Still A Place for Compromise: Vaccine Passports Can Bring Joy

It's not like I looked for a compromise, but one's just jumped out at me. Why not explore it?

It's about vaccine passports, which are becoming the social whisperer of the month. I really, really, like the idea.

It's a way of giving businesses, cultural centers, and schools--damn near everybody--the opportunity to open at full capacity. Just make sure everybody's been vaccinated. Nobody can get sick from anybody in the building. Voila!

But, of course--and this is not an absurd notion--it violates a couple of what might be sacrosanct notions found in either the Constitution or a consideration of its meaning:

• The right of privacy: Whose business is it, anyway, whether I got a vaccination or not? Am I considered smart if I did, and stupid if I didn't? Who are you to assume that? and
• The freedom to determine my destiny as I please. I might think this whole thing is still a hoax. I might still not know anyone who's gotten Covid-19. I might walk around perfectly safe myself. I thought this was a free country!

Two governors, in decidedly Republican states, Texas and Florida, have already cancelled vaccine passports: They're not going to approve one by executive order, nor will they sign any bill passed by their legislatures (as if they would do that anyhow). That number will, of course, increase as we go.

And Republicans are soooooo supportive of small businesses, which would gain to benefit by such a development! But what members of that party do and have done continue to befuddle me with their hypocrisy and illogic, so I will not continue down that road.

Maybe they see that the Biden administration would serve to gain significantly from such a development. That's purely and cynically political. It's also very, very short-sighted. To me, if I were them, the idea that business would recover is something to get behind us then wait for developments that are more generic to Democrats and jump on them to be critical--and re-establish a larger base to take over Congress in 2022. But what do I know?

Here is an opportunity to restart our massive economic engine, get people back out into the streets, create more interstate commerce with increased shipping of goods to be sold. Here is a chance to get America back.

And it can still work, if only in certain states. It can be leveraged in with a time factor.

It's taking time, as we know too well, for Covid vaccines to be injected into arms, though the administration is increasing the rate of vaccination at a greatly agreeable pace. It's taking time to achieve herd immunity.

But it's also true that, by the day, thousands and thousands more are clearing the two week probation for the second vaccination to be absorbed and made wholly potent. Those people, say the Center for Disease Control, can mingle with others with like guarantees. 

Then let's do that. Let's allow businesses and cultural centers and schools and colleges to screen for that and at least get them started. Everybody else has to mask up, and the establishment makes the judgment about whether they allow those folks to partake or not.

But let's put a sunset date on it, like say October 1. By that time, an overwhelming number of Americans should be getting the vaccine--except those who still believe it be a hoax or are insistent that vaccines are harmful.

With that sunset date, it might get people who are hesitant to reconsider. They can start enjoying the things they used to do in public before October 1, and if not, well, they have to wait, but not wait forever. And those who are concerned about the spreading of the virus (think Michigan) can at least go to some places and not worry so much about it.

After October 1, if you're still not sick, you probably won't be. And if you haven't received the vaccine, it's not because there weren't enough doses or that nobody could reach you. But it won't make much difference anyhow.

The civil libertarians can go about their business, secure in the knowledge that their rights will be restored after a brief delay. In the meantime, the rest of us can proceed with our lives in a newly enriched way, with a new joy, with a new enthusiasm that's been missing (admit it) from nearly everything.

We all want to "get back to normal," whatever that may be for us. Normal means to go to our favorite places, invite others to join us, and be with loved ones without hesitation. All of this is now a patchwork quilt, knitted together by a government that's doing a workabout, competent job of reversing the selfishness and craven attitudes of the previous gang of rogues and incompetents.

The above date is, of course, negotiable. But it's a way through to enjoying ourselves again. I hope someone thinks about it.

Be well. Be careful. Wear a mask. With some luck, I'll see you down the road.