[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

See, people who try to think things through, such as yourself, I respect your hesitation. I don't agree with it. But I absolutely respect it. Because we get differing information regularly from the CDC, because this IS a new thing, because the vaccine IS a new vaccine, because we know, that there's a lot we still DON'T know...you are hesitant. And I respect that.

I would ask you though, to consider the philosophical side of the equation, and put science vs. evidence aside for a minute. I'll talk about me. Feel free to fill it in with yourself, as applicable.

I'll be 60 next week. I have no children. I was a Girl Scout. I was taught that it is our duty as human beings to at least TRY to leave this world in a better place than we found it. Even if we fail, it's up to us to try.

My generation has done a bang-up job in helping and hindering the human race. We've thoroughly scorched it, and we've run ourselves ragged to heal it. Right now, we are faced with a quandry.

We can take what we _believe_ to be a very minimal risk, in order to eradicate a virus that has already killed around 3 million people worldwide in just one year, sent tens of millions to hospitals, put hundreds of millions out of work, and affected several billion families in one way or another. All in a single year. We can take a leap of faith that a vaccine will drastically reduce, if not completely eliminate, this particular threat against the next generations.

Or, we can take what we _believe_ to also be a somewhat minimal risk, and take a leap of faith that we won't get sick, and the virus won't mutate as a result of our lack of immunity, and that future generations won't be affected anyway.

I have no personal dog in the fight of future generations. Its not, as they say, my problem. But as a human being whose generation has created this and other traumas on this planet, I feel it my responsibility to choose the risk that is most likely to help the majority, rather than the risk that is most likely to help only myself.

Both are small risks. Both of these risks have unknown outcomes. The difference is that one might save millions in the future, and the other one might only save me.

All I can say is "WOW". OBB, you hit this one out of the park. Thank you so much for these eloquent words. You make me feel better about myself for taking the plunge and doing my part. You are my hero!