Sunday Musings -October 10, 2021
It is my body?
This morning yet another person who I love, told me that he had a right to not get a covid vaccination because it is his body. Others have suggested to me that it is a matter of personal freedom. Some cite evidence that some who have been vaccinated have died of covid and/or many others who have been vaccinated have gotten sick with covid. Based on people I know and on my research from sources I trust, there are a few vaccinated people who already have a compromised system and whose body cannot fight off the virus and will get sick enough to be hospitalized. A few will die. There are also those who will get infected even if vaccinated but the majority of those will not get sick enough to be in the hospital and will recover with few long-term medical issues. It is also true that long term there could be some negative side effects of the various vaccines. Yet, the side effect of getting seriously ill with covid has been death for over 4.5 million people in the world and over 708 thousand in the United States. Additionally, no vaccine has been approved for young children. Over 750,00 children in US were infected with covid from August to September 2021 according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Deaths of children are relatively few although one is too many if preventable.
My understanding is that over 96% of physicians in the United States have themselves been vaccinated. There are up to 4% who are not. A few of those are advising against the vaccination.
Recent studies I have reviewed indicate that group association is a significant factor in determining one’s stance or beliefs about vaccinations, mask wearing and other issues. Given the internet it has never been easier to find and align oneself with a group whose politics or religious beliefs align with one’s own.
The argument against vaccination which most concerns me is “It is my body, my choice.” Some of the truths regarding ownership of one’s body are:
o A person of sound mind may have the right to decide they do not wish to prolong a life which has no quality and when medical personnel agree it is unlikely the person will ever again be any quality.
o A person of sound mind may have the right to have a tattoo although if the content of the tattoo is meant to condone/incite harm or cause distress to another this is questionable.
o Most communities have decided that certain manner of dress or undress may be regulated. These “rules” or laws have grown more lenient in recent years.
o A couple may decide to practice or not practice birth control in this country without regard to the financial or emotional health needed to care for a child or children.
o A person may cite and document religious reasons not to seek medical attention including not to get vaccines although there have been legal cases challenging the right of custodian parents to make these decisions for children.
o There are passionate arguments about when and if a woman has a right to continue or to terminate a pregnancy. Those who believe a woman does not have that right may argue that the fetus is a person with rights from the moment of conception.
o What two or more consenting, mentally healthy adults do with each other sexually does not adversely affect others unless a child is conceived, or harm is done which then affects their ability to honor other commitments or obligations.
It is also true:
o One may not cry fire in a crowded theater. One voice does not always belong to one.
o One may not publicly spread hate although the line of what is hate speech and should be prohibited will continue to be passionately debated in court.
o One does not have the right to deliberately infect another person with a virus, a poison or some other life-threatening substance, set of conditions or object.
o Murder is prohibited in most communities although if a killing is sanctioned by the state - war, stand your ground, self-defense, and capital punishment- it may not be considered murder.
o Any behavior which adversely affects another may be prohibited although the courts may have to determine the boundaries of such behavior.
o Us humans are social beings. We live in community with each other, animals and all of Mother Nature. There is increasing evidence that trees and other part of nature communicate with each other and directly affect the health of each other. What we do or do not affect, at some level, the entire universe. We can diagram the concentric circles of influences of one’s behavior or absence of behavior which is behavior.
When I was 7 years old a doctor misdiagnosed my symptoms and I ended up in an oxygen tent with a tracheotomy in a hospital for several weeks. The other children in my second-grade class had also been exposed to the diphtheria virus and were “required” to get vaccinate or re-vaccinated (I am not sure if any were exempt because of prior vaccinations.). I am also not sure if I had not been vaccinated because diphtheria was no uncommon by that time or if, for some reason, the vaccination did not work. My illness affected a significant number of people. Luckily, as far as I know, no other children became acutely ill with diphtheria. I am not aware that anyone used the argument that their child’s body belonged to them, and they could, therefore, refuse the vaccination. Diphtheria was and is a life-threatening illness which is, like covid, contagious.
There is a general recognition that none of us have the right to the illusion that we live in such isolation that what we do or do not do with our body does not affect others. Whether it is smoking, using recreational drugs, not being able to care for a child, not doing all one can to prevent the sharing of illness, not wearing seatbelt, or not treating one’s mental illness our actions affect other people. Our bodies are and are not our bodies. The argument that one can refuse a vaccination using the reasoning of “it is my body” is not rational or remotely scientific. If some want to argue one has a right to refuse a Covid vaccination they need to present scientific reasons.,
Written October 10, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
It is my body?
