Please get the shot, people.

   Here is an article from usatoday(dot)com, written by Hadley Hitson:

  The family of a man who died of heart issues in Mississippi is asking people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 after 43 hospitals across three states were unable to accept him because of full cardiac ICUs. 

 Ray Martin DeMonia died last week in Meridian, Mississippi. He was three days shy of his 74th birthday and a well-known native in Cullman, Alabama, his family said.  

 DeMonia suffered from a cardiac event, and emergency staff at Cullman Regional Medical Center had to bring him to the nearest available bed, which was nearly 200 miles away at a Mississippi hospital.

 In his obituary, DeMonia’s family urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

 “In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non-COVID related emergencies,” the obituary read. “He would not want any other family to go through what his did.”

 “Ray DeMonia was like no other,” his obituary read. 

 

  This is the true cost of not getting vaccinated:  people tying up beds in hospitals, that should be open for people who really need them. You can argue about "Well, COVID patients need them, too!", but I'd argue that if they took the proper precautions, they wouldn't need either as many, or none at all. Refusing to protect yourself and others around you because of arrogance and stupidity is inexcusable. 

  My condolences to Ray and his family. Not so much to the people who prevented him getting help.

Hey, kids! Let's break the law! (A little long)

  At the time I write this, it's the middle of 2021...COVID-19 is still a 'thing', its effects still being felt. Many have gotten sick from it, many have died from it, and many will continue to do so for a time yet. Luckily, no one I know of has been infected by it, and hopefully that will continue. Although I don't hold out too much hope for some of them.
 You see, some people still think of it as being 'just a cold', 'just like the flu', a fake, a fraud, a plot to 'take away our FREEDOMS!!!', mainly because of a stupid man, who said stupid things. Who they still listen to, for some reason. Even with contingencies in place to help curb the spread of COVID, they still don't believe it to be real; in fact, people have said, with their literal last breath while dying from it, that it's NOT REAL. How do you fight that? Turns out it's not easy. 

 Now, because of The Dumb, our world is a little different. We have had to wear face masks (which pissed Those People off SO much!), 'social distance' (six feet apart, please!),  and had to close just about everything to try to get it under control. Which pissed Those People off even more. Why? Well, because "We want to go shopping! We want to go to bars! And clubs! And restaurants! See movies! How  dare you try to save lives! Don't you know THAT WE WANT TO DO THINGS? HOW DARE YOU!!!"
 You see, they didn't want things to open so that the people who work there could earn a living, to not lose their house or their car because they needed the money....no, they wanted them open, because They were being - GASP! - inconvenienced!!! Oh no! Not that! Sorry that *your* creature comforts are more important than people's lives! How ever will you make it?? 

 Now, we get to the 'breaking the law' part...as of this moment, a vaccination is highly recommended (actually, they *have* been, but, ya know, 'Freedoms'...). People who are, get a 'passport', i.e. a certificate, that allows them to actually travel easier, and lets people know that the person with the card is less likely to get you sick. Good idea, huh?
 Except.....well, it seems that people still want to do things and go places, but not get the shot. So, some of them are simply buying fake cards online. "See? I'm fine! This proves it!" Except, of course, that this is ILLEGAL. Falsifying documents isn't really a smart thing to do. In fact, the Government takes a VERY dim view of it. In fact, I believe it's a FELONY. Nice to know that people who don't *want* to protect themselves or their loved ones from a potentially fatal disease, are pretending that they are, just so they can go places and do things.
 Thanks, inconsiderate a-holes! You are the reason that this epidemic won't go away. Hope you enjoy being bankrupt when (not really 'if' at this point) you or a family member has to be hooked up to machines to survive.
 Would say, 'Nice knowing you!', except it isn't.