<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Real “Truth” is based on empirical evidence, not on “Faith.” Here are some life-saving Truths to go with your morning coffee: COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and they save lives. Wearing masks saves lives. Physical distancing saves lives. COVID-19 is NOT going to disappear — like the flu, it’s probably here to stay. Not getting vaccinated leads inexorably down the broken trail of sickness for oneself and several other unvaccinated friends or relatives, and death.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Those who refuse COVID-19 vaccinations whine that it compromises their “freedom.” What freedom would that be? The freedom to die and cause the death of others?&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The renowned British philosopher, John Stuart Mill, nailed it when he said of liberty (a synonym for freedom) “… The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.” Our forefathers who agreed and acted accordingly were right smart dudes. Unvaccinated folks are much more than a “nuisance;” they threaten everyone. Truth or consequences.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Another real Truth: mandating COVID vaccinations is NOT depriving anyone of their freedoms. Delta-Covid is infecting more Americans now than ever before, the overwhelming majority of whom are unvaccinated. Want proof? Consider any of the thousands of infected persons, overloading hospital ICUs, who refused to get immunized but who are now dying a painful death from Covid.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Ask them what they think now about having protected their “freedom” by refusing a life-saving injection. You might find they have a rather different attitude. The cost of lessons unlearned come at a very high price, and are often very painful; too often, lethal. Truth or consequences.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Here’s a government mandate that is in your best interest, but it’s very costly if you don’t comply. You must have insurance to get a driver’s license, or to obtain a loan to buy a car. If you drop your car insurance in the name of “freedom,” the insurance company immediately notifies local law enforcement, which immediately terminates your driver’s license and also notifies the relevant credit bureaus.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Driving along minding your own business, you mindlessly run a red light in front of a policeperson. Bingo. You not only get a running red-light ticket, but also you are hauled off to the pokey for driving without insurance or a driver’s license. Your car is impounded, costing a small fortune to get it back.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Then, you pay a traffic-violation fine, have an arrest record (or pay an attorney thousands of dollars to have it expunged); have to take a driver’s course and then retake the driver’s written test again; all of this to secure your driver’s license again. Oh, and you MUST obtain new and more expensive auto insurance, too.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Mandated vaccinations: I have a slight scar on my shoulder from my obligatory small-pox vaccination from when I was 6 years old, which was required for me to attend school. Many of you have that same “tattoo.” When I attended the University of Parris Island, I stood in line and Navy corpsmen gleefully punctured my arms with umpteen vaccinations. My drill instructor did not seek my opinion and he darned sure did not permit me to “just say no.”&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Our government requires all manner of mandates, allegedly denying us our freedoms, but thankfully these have saved countless lives. You might be surprised at how long that mandated list is, and how invisible to your consciousness these requirements have become. We participate automatically — outta sight, outta mind.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Folks who recall Edmund Burke, the famous late 18th century member of British Parliament, typically call to mind his most brilliant aphorism, “… it is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph,” or some version thereof often quoted. Perhaps just as insightful are Burke’s thoughts on freedom: “The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.”&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Current polls show two-thirds of Americans oppose State governors’ prohibiting wearing a mask, such as Florida; 77 percent oppose them withholding money from schools where students/faculty wear life-saving masks. Those misguided governors say they are defending our liberty, at the same time they want us to live without mandates proven to save our lives and punish those who do. Such dribble is not only deranged tripe, but also illegitimate.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Recently, a Maine GOP state legislator compared Democrat governors’ immunization mandates to Nazi super-villain Dr. Josef Mengele’s medical experiments on Jews. Give me a break. This is raw insanity and an outrage.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The senseless and criminally irresponsible reasons given for not getting Covid-19 vaccinations are clearly delusional, and deadly so. Truth or consequences.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><em>“Well, all I know is what I read in the newspapers.” – Will Rogers. </em></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><em>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999 and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate from 2010 to 2015. You can reach him at david.m.taub42@gmail.com. </em></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->