The cure cannot be worse than the disease. Trump was mocked for saying that during the COVID pandemic. Of course, the media mocked it. They’re the opposition press. And as usual, Trump was right. The COVID vaccine mandate was supposedly something that rural MAGA-supporting voters were vocal about. That narrative suffered a quick death as liberal enclaves showed up en masse to protest the mandate. These people are not voracious readers of conservative media. They’re not conservatives. New York City is the furthest thing from MAGA country. The city has a vaccine passport policy, which has pretty much barred a massive slice of the city’s non-white residents from entering bars, restaurants, and gyms. Yeah, Jim Crow 2.0 sure looks different, huh? Now, with Bill de Blasio mandating the vaccine for all city workers, the Fire Department of New York has been placed in the crosshairs. Some 20 percent of the companies could be shut down, with an equal number of ambulances taken off the street. As one firefighter warned, people are going to die because of this mandate (via NY Post):
The FDNY is preparing to shutter as many as 20 percent of all Big Apple fire companies — and take an equal portion of its ambulances off the streets — ahead of the impending deadline for all city workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the FDNY said just 65 percent of its firefighters, fire officers and EMS workers had been vaccinated despite Mayor Bill de Blasio’s order that all city workers receive at least one dose or face suspension without pay on Monday.
“The Department must manage the unfortunate fact that a portion of our workforce has refused to comply with a vaccine mandate for all city employees,” Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a statement later Wednesday.
“We will use all means at our disposal, including mandatory overtime, mutual aid from other EMS providers and significant changes to the schedules of our members,” Nigro continued. “We will ensure the continuity of operations and safety of all those we have sworn oaths to serve.”
The commissioner didn’t assess the likely result of the potential moves, but one FDNY firefighter offered a grim prediction: “People will die in this city.”
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You can already hear the liberals right now.
‘Why don’t they just get it?’ Well, first, the messaging on this has been abysmal and fraught with science fiction. I’m pro-vaccine. I got the shot even after recovering from COVID, but it was my choice. Some people simply can’t get it due to pre-existing conditions. Some are worried about the side effects. Others simply don’t like being told what to do. The reasons behind vaccine hesitancy are not new. They’ve always been there—and this debate has been around for years. Now, the Big Apple is primed to torch their first responder corps. Is that wise? Is that smart? Maybe the situation wouldn’t be as frenetic if Biden, Fauci, and the CDC didn’t act like the vaccine didn’t work. Maybe if they gave science-based advice on COVID instead of bending to the whims of groups, like teachers’ unions, more people would be open to it. But politics is the other virus that has infected this debate—and Joe Biden and the COVID panic brigade did no favors clearing the air here. Do you want to know the three reasons why vaccinations have slowed? Their names are Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci, and Rochelle Walensky.
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