Cobourg’s Rotary Club has been providing volunteers to the Vaccination Clinic at the Cobourg Community Centre but they are also keen on encouraging people to get their shots. Their idea is that everyone who has had a shot should advertise this fact with a lawn sign and simultaneously thank the volunteers who have been helping. They don’t spell it out but there are a number of covidiots people who don’t want to be vaccinated either because they don’t understand the benefit or have unfathomable reasons and perhaps the signs will be moral persuasion for them to get with the program. Rotary says it more diplomatically: that the signs will “create heightened awareness for the need to get vaccinated and foster community awareness and support”.
The signs are the same size as election lawn signs and will be sold by Rotary for $10. (See image). They are intended to be placed on lawns once a person in the house is vaccinated and stay there until the crisis is over – expected by the end of September. Since Town By-Laws allow signs to remain for only 14 days, at the Committee of the Whole meeting on May 31, Rotary are asking for an exemption. It’s likely that this will be approved and then ratified at the regular Council meeting on June 7. They will be allowed only on private property. There are currently 2000 signs on order and Rotary expects to start selling soon after June 7.
Town Staff are recommending the following motion:
THAT Council receive this Report for information purposes; and,
FURTHER THAT Council approve the Rotary Club of Cobourg’s request for an exemption to Sign By-law 96-2012 as amended to allow Cobourg residents to place 16″ X 24″ Rotary Club COVID-19 vaccination lawn signs on their private property to show the community that they have received their vaccination, with an expiry date of October 1, 2021; and,
FURTHER THAT Council’s exemption approval is conditional on the Rotary Club of Cobourg ensuring that the lawn signs are removed from private properties in the Town of Cobourg following the aforementioned expiry date.
Watch for an addendum to this post after May 31 with an update if motion is modified or not passed.
Links
Update – 31 May 2021
At tonight’s Council Committee of the Whole meeting, the above was approved 3 – 0 with no discussion. Councillor Beatty was absent and Mayor Henderson, Deputy Mayor Seguin and Councillor Burchat all declared a conflict since they are Rotary members so abstained. The Motion will need to be ratified at the Regular meeting on June 7.
Signs now available – 6 June 2021
You can pickup signs at the YMCA per the times below. Just come, pay your $10 and get a sign.
7 June – 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
12 June – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Print Article:
I am truly ashamed to read some of the comments on this page. I am grateful to have been given one shot and look forward to my second when it’s my turn. I am wondering just what do any of these critics give back to our community. For those who didn’t have to stand in long line ups and had a good experience at the CCC thank rotary. While there are hundreds of volunteers from all over Northumberand working at the centre there are a large number of Rotarians who have spent hundreds and I mean hundreds of hours organizing this clinic for our benefit. Guess what it didn’t cost you one cent. As for the nominal cost of 10.00 for a sign this is not a fund raiser it is just a token. Take a look around this town and see what Rotary has contributed to our community. It would be a sad state of affairs if we had to rely on all the arm chair critics to donate their time and money If you don’t want a sign don’t get one it’s your choice and yes I am a proud Rotarian for over 25 years
There is a portion of every community that places their concept of individual rights, or personal freedoms, or politically correct and appropriate actions, again by their standards, as the key decision points. In this case they see Rotary’s efforts to support vaccinations as manipulative and demeaning. Fortunately, they don’t represent all of our community. You are not unappreciated. But as my granddad would say: “No good deed goes unpunished.” Thank you, very much, for your service!
Carol, could you please post the contact point to purchase “promotion of vaccine” signs?
While this is an ancillary point, it is hopeful that the G-7 will be considering a standardized Covid19 travel passport. Those covidiots who minimize the health risks, berate health experts as paranoid, and tout their personal right to not be vaccinated, should be rewarded with the inability to travel, by common carrier, outside of Canada. Private companies like airlines, cruselines, hotel chains, etc. are free to set their own health standards. Some that we regularly travel with are making it clear that passenger/guest health is their highest priority.
I gather than that if the Salvation Army or Community care or any volunteer organization wanted to create like-minded signs that Council would approve them? Or does half of Council have to belong to said group to get approval?
And you wonder why the three Council members recused themselves? Had they not, I can only imagine what would have been said.
I would have made exactly the same comment.
