Snagging COVID Shot Shouldn’t Rival Hitting Powerball

Getting a COVID vaccine shouldn’t feel like having a winning Powerball ticket. This writer will get my first or only shot tomorrow — if the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available. That’s left me feeling conflicted.

A Gift

It’s the perfect birthday present — I turned 45 Wednesday. But, health care shouldn’t be a gift or privilege. Health care access is a human right. Alas,our nation’s addiction transformed health care into a commodity. Survival shouldn’t depend on solvency.

This sad reality is why St. Jude and Shriners hospitals exist. It’s also why GoFundMe has become a necessary alternative to health insurance coverage. And, let’s be clear. Having coverage doesn’t always fully protect people from financial ruin.

Is It Really A Benefit?

Why? Circling back to capitalism, health insurance is better known as an employee benefit that isn’t always beneficial. In reality, health care often becomes a carrot dangled in front of potential hires — only to be diced after the contract is signed.

No silver lining

COVID has killed more than 500,000 Americans so far. This pandemic has no silver lining, despite some people’s claims to the contrary. But, it’s proved money doesn’t have to be a barrier to health care access.

Capitalism, like Christianity, has been tapped as a necessary ingredient for patriotism. Claims the United States is a Christian nation are laughable. Results of slavery and systemic racism has kept its superpowered engine running for centuries, for starters.

Ultimate White savior

The latter is faux Christianity. After all, many of these so-called Christians hailed the White House’s former occupant because he was a “successful businessman.” They’ve engaged in full-on idol worship even after he fully embraced — and continues embracing — White supremacists.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans became collateral damage in the former occupant’s quest to continue being a self-styled ultimate White savior. Losing the 2020 Election hasn’t stopped that quest and didn’t end his supporters’ idol worship. They’re now bowing in front of a gold statue made in Mexico.

Land of the free?

Clinging to White supremacy is, apparently, more important than human life. This American land — stolen from Native Americans — has only ever been the land of free White people.

Only people of color who don’t rock the boat fair better. But, behaving well guarantees nothing. Families of John Crawford and Tamir Rice, among others, could tell you that. Black lives mean nothing to supporters of the White House’s immediate former occupant.