By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

The idiocy being bandied about among conservative “thinkers” and assorted right-wing talking heads about those who “make a choice to forgo the COVID vaccine” miss a fundamental truth about society.

Yes, they are able to make that choice. I do not deny that obvious fact. However, making such a choice — if that is their call — carries with it some serious consequences that go far beyond their own well being.

We are able to choose to drink adult beverages. We do not have the right to do so and then drive a motor vehicle while impaired. Doing so endangers others who share the same public roadways.

We also have the choice to play music loudly. We can play rock ‘n roll music until our eardrums bleed. However, we have laws that prohibit us from doing so in the wee hours of the morning; we cannot disturb other people’s sleep.

Indeed, we have laws all over the place that regulate our behavior. Why? Because at times some of us commits acts that others either find offensive, or bothersome, or put them in potential grave danger.

Do you get my drift here?

Yes, we can choose to do without the vaccine. What happens, though, when that choice endangers others? What happens when, after choosing to go without the medicine that would prevent us from getting the COVID virus, we get sick? Or when we infect others? Or when our children get sick? Or when they infect their friends?

Our choices can have serious consequences that affect far more than just you and me.

As we battle these COVID variants — some of which have become highly contagious and highly transmissible — we should be mindful about the “choices” we make.

As for me and what I want for my family, we all have chosen to get vaccinated and, no, I have no problem at all with government telling us to get vaccinated if it keeps us safe from a potentially deadly infection.