Obviously, Council did not either read, or take into consideration most of the comments made on this Blog that oppose the idea of lawn signs for various reasons.
It’s hard to take comments by anonymous posters seriously.
Anonymous? Kathleen happens to be on my birth certificate and I live in Cobourg. I don’t know what you ‘think’ you know. I have posted on past topics. Nice. Real nice. You made a real good impression on your Rotary group. I will not only NOT buy a sign but I will be sure to relay to my friends and volunteer group the only experience I have had with one of their members.
Anonymous means…when you don’t use your full name.
Fund raising effort — or a way of Turning in your neighbour
This seems more like a whistle blowing or identification scheme on the unclean , More than an effort to
stifle the anxiety many have been going through for the past 2 yrs .
Next month we will be asked by the Governments at all levels to move on , and to just forget about all those people
self and now unemployed that have gone deeper in debt and or have or are about to loose everything . While we fund new start ups as we burry the forgotten .
Not Cool folks
That is a positive step. Anything that motivates those on the sidelines to get the vaccine is beneficial. And, for those who doubt the need for everyone to be immunized they need only look at the medical news from Vietnam. That country had, over the past 14 months, one of the lowest infection rates in the world. They are now seeing a first spike and have determined that there is a new variant which is a combination of both the UK and Indian viruses. Every unvaccinated person offers the potential for mutations. And, even if you have been protected from the previously studied strains, there is no certainty you will be protected for all future mutations.
I’m not certain if anyone has actually read the letter that was written to the Town of Cobourg requesting permission to have people who have been vaccinated put these signs on their lawns.
Three Rotarians have put up $50K+ to help fund the vaccination clinic. Who do you think paid for the computer system to schedule the volunteers, T-shirts, the building of the pods, the signs, face shields? No one went to the taxpayer to fund this initiative. The donations for the signs are to help offset these expenses only.
And yes, the volunteers who have stepped forward are from all over the County and the Clinic could not run without them. And they are VOLUNTEERS, not paid employees that taxpayers are going to compensate in their tax bills.
Please remember to THANK someone who has volunteered and who has stepped forward in these dire times to help their communities.
Get the vaccine or not – that is every person’s decision!
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Good reminder. Rotary does great work year round and they certainly stepped up to the plate with volunteers. Im not interested in a sign for a few different reasons but would to to donate anyway . How can this be done?
Thank you so much – and I will get back to you ASAP so that you can make that happen.
Would someone explain (yes, a direct link to the applicable legislation would be helpful too) why 4 of the 7 members of Council left the part of the meeting when this item of Rotary sponsored signs came up for discussion and vote? 3 members declared an indirect interest (not a direct pecuniary interest, it seems) near the start of the Council meeting because they identified themselves as members of Rotary and 1 councillor left the meeting just about the time the motion was read. Unless the rules have changed, a simple disclosure of interest may not necessarily keep an elected official from the discussion and vote. Surely, if the 3 had direct involvement with financial matters of the Rotary Club they could decided to withhold direct involvement with certain decisions of that organization rather than withdrawing entirely from their elected role as representative of the community. I suppose, it is their choice.
MiriamM,
I thought the vote was strange (invalid?), so I looked up the applicable sections in the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (1990).
It appears that the 3-0 vote is proper.
There are 7 council members. Quorum is 4.
Three declared an indirect conflict of interest per sect 2 of the Act.
This brings the number down to 4 which is still quorum.
Clr Beatty left the meeting prior to the vote. Now the number of voting members is 3 and it would appear that quorum is broken. However, the act provides for this situation.
Municipal Conflict of Interest Act 1990
Indirect pecuniary interest
2 For the purposes of this Act, a member has an indirect pecuniary interest in any matter in which the council or local board, as the case may be, is concerned, if,
(a) the member or his or her nominee,
(i) is a shareholder in, or a director or senior officer of, a corporation that does not offer its securities to the public,
(ii) has a controlling interest in or is a director or senior officer of, a corporation that offers its securities to the public, or
(iii) is a member of a body, that has a pecuniary interest in the matter; or
(b) the member is a partner of a person or is in the employment of a person or body that has a pecuniary interest in the matter. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50, s. 2.
