Nick Rolovich gave up a $3 million-a-year coaching job in order to remain unvaccinated. By then, he was the only major college football coach who wasn’t vaccinated. Sure, he’s suing the college and may eventually get a settlement, but at best that’s a gamble (see article here), and meanwhile he’s watching WSU games on TV from a couch.
Now, “A Navy commander has been fired from his job as the executive officer of a warship because he refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine as required and refused to be tested for the virus, Navy officials said Friday.” (See story here.)
The Navy says he’s “the first naval officer to be fired as a result of a vaccine refusal.” Like Rolovich, he’s a lone holdout among his peers.
The Navy XO was reassigned to shore duty, not booted from the service, but normally being relieved of command spells the end of a military career, or at least ends any prospect of promotion. I don’t know if he’s a Naval Academy graduate, but a “Cdr.” (Commander) is the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army or Marines, just two ranks below Rear Admiral, so this guy obviously was a career Navy man, had something on the ball, and a lot to lose.
Why did he throw away his career for this reason? (Navy officers, including admirals, also get fired for adultery; but at least that’s a little more understandable, from a human weakness point of view.)
I got vaccinated as soon as possible, and when my provider called me in for a booster, I couldn’t get there fast enough. I’d rather have a sore arm for a couple days than be on a ventilator or mortuary slab. To me, the shots were a very minor inconvenience. I’ve had no ill effects. There’s no fetal stem cell tissue in them. God didn’t speak to me, nor did the sky throw down lightning bolts. I’m not the sort of person who swallows conspiracy theories, or takes medical advice from quacks.
I realize all of the above are factors in some people’s refusal to get vaccinated — I read the news. The media likes to play up deaths of prominent anti-vaxxers, as a kind of I-told-you-so, but I don’t see those deaths as any cause for celebration. It’s sad and tragic, and being preventable makes it more so.
I do view vaccine refusal as bad citizenship, because it affects all of us, by keeping the pandemic going. It also ties up hospital beds, wears down hospital staff, and has other knock-on effects.
I’m trying to understand. What’s so damn hard about getting vaccinated? Can someone please explain? I’m inclined to attribute it to a toxic political culture. Am I wrong about that? Is there some other reason that actually makes sense? I’ll be honest, anti-vaxxers don’t strike me as sensible people; to me, they’re freaks. But, as I said, I’m trying to understand. Help me out with this, if you can.