Memo to Boebert: Free vaccinations are hardly the final solution

I am with Rep. Lauren Boebert — let’s not socialize costs.

Boebert uses the words socialism and Nazis to malign ideas she disagrees with. If you want to be against socialism, then she should take a page out of my father’s job description as a doc in Vietnam during the war. He was tasked with triaging our wounded warriors. He had to make thousands of life and death decisions, but one decision was always easy. Who went last. That position in line was reserved for those with self-inflicted wounds.

Fast-forward to Mesa County in 2021. If Boebert wants to earn my vote by getting tough on socialism, she should propose legislation to stop hospitals from accepting COVID-19 patients who have not been fully vaccinated. While she is at it, it would be awesome if she demanded schools only accept students older than 12 who have been vaccinated (along with their parents). If businesses don’t require customers and employees to be vaccinated, raise their taxes to offset the costs of COVID-19. Get caught forging a vax card, it’s a third-degree felony. Put forgers in jail and fine them $25,000 (jail and enforcement being expensive ergo raise taxes on businesses that choose not to encourage vaccination).

Currently Boebert (and her fellow GOPers) are huge advocates for socialism. They don’t support people getting vaccinated but are happy to socialize the costs of those sick with COVID-19. They want schools open and weirdly enough are OK with requiring tetanus shots (not contagious) but resist requiring COVID-19 vaccinations and choose to ignore the costs borne by everyone for that choice. Ditto with businesses where COVID-19 can spread and evolve.

Bottom line, I find it hard to see much difference between the soldier with a self-inflicted wound, and someone soaking up resources while choosing not to get fully vaccinated. Actually a drafted soldier had no choice; the unvaccinated American does. And as for those “needle Nazis,” might I recommend Boebert tour the Holocaust museum; she might discover that the final solution in no way resembles a free voluntary vax program.

Dan Goldman

Snowmass Village