This is absolutely the last thing I want to be writing about; it’s the last thing I want to even be thinking about, to be honest. Truly, I am so bored of this pandemic life, so over constantly having to measure the decisions I make for me and my family against infection rates and vaccination statistics. But mostly I’m sick of having to live with the consequences created by those of you who can’t be bothered to do your part; those of you who have managed to turn science and medicine into a political chicken fight. Like a broken record, I can already hear y’all with your, “But if your vaccine works so well, what do you care if I don’t want it?” And you are absolutely right, I don’t care. Not about you. What I can’t help but care about though, is the many ways your uneducated, selfish, and in some cases straight-up delusional selves are inconveniencing those of us who have done everything in our power to make this thing go away. You have demonstrated at every opportunity that we are most definitely not in this thing together and I for one think it’s high time that our individual actions be met with their corresponding consequences.

To start, let me be clear that this here rant does not apply to those out there who are too young, too sick, or otherwise genuinely unable to be vaccinated against COVID. You all are especially why these other folks need to atone for their transgressions against the social contract. If those who can contribute to the health and overall wellness of the society they live in, choose instead not to, then they shouldn’t have unfettered access to its benefits. Certainly not at the expense of the rest of us.

Ok sure, we live in a “free” country; no one can or should make you do anything you don’t want to do. As I’ve been teaching my daughter since before she could understand, your body belongs to you and to you alone. Everyone deserves a hundred percent autonomy when it comes to their body and all decisions related to their health. That’s a good rule, I think we should definitely keep it (and maybe try to remember it next time the abortion “debate” comes up, I don’t know), but what we are not going to do is weaponize that autonomy to hold everybody else hostage. What we are not going to do is give in to tantrums about your “rights” when no one is actually infringing upon them. I realize, based on your similar histrionics about free speech and the Second Amendment, that constitutional law isn’t one of our societal strengths, so let me spell out some super basic facts: You do not have an absolute right to work a specific job; you do not have an unrestricted right to attend your school of choice; you do not have an unlimited right to enter any a public space or private business just because you woke up feeling like it that day. So while physically forcing people to get vaccinated probably does run afoul of the laws of these “United” States (as it should), requiring that one do so before returning to work in health care, or to their university campus (cough cough - NSHE - cough cough), or to just about anywhere else, isn’t prohibited and actually not that uncommon. Actions (or the lack thereof) have consequences. One is still free to make all their own choices, they just can’t force those choices onto anyone else. Seems only fair, no?

And if that were the world we were living in, I swear I would shut my mouth about all of you anti-vaxxers. COVID hospitalizations are at an all- time high in many places, including Nevada,  but the vast, vast majority of these (between 98-99 percent) are unvaccinated folks. This is your pandemic now, bebes, and I would happily let you have it if you could contain the damage to just yourselves. If you’re willing to risk getting sick or worse to make your point, then die if you want, it’s your prerogative. Who am I to tell you otherwise? Except that there are thousands of kids who can’t yet make those choices for themselves; thousands more with health conditions (real ones) that prevent them from getting vaccinated; and literally millions around the world who would give anything to access the medical miracles that you all trash so flippantly. Not to mention that you are taking up valuable hospital beds from people who need other medical interventions because you know, cancer and car accidents and heart attacks didn’t stop to make room for COVID. Why should any of these people be at the mercy of your personal choices?

So here’s an idea: Y’all can go on living your science-denier lives in peace. The rest of us will leave you be, I promise, but from now on YOU all need to adjust to US. That is, you can no longer bring your COVID-spreading selves around the rest of us. You can’t sit in class with us (ask about virtual options – no biggie); you can’t care for our sick or elderly, and certainly can’t teach our vulnerable children (just get another job, right?  – easy peasy); and, here’s the big one, when you inevitably get sick and some of you have to go to the hospital, let’s make sure you have one dedicated just to you, the unvaccinated COVID patients. You can’t go anywhere else, and if they’re at capacity, well that sucks, but they’ll just postpone your treatment for a couple of weeks, you’ll be fine. Oh yeah, we should also have your private insurance cover all your associated medical costs from now on. I mean, why should I subsidize your poor choices? What is this, socialism? No, no, you wouldn’t want that. Think of all the personal, boot-strapping, growth you’d get to do.

Yeah, the more I think of it the more I really want this for you. I hope we can make it happen.

Or you can stop being a toddler and go get this shot already. Again and always, the choice is up to you.  

Martha E. Menendez lives in Nevada and is the legal manager for Justice in Motion, a NY-based organization.