On Wednesday, President Joe Biden delivered an address on the vaccination program against the coronavirus. In his remarks, he once more equated Independence Day with the "freedom" that comes from being vaccinated.
Live: President Biden delivers an update on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination program. https://t.co/jBObD5HLkN
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 2, 2021
The president has tied the 4th of July in with vaccines since his address before the nation on March 11, the anniversary of when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Biden also has a stated goal of 70 percent of Americans receiving one dose of the vaccine before July 4.
According to a fact-sheet released by the White House earlier in the day, June has been designated as a "National Month of Action" in order to achieve such a goal. The White House is billing it as "mobiliz[ing] an All-of-America sprint."
President Biden even spoke of the efforts as everyone doing their part to reach the goal "so we can declare our independence from COVID-19" and how each of us "has the power to help us gain that freedom as a nation." Those who are fully vaccinated then will be the ones who are able to "celebrate Independence Day free from fear or worry."
That the president wants to present to the American people the vaccine is how we're going to have "a summer of freedom" may sound like a cute and catchy talking point, but that's not why we celebrate Independence Day, and that's not how we regard ourselves as having freedom and being free.
While it may be encouraging that President Biden underscored how the vaccines are safe and "extremely effective," and those who are vaccinated "are protected," the president until recently nevertheless still maintained social distancing and insisted on wearing masks after being fully vaccinated, even appearing double-masked at times.
The president also lamented he didn't want to see a divided country. "You know, we were elected to be president and vice-president for all Americans," he shared. "I don't want to see the country that is already too divided become divided in a new way, between places where people live free from fear of covid, and places where, when the Fall arrives, death and severe illnesses return."
Biden went on to offer that "getting the vaccine is not a partisan act," and make it about "choice," though it appears to apply only to those who make that preferred choice to get vaccinated. "So please, exercise your freedom," the president pleaded, "live without fear. We need to be one America, united, free from fear this Fall."
It does not appear that this applies to those who do not wish to get vaccinated, even if they have already contracted the virus, and are thus protected. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a doctor, has reminded people about such protections in various statements and media appearances.
Towards his closing, Biden gave Vice President Kamala Harris yet another task in touring the southern part of the country to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. It's not as if she doesn't have enough on her plate already.
President Biden had raised eyebrows last month with a tweet threatening Americans towards getting vaccinated or else.
The rule is now simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 13, 2021
The choice is yours.