Sure, let's bring an ID to the voting booth

But the only acceptable ID will be your COVID vaccination card

That sentiment is not original with me, though I very much wish it was.

My Sunday column for Hearst was a brief history of modern-day anti-vaxxers (I won’t link here because it’s behind a paywall, and no, I don’t know a way around that).

Here’s a response from a woman named Jennifer:

Hello Susan,

I am pretty offended by today’s article in the NHR [New Haven Register]. You call out “modern day anti-vaxxers” when in reality your uneducated with the fact that most of the individuals fighting for our medical freedom vaccinate their children. It’s not about NOT vaccinating. It’s about protecting our right to choose. Moving forward the CDC can add whatever vaccine they want to the schedule and children would have to comply without even a blink of an eye. As parents we are able to choose every other medical procedure for our child but when it comes to this we cannot.

It’s highly offensive when you generalize and use the term Anti-Vaxxers when what we are doing is standing up for our freedoms. I know a lot of people will be offended by your commentary as well because they aren’t against vaccines.

I sidestepped the horrible itch to correct “your,” and instead answered briefly without calling names because I’m a grown-up. Prior to my maturing, I spent years answering these notes when I worked full-time at the Courant, and all that time netted me all of one single interesting conversation. The other exchanges were frustrating for all concerned, and when the conversations devolved into name-calling — some of them started that way — believe me, I knew the best names.

But to what end?

About 20% of people say they won’t get vaccinated, including 45% of Republicans, who are mostly likely still off fighting the Nov. ‘20 election.

Connecticut is in the top five states for completed vaccinations. Every modern-day vaccination program has eventually worked, but only after the people who want to focus laser-like on personal freedom/mistrust of the government/mistrust of science have been dragged across the finish line. The COVID vaccination program will prevail, regardless of folks like Ms. Jennifer Standing Up For My Freedom. Stay strong.