Have you or would you dump your friend or maybe even your boyfriend/girlfriend over COVID-19 shots? A new poll from OnePoll found that 1 in 7 vaccinated Americans have ditched a friend for good over refusing to get a COVID-19 shot! Of those vaccinated respondents, 97% say they believe their ex friends are “full-blown anti-vaxxers” and "could never get their friends to understand the importance of the vaccine." Furthermore, the participants reported that their former friends said the reasoning behind why they would not get the vaccine was they either did not believe in vaccines or they did not believe the COVID-19 vaccine worked.
This survey was conducted with a sample of 1,000 Americans.
While the results from this poll seem shocking that 14% of people surveyed actually admitted to axing a friend over not getting a COVID shot, it's only 140 out of 1,000 people, which is still a small minority considering the overall size of the group. I still find the results shocking though because I can't imagine not being friends with someone because they personally chose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As a matter of fact, my best friend has yet to get a COVID vaccine. She's on the fence about it, not because she's an anti-vaxxer but because she wants more information, more time to pass to see how these vaccines take effect in the population over time. Furthermore, the reason for her not getting the COVID-19 vaccine is just that, her reason, her decision, her choice to make, and I respect that. I'm a strong proponent of you deciding what is best for you, not the government, not me, not the population, YOU. Therefore I would not choose to stop being friends with someone or cut someone out of my life because they did not get a vaccine or agree with what I think is the best option amid this pandemic.
The big problem here and an issue I see trending upwards in the world is the segregation and alienation of difference of opinion. In other words people are allowing a divide and creating what they perceive as "good and bad". It's happening in politics with Republicans vs. Democrats, in health with vaccinated vs. unvaccinated, and in society with people who support the Thin Blue Line vs. Black Lives Matter, and more. There is no respect for difference of opinion and when someone thinks differently they just cut them out of their life and I think that's wrong. That's a mistake. There is a different between cutting someone out that thinks differently than you and someone that is actually toxic and affects your health or well being in whatever form. The problem is select groups of people somehow along the way got it twisted thinking difference of opinion is "toxic" and affects your well being. It doesn't, those people were just never taught how to deal with difference of opinion and therefore shut down and cut people out of their life. It's unfortunate because in reality when people cut others out over different viewpoints, you're only sheltering yourself and quite honestly building a wall of pride around yourself that reflects back a world that you think is the "correct world", the world you believe to be superior. You'll never learn new things or expand your horizons because you aren't open to it. In other words, you stunt your growth at the hands of yourself.
I did what I thought is best for me in the face of COVID. No offense, but what you do in either getting the vaccine or not doesn't impact me because I'm protected regardless. Who am I to tell you what to do? I'm not your doctor, your medical expert, or a public health specialist. You can argue that the unvaccinated are causing the virus to spread and the strains to thrive and thus the pandemic to continue but I feel like we're at the point where the pandemic is only continuing because the government is saying it's continuing. You are always going to have viruses and you're always going to have strains of any virus no matter what you do to try and prevent it. It's living with us now. You will never fully eradicate COVID-19 regardless of if a majority of the population gets vaccinated. The tools are there to combat COVID-19 for those who want it. In my opinion, the unvaccinated are only hurting themselves but that is THEIR CHOICE TO MAKE. Everyone is entitled to make their own decisions, you'd think especially in the land of the free but that 14% gives me pause thinking maybe a growing portion of Americans coming up don't think that you're entitled to make your own decisions...
My message to the 14% is stop being so polarizing. There's no need to stop being friends with someone because they disagree with you. Difference of opinion should be respected not torn down.
-Producer Lightning