Choosing to Be Disadvantaged

Typically, when a politician speaks of 'Two Americas', he or she is referring to unfair conditions imposed on a segment of the population by hostile or merely indifferent forces.  Segregation?  Imposed on Black Americans by a hostile White majority.  Wage gap?  Largely due to the sheer indifference of market forces, though racism and sexism do indeed play a role.  Now, however, we are seeing a 'two Americas' situation which is self-inflicted...  Dr Anthony Fauci issued a warning that there could soon be two Americas- an America in which the majority of residents of a locale are vaccinated, and an American in which low vaccination rates lead to spikes in COVID-19 cases.

The particularly enraging factor here is that this divide is self-inflicted.  Both Americas have roughly equal access to free vaccinations, this disparity is one of choice, with many gullible idiots falling for anti-vaccination disinformation campaigns.  This is particularly dangerous as the more contagious and possibly more deleterious Delta variant, which now accounts for more than 25% of  current COVID-19 cases..  Personally, I won't be ditching the masks anytime soon.

There is a political gap between these two Americas, the vaccinated America and the unvaccinated America, as a ranking of states by percent of vaccinated population reveals.  I find myself trying to avoid being callous about the MAGA Confederacy degenerating into plaguelands, trying to eschew a 'rona take the hindmost attitude.  In my worst moments, I even have stray, wicked thoughts that MAGA vaccine reluctance might be the Ark B solution to many of the problems our nation faces, but my more charitable nature, thankfully, returns.  There are individuals who, due to age or illness, cannot take the vaccine, which is a big factor in why I'm so furious about anti-vaxxers.  Vaccines are out there, but without the authorities resorting to the medicinal use of dart guns, they won't be chosen.  Dr Fauci may be right about there being two Americas, but, as in the case of the Civil War, this two America situation is one of choice.