the VA. So, if the government screwed up a vaccine then and won’t take responsibility, why should Americans believe this time around it will be different.
The government hasn’t been trustworthy when it comes to promoting the COVID-19 vaccine. Their guidance on the vaccine and COVID-19 safety has been erratic, often conflicting with itself. Masks on. Masks off. Two masks. Six Feet. Three Fee. It’s a never-ending exercise of “Let’s see if this works”.
Instead, the government needs to do a better job promoting the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine and COVID-19 safety. They should also lift the liability protections given to the vaccine manufacturers if they really want Americans to fully trust the vaccine.
As for the Star-Ledger, we’re all ok with newspapers giving their opinions. That’s what the industry is about, but when it goes as far as trying to lobby and shame the governor for holding out against a vaccine mandate, that’s just crossing the line and one of the reasons the media in America is one of the least trusted sources of information. Everyone is pushing an agenda.