This morning yet another person who I love, told me that he had a right to not get a covid vaccination because it is his body. Others have suggested to me that it is a matter of personal freedom. Some cite evidence that some who have been vaccinated have died of covid and/or many others who have been vaccinated have gotten sick with covid. Based on people I know and on my research from sources I trust, there are a few vaccinated people who already have a compromised system and whose body cannot fight off the virus and will get sick enough to be hospitalized. A few will die. There are also those who will get infected even if vaccinated but the majority of those will not get sick enough to be in the hospital and will recover with few long-term medical issues. It is also true that long term there could be some negative side effects of the various vaccines. Yet, the side effect of getting seriously ill with covid has been death for over 4.5 million people in the world and over 708 thousand in the United States. Additionally, no vaccine has been approved for young children. Over 750,00 children in US were infected with covid from August to September 2021 according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Deaths of children are relatively few although one is too many if preventable.
My understanding is that over 96% of physicians in the United States have themselves been vaccinated. There are up to 4% who are not. A few of those are advising against the vaccination.
Recent studies I have reviewed indicate that group association is a significant factor in determining one’s stance or beliefs about vaccinations, mask wearing and other issues. Given the internet it has never been easier to find and align oneself with a group whose politics or religious beliefs align with one’s own.
The argument against vaccination which most concerns me is “It is my body, my choice.” Some of the truths regarding ownership of one’s body are:
o A person of sound mind may have the right to decide they do not wish to prolong a life which has no quality and when medical personnel agree it is unlikely the person will ever again be any quality.
o A person of sound mind may have the right to have a tattoo although if the content of the tattoo is meant to condone/incite harm or cause distress to another this is questionable.
o Most communities have decided that certain manner of dress or undress may be regulated. These “rules” or laws have grown more lenient in recent years.
o A couple may decide to practice or not practice birth control in this country without regard to the financial or emotional health needed to care for a child or children.
o A person may cite and document religious reasons not to seek medical attention including not to get vaccines although there have been legal cases challenging the right of custodian parents to make these decisions for children.
o There are passionate arguments about when and if a woman has a right to continue or to terminate a pregnancy. Those who believe a woman does not have that right may argue that the fetus is a person with rights from the moment of conception.
o What two or more consenting, mentally healthy adults do with each other sexually does not adversely affect others unless a child is conceived, or harm is done which then affects their ability to honor other commitments or obligations.
It is also true:
o One may not cry fire in a crowded theater. One voice does not always belong to one.
o One may not publicly spread hate although the line of what is hate speech and should be prohibited will continue to be passionately debated in court.
o One does not have the right to deliberately infect another person with a virus, a poison or some other life-threatening substance, set of conditions or object.
o Murder is prohibited in most communities although if a killing is sanctioned by the state - war, stand your ground, self-defense, and capital punishment- it may not be considered murder.
o Any behavior which adversely affects another may be prohibited although the courts may have to determine the boundaries of such behavior.
o Us humans are social beings. We live in community with each other, animals and all of Mother Nature. There is increasing evidence that trees and other part of nature communicate with each other and directly affect the health of each other. What we do or do not affect, at some level, the entire universe. We can diagram the concentric circles of influences of one’s behavior or absence of behavior which is behavior.
When I was 7 years old a doctor misdiagnosed my symptoms and I ended up in an oxygen tent with a tracheotomy in a hospital for several weeks. The other children in my second-grade class had also been exposed to the diphtheria virus and were “required” to get vaccinate or re-vaccinated (I am not sure if any were exempt because of prior vaccinations.). I am also not sure if I had not been vaccinated because diphtheria was no uncommon by that time or if, for some reason, the vaccination did not work. My illness affected a significant number of people. Luckily, as far as I know, no other children became acutely ill with diphtheria. I am not aware that anyone used the argument that their child’s body belonged to them, and they could, therefore, refuse the vaccination. Diphtheria was and is a life-threatening illness which is, like covid, contagious.
There is a general recognition that none of us have the right to the illusion that we live in such isolation that what we do or do not do with our body does not affect others. Whether it is smoking, using recreational drugs, not being able to care for a child, not doing all one can to prevent the sharing of illness, not wearing seatbelt, or not treating one’s mental illness our actions affect other people. Our bodies are and are not our bodies. The argument that one can refuse a vaccination using the reasoning of “it is my body” is not rational or remotely scientific. If some want to argue one has a right to refuse a Covid vaccination they need to present scientific reasons.,
Written October 10, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
RSS Feed