Remedy for Lack of Quorum
Quorum deemed constituted
7 (1) Where the number of members who, by reason of the provisions of this Act, are disabled from participating in a meeting is such that at that meeting the remaining members are not of sufficient number to constitute a quorum, then, despite any other general or special Act, the remaining number of members shall be deemed to constitute a quorum, provided such number is not less than two. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50, s. 7 (1).
What was their pecuniary interest? Please enlighten me.
Helen L:
Indirect pecuniary interest sect 2: (iii) is a member of a body, that has a pecuniary interest in the matter;
Per JD’s article: “…lawn signs will be sold by Rotary for $10…”.
“there are a number of
covidiotspeople who don’t want to be vaccinated either because they don’t understand the benefit or have unfathomable reasons...”I was exempt from getting a polio shot, not because I was an idiot, but because it would likely have killed me. I got all my shots when I was an infant, just like everyone else, except that I went into seizure and was given shock treatment to bring me back. So when the children lined up in grade 1 for their shot, I was set aside, to endure the abuse of my peers, and many wouldn’t come near me for fear of contagion. It was exaggerated fear. Idiots peddling fear, or nowadays, covidiots spreading fear beyond all reason.
Let me get this right. During you battery of childhood disease inoculations you went into a seizure (anaphylactic shock?) and they gave you SHOCK THERAPY to revive you. And, the same witch doctor who prescribed shock therapy, rather than the Medical Societies’ recommended approach to treating anaphylaxis, concluded that the polio vaccine would cause the same anaphylaxis.
Epinephrine (adrenaline) to reduce your body’s allergic response
Oxygen, to help you breathe
Intravenous (IV) antihistamines and cortisone to reduce inflammation of your air passages and improve breathing
A beta-agonist (such as albuterol) to relieve breathing symptoms”
Perhaps you are confusing the event with your time playing Jack Nicholson in “One flew over a cuckoo’s nest.” That said, the abuse by your peers line sounds plausible, if not highly likely. Helped you to figure catchy rhymes for Nantucket.
The moral of this story is: Don’t take medical advice from covidiots or the village contraindicator.
The veracity of the story depends on my parents telling me when I was a child. Those were the words they used oh great world class mathematician. So dump on them for being the IDIOTS, not me, you idiot. I was an infant at the time, so I believed my parents. The point is that it was lethal to me. And children and adults participated in their disgusting treatment me as a pariah of society. Decades later when I decided to go global, my doctor told me I was allergic to horse serum, not the human serum used today. But, even so, I was never as paranoid as you and your CCP virus fearmongering for such dribbling stats.
Selective memory indeed. But, clearly remember being ostracized in grade school and beyond. Most social pariahs don’t try to help the society that they believe abuses them. Where, truly selfless members of society, like members of the military, medical staff and first responders, put their lives at risk to protect their fellow citizens. As far as I can tell you have never been one of those. Nor do you have access to those types of people in formulating a reasoned and supportable opinion. We are all still waiting for your mass suicide statistics…pure delusion and real paranoia. Yet, over 25,000 Canadians have died from this insignificant harmless virus.
Contraindicator and Covidiot for sure.
MC GA accused, “Most social pariahs don’t try to help the society that they believe abuses them.“
Unfortunately for you, I am not one of them.
“We are all still waiting for your mass suicide statistics…”
You can wait all you want for your fantasy. I never made any reference to “mass suicide statistics”. Of course there has been an uptick in self harm cases presenting themselves to hospitals.
MCGA accused, “Nor do you have access to those types of people in formulating a reasoned and supportable opinion.”
Quite the contrary. MCGA has zero knowledge of who I have access to or not. It’s a phoney and malicious accusation.
We are not seeing in this County and in Cobourg the “fear” and the “paranoia” regarding COVID-19 that is the ongoing theme in these submissions.
I certainly applaud the initiative – is is just another act to help us get back to normal.
Most interestingly there never has been any opposition to the illegally erected signs calling for NO MORE LOCKDOWN . It seems that the ones to harm us are more accepted than the ones to help…..
Some vac hesitancy is routed in science. Some is routed in oppositional disorder. And yes, a lot is routed in (sigh) fake news. At the end of the day it is a nuanced problem wrapped up in themes of community & the greater good vs individual rights and so on. Calling people covidiots was actually a bit rude.
