I have mused over this post for 2 days, which is like 7 years for someone as verbose as me. I find myself oddly peaceful, quiet and happy as the midterms approach, life seemingly is racing back to the way it was 2019 (aka the “old” normal) and the market absolutely imploding, as it should, as a result of the policies we put in place and readers know I’ve been calling for loudly in the past few months. We deserve all of it. Let this be a new beginning.
Of late, I have spent a lot of time thinking of the friends and readers I lost in 2020 because of my writings on COVID. Beyond friendships, I had death threats. I was estranged from family members for a long time, made myself unemployable by private equity and large publics alike at a thing I’m pretty good at, and put a target on the back of my oldest child at his school for my refusal to vaccinate him and the subsequent emails that made it so that “they” would never accept my youngest’s application even if I’d wanted to apply. I was called a conspiracy theorist, a grandma killer, a misogynist and selfish. Of those - only the latter is true, though I did enjoy wearing the lace panties on my face as a mask so …
I am at peace that I stood up for what I believed in and I accept the cost of all I lost. But I was lucky. I must acknowledge that my odd employment situation and having sold our company in 2018 gave me the financial flexibility ability to stand up and shout from the rooftops as I did. I know that many readers were forced to get vaccinated by their employers because they had no other choice. For you, I feel worst and I’ll say on their behalf what they won’t. I’m sorry for what you suffered through. It was f@&king brutal to be so principled and reviled.
So, to Dr. Emily Oster, the thousands of companies that implemented an illegal vaccine mandate and the citizens that called for me and people like me to be banned from travel, dinners out and participation in society I ask “why can’t you own your misstep and apologize.” There will be no amnesty from us. That is not a thing. I didn’t really know how to word that without anger and finger pointing and all the things that come along with that. And then, I found this article by Emily Burns. I couldn’t have said it better myself. What she said.
The pandemic response was wrong and it must never be allowed to happen again. The media spin, the lies and mistruths from our governments and bureaucrats about “the accepted narrative” have been shown to be massively misguided and corrupt of morals and our values. In Elon, I trust. I’m hopeful I’m not proven wrong. But to restate things that used to get you banned:
Vaccines weren’t 93% effective.
They didn’t stop the spread (nor, apparently we’re they even tested on that front).
And mandates, lockdowns and emergency orders have done more to disenfranchise some of the population than anything I can think about in my lifetime.
Don’t say we didn’t know. We did. I did, and I’m not even a doctor. I wrote the below April 3, 2020. I stand by every word.
Amnesty? No f@&king chance. A little self awareness that fear overrode logic and group think stole 2+ years of our lives? That might go a long way. So will an apology.
In the meantime, I’m thinking about a massive career pivot and buying a business that will be an exciting new challenge and a wonderful adventure. It’s time to move on from the last 2 years and I hope for all our sakes, sanity returns, friendships rebuild and we all have a glass of wine together. All it takes is an “I’m sorry.” I’ll grab the bottle opener.
Let's not forget either, their cashing in on Pfizer and Moderna stock due to the vaccine
Being an idealogue means never having to say you're sorry. I succumbed to the "either you get vaccinated or..." had to to see family.