Guest column: The pope’s vaccination, freedom of speech and comparisons to yellow fever – The Florida Times-Union

Michael Connelly| Guest columnist

A long time ago, when Ron Littlepage still opined in the T-U, and too much was going on, he would "click around the dial" covering a variety of subjects.

First, my sincerest condolences to Mr. Stang for the loss of his mother. Having lost my father recently (though not to COVID-19), I can relate to his pain, loss and sorrow. I am also Catholic, not always the best one, but when Pope Francis said getting the vaccine was "an act of love," I have to go with the pope.

Next, the First Amendment to our Constitution says in part "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press …." The last time I checked, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and several lesser-recognized social platforms were not Congress. They are private -- meaning, not government -- companies and can set their own policies, which we may or may not agree with. As I have said in the past, if you don't like their policies, don't use them.

Finally, conflating the yellow fever epidemic of 1888 to the COVID-19 pandemic is a stretch of credulity. It would be more correct to say Capt. Cooper had an acquired immunity, not a natural one. Also, there was not a vaccine for yellow fever until 1951. In 1888 it was not known how yellow fever was contracted.

More than 130 years later we have a number of safe and highly effective vaccines for COVID-19. We know how it is transmitted and effective steps to mitigate the transmission. The push by some that should know better (our governor and his acting surgeon general) for herd or natural immunity has already cost over 58,000 lives in Florida and 700,000 nationwide. How many unnecessary deaths are too many? The true insanity is listening to those who oppose the "jab."

It is a fact: 50 percent minus one of all doctors graduate in the lower half of their class. I wonder where the anti-vaxxers fall?

Michael Connelly is a retired naval aviator and part-time tax preparer living in Jacksonville Beach.

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Guest column: The pope's vaccination, freedom of speech and comparisons to yellow fever - The Florida Times-Union