I have edited the post to “strike-out” the term. Sorry for including my opinion – these should be reserved for the comment section.
It’s a frustrating time! love the site and your news – take care
The thing that bothers me most about your blog, John, is the anonymity – some people hide behind first names or initials. If people don’t want to use their full names, their comments shouldn’t be published – just as it was when there were actual letters to the editors of newspapers. They stir up a tempest, hit and run!
I absolutely agree, If contributors don’t have enough faith in their opinions to add their names, the whole experience is cheapened for everyone, even those who do stick their necks out and say it like it is. There is no honour in hiding in the closet, not ever. C,mon people, show us your stuff, lest we conclude you’re just more emperors parading around with no clothes.
Great reply Deborah!
Helen L
Perhaps the real problem is that you focus more on the messenger than the message.
If the commenter makes a valid point, evidence supported and moves the discussion forward, then why does it matter who the messenger is. There are many “names” commenting on this blog who’s comments are not worth reading as they provide no information content, false/misleading content, non-factual comment and quite often vitriolic rants.
I prefer comments, named or not, that bring new information/perspective and move the discussion forward.
Thank you for that Bryan.
Rotary organized an army of over 600 volunteers to help safeguard our community. For this the organization deserves our appreciation. But most of the people volunteering and doing the leg work are not Rotarians. They are community-minded citizens giving freely of their own time for the betterment of our community. I think it is unfortunate that Rotary is hijacking the goodwill these civic minded volunteers provide and turning it into a fund raising effort.
Thanks John for this clarification. Like others (I believe) upon first reading of the above I got the impression that Rotary were providing ALL the volunteers. Rotary does not say they’ve provided all volunteers but neither do they credit/acknowledge other volunteers. I applaud Rotary for taking on this ‘information’ initiative and using it as a fund raiser. The work they do is of tremendous importance for our community.
There is no hijacking! That is their purpose. For both a local and a global scale, The Rotary Club of Cobourg raises funds to give back to needy individuals and organizations. Consider the examples of how Rotarians have improved the quality of life in Cobourg and around the world. Purchasing and donating to The Rotary Club of Cobourg are voluntary acts.
Please see my comment – this is NOT a fundraising effort! Three Rotarians have put up $50K+ out of their own pockets to get this initiative up and running. It is only to HELP offset some of these expenses. This initiative would never have got off the ground without the Rotarians though, and the civic minded volunteers are awesome!
Thanks for that info and I couldn’t agree more. Their intent was noble and honourable. I don’t know how effective it will be, but that may be something to determine after the event. They put their money where their mouth is. And they are exercising their freedom and free speech, and so are those individuals who chose to put the sign on their lawn. If it works to any degree, good. if not, no harm done.
I am100% against this motion and don’t appreciate the name calling. Not only will they be ineffective as a motivator but at a time when we need to be doubly respectful of one another, such signs will only create distrust and tension between neighbours. Come on. Is this what will help make Cobourg a “Feel Good Town”? 👎
I somewhat agree BUT when moral suasion and credible argument/discussion is overtly, to the detriment of the surrounding community/citizens, ignored then what is a community to do. For instance the fines handed out to these like minded citizens are also a form of ‘name calling’ and shaming; do you object to these fines? The ineffectiveness of this action is your opinion, results will be determinate of the effectiveness. Further I would argue that respect is a two-way street, should I be respectful towards a person that is overtly attempting to harm my family, friends?
Are we prepared for the next requirement- to show proof of vaccination receipts to Businesses, Retailers, Airports and so forth?
I am.
And I hope everyone else is too. I’d like to know that the person sitting next to me on an airplane or at the arena has had their shot.
slippery slope Frenchy….
Just a question, if you and your close friends/family have been vaccinated, why do you care if the person sitting beside you has had their shot? If the vaccine is effective, why does it matter to you? The unvaccinated pose no risk to the vaccinated, so vaccine passports don’t make much sense….
The current COVID vaccines are only 80-92% (or so) effective. Rather similar to Russian roulette with 5 of 6 cylinders empty.
And I sure don’t like those odds, Ken.
The immunity passport comes with some cautions in addition to not being very necessary – It can lead to discrimination – especially against the poor (people and countries) and racially marginalized in Canada and abroad. Black Americans are vaccinated at half the rate as white Americans. Rich countries have ordered almost all of the available vaccines leaving globally poorer countries without. Also, the app which is developed and driven by large technology organizations have already proven that they can not be trusted with your personal information. The inequities that already exist are likely to be intensified through a program that allows the vaccinated to enjoy the freedom to move about in their community while others are in a constant state of lockdown. Countries with tarnished human rights records are already using the app for questionable purposes. In China, the app was found to be linked to law enforcement, and as people checked into locations, their locations were tracked by the software. There are deeper issues to a global immunity passport…we need to be mindful of the snake oil salesman, even though we are all desperate to resume our normal lives.
Keep in mind, we do not need 100% of the population vaccinated to develop “herd immunity.”
Rob, the health of my family and friends is more important than your nebulous fears. Everyone is currently tracked by their cell phone so no special app is required.
That is so true, Ken!
Ken this is not a “nebulous fear”. Owning a cell phone is a choice btw and tracking your cell phone is different than the denial of association, movement, speech, rights and freedoms without proof of vaccination…maybe you’re misunderstanding the difference.
80-92% effective. My math says that’s like Russian roulette with of only 1 empty chamber. Stop fear mongering!
Ken – the statistic as presented, would suggest a much scary outcome than you may have intended. It doesn’t mean that 8%-20% will contract Covid, become hospitalized, ventilated and die. Actually the number of people who would even contract Covid is far less than 8%-20% let alone become seriously ill from it. Without the vaccination most people only experience mild illness. Since January 2020 3.8% of the population in Ontario contracted Covid and of that, 5% were considered hospitalized or about .2% of the population of the Province. Add a 90-95% efficacy to this equation…
Personally, I like those odds. I’m vaccinated but I am tired of the fear narrative and the idea we need to share our health status/choices with strangers.
What problems do you think result from a stranger knowing that you have been vaccinated?
You see it already Ken and more will come … vaccination shaming, employers asking for proof of vaccinations, shop keepers refusing service, freedom to travel within your province or country, denied the freedom to attend an event or dine in a restaurant….all of these people are strangers who may deny basic freedoms should they not know my vaccination status. I repeat, I think vaccinations are a good idea however allowing or refusing rights because of my status or because I choose not to share my status is a real problem.
Rob, do you think that it is a good thing to mingle with unvaccinated employees, unvaccinated diners, unvaccinated travelers, etc, etc? Please explain your reasoning that infecting others is a “right” that needs protection.
Because herd immunity doesn’t require 100% of the population to be vaccinated and if you are vaccinated the potential of getting and/or transmitting the virus is minimal. I have no issue, as a vaccinated person, “mingling” with unvaccinated people – i don’t want to know who is and who isn’t … this conversation demonstrates the divisiveness of a vaccination passport and strangers knowing the health/vaccination status of others. Your children (assuming you have them) went to school with unvaccinated children…was that an issue for you?
I wasn’t vaccinated for polio but I continued to go to school with vaccinated kids. I caused zero infections year after year after year. Be afraid of the unvaccinated, be very very afraid.
Responding to a question on February 5, 2020, about whether someone should wear a mask while traveling by plane, Fauci pointed out the inefficacy of surgical masks and ultimately recommended against wearing personal protective equipment while traveling by air. “Masks are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection,” he said. “The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through the material.” Fauci concluded, saying “I do not recommend that you wear a mask” to travel by air. It Turns Out Dr. Fauci Also Knew Masks Weren’t Effective Against COVID by Spencer Brown (townhall.com)
GOOD NEWS. Payback is coming for the overkill scam.
“The State of California agreed to enter into permanent injunctions that prohibit the State from imposing discriminatory restrictions on all houses of worship statewide and also agreed to pay $2,150,000 in attorneys’ fees to settle two religious liberty cases. … restrictions on churches cannot be more severe than restrictions on retail.”
Newsom, California Agree To Pay More Churches In Settlements Over Lockdown Discrimination | The Daily Wire
I didn’t get a polio vaccine because it would kill me. When all the other kids got theirs, I was the target of shaming and other expressions of stigma, holier-than-thou-parents telling their kids that I could spread contagion. It went on for a handful of years and faded. As an adult I was still unvaccinated for polio. Luckily, there was no provision requiring proof of vaccination and I could fly globally. Nowadays, that unvaccinated boy, through no fault of his own, would be shamed, called a polio-idiot, and all the other condescending slurs from the mouths of control freaks. It’s unjust, but that is the way it is.
That same form of shaming returned after my father attempted to off himself when I was 12, and did it successfully when I was 14. All in a small town. “You’re as crazy as your old man” was yelled across the street downtown. And variants of that from the Condescending snobs armed with their righteousness. It’s unjust, but that is the way it is.
I appreciated best your delineation of strangers obtaining knowledge and shutting out people based on their vaccination status. I also had that sort of experience in the early 70s when the Security Service of the RCMP intercepted my first class private mail, withheld it, published the contents, wiretapped my phone, pulled in friends for interrogation, asking them if I was a loyal Canadian. They interviewed my employer, my landlord, and they didn’t like “subversives” so I was evicted and lost my job. All were total strangers to me. It was unjust, but that is the way it is.
And then there are the condescending snobs sneering at the unvaccinated, get off the plane, get out of the store, get off the bus, get off the train, spit spit spit all on a boy that would have died from a vaccination. It’s unjust, but that is the way it is.
drama
exactly
Then, we should not allow political signs to share our political views/choices with strangers.
Helen – the government doesn’t demand that you post a sign that shares your political views on your lawn or withhold rights/freedoms if you choose not to … sharing your political view is a personal choice.
Talk about signs saying you ‘got your jab’, I’m old enough to remember in the early 40s asking my mother what these red signs on doors meant. AND they weren’t a choice.
ontario canada scarlet fever 1940s – Bing images
I am in that era as well for signs, quarantines and for vaccines regarding Scarlet Fever and Polio.
I totally support the effort to vaccinate.
What I take exception with is the virtue signaling with the signs..
I would rather see Rotary set up a tax free donation web site. Make ur donation and support the the cause.
Those signs in the 40’s were to warn of danger to take proper precautions. Not to brag like the Rotary signs.
Signs in the 40’s and 50’s brought neighbours bearing food and offers of assistance. There was no bullying or fears of danger/ostracism.
Pete M, please give me your contact information and I would be pleased to provide you with the info for making a donation to Rotary Foundation and getting a charitable receipt. Thank you.
Maybe you could post that information for the Rotary Foundation here for all to avail themselves of the opportunity.
You can donate to Cobourg’s Rotary here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/58564
Thank you John for posting that donation site!
And so is displaying a sign indicating that you have been jabbed – no demand there – still a personal choice to display any sign you wish.
This was just sent out by the area Catholic School Board
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students
The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit recommends youth 12 to 17 years of age get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccinating youth protects them from:
Lets change the word youth to adults.
So, Frenchy if you are vaccinated, you can rest assured that you will be protected from COVID 19, and spreading COVID 19. Why the worry about who sits down beside you. Unless you are not getting vaccinated???
HKPR Health unit says vaccinations are effective.
So lets slow down on the asking for ” papers ” for proof of vaccination. Let the vaccinations do their job, so we can maintain our liberty and privacy.
A vaccinated person can still get Covid, although the effects will be greatly reduced. They can also pass it as a-systematic
Don’t parents have to provide proof of their children’s vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, whooping cough and chickenpox before they can be admitted to primary or secondary school now?
They used to, but that seems to have been re-visited with all the people who are anti-vaxxers.
As a nurse I am an advocate for vaccinations but I am also a strong advocate for people’s freedom to choose a treatment. I may not agree with peoples choices but I support their right to make them. I think the sign campaign is just another form of “virtue signaling” and as such will not be supporting it.
I believe the public health imperative has to supersede individual freedoms and personal rights. There are limited times where we, as a society, have to place the good of the communal we over that of the individual I. Pandemics stand as one of those. I am old enough to remember my dad’s excitement when he brought us down to the local high school for the little sugar cube with the blue dot in it. That was our first dose of Polio vaccine. As a GP he treated kids in our neighborhood with the disease. As a first year med student in 1947 he was one of the thousands of medical practioners who administered 6.3 million shots, in less than two months, to eradicate a small pox outbreak in NYC. He taught my brothers and I that vaccines were both a blessing and a privilege. There have been recent outbreaks of both measles and polio because antivaxers have cracked decades of established herd immunity. You do not want to go back to the bad old days. My wife is a family Nurse Practioner and my son is an MD…they would both be more forceful than I in arguing social responsibility trumping personal freedom.
And, if you interviewed the MDs and nurses working in Brampton or Mississauga (part of my wife’s old area of responsibility) you will find few who disagree.
Don’t think a sign on your lawn is going to convince the anti-vaccers that it is the right thing to do.
I totally get the frustration with people who are anxious about getting the vaccine but calling them covidiots and stupid will never solve this problem. Blaming and shaming should never be a part of public health initiatives and yet here we are.
Those who are anxious and uncertain are not the covidiots. They have concerns and assuming they are genuinely open to hearing the supporting science and asking the experts the necessary questions to satisfy their doubts that is a reasonable process. Covidiots are those who simply disregard the science and refuse to consider any evidence that contradicts their anti-vax view. In some countries that would just present a public health risk but in Canada, where health care is provided to all for free, it also becomes an economic burden and depletes a finite amount of health services. A thought: if you were HIV positive and knowingly infected someone with that virus and they died you could be charged with manslaughter. Now change the virus to Covid19, does the idea of manslaughter still apply? What then becomes your obligation to mitigate spread?
Dumb idea…come on Rotary, I know your fund raising opportunities have unfortunately been curtailed due to Covid, but do you really think a lawn sign is going to convince a Covididiot to get vaccinated? Election signs are an eyesore. These signs too, will be an eyesore. Your efforts will only create further divide and anger from those too stupid to understand the vaccine benefits or simply care so little for their fellow man and the community in which the live. It will only create more waste and litter.
I like the Rotary’s idea. For a week in April, silly old me hung my own small-sized creation, “Jabbed in Cobourg!” on the front door.
Agreed! This is not a good idea on any level. Pressure tactics? Pay to have signs littering lawns all over town?
And who pays? Home owners. What about apartment dwellers? How are they expected to lord their superiority over others? Puh!
The US has started to provide incentives for those who are reluctant to get a vaccine – like Giving them something. Not telling them to Pay.
Yes,,but you are in Canada
This is how we do things here
Yes lets give hand outs/ups and props to the people who continually maligned millions of dollars worth of medical advice, cures and efforts (eg front line workers). I’m sorry but these negative/??? sorts are not to be rewarded – PERIOD.
Ever heard the saying, “you get more flies with honey than vinegar?” Who cares if incentives and/or rewards are given to current non-believers so they get a vaccine? Think about it. It’s a shared reward.
The rest of us benefit as well.
For myself, it has more to do with inferiority and thankfulness, instead of “lording superiority” over anyone else.
“…they can lord their superiority over others?” Well, should I wish to have a sign, I could put it in the window. As for the lording part, I would very much like to tell you to Kiss My Grits (tongue in cheek); however, I don’t know if that would be allowed. Although I did see one contributor here call someone an idiot, and it has remained. Perhaps the rules have been loosened. 🙂
Yes, and Canada makes sure they have FREE healthcare, unlike in the US.
David RN
Interesting comments from a variety of concerned citizens in a democracy. At the end of the day, we can agree to disagree or not. Having now retired, but having spent 33 years on the front lines in my psychiatric specialty, you see people who are entrenched in their own fear and mistrust. Unfortunately, the more you try to persuade others that their fears are misplaced and offer proof to the contrary via the science; the more entrenched they become. It is what it is. There will always be a section of our society who are not amenable to the reasonableness of explanation/proofs. The sad part is that they do it in the guise of inhibiting their own freedoms, when in reality it inhibits or elongates the freedoms of the greater whole. The good news is that we will all get through this despite their protestations. I want to give a shout out to all those concerned citizens who have volunteered to give their time at the CCC. They come from all walks of life and experiences. I have talked to and met many, (fittingly and not surprisingly), who are retired nurses who continue to give their time as they did when they were actively working in our hospitals and clinics. It says a lot about the good people that share our community concerns.
Thank you, David, for your kind message. As one of those volunteers, it is appreciated. Our community is indeed very blessed to have volunteers (like yourself, no doubt). Most volunteered in spite of not having a ‘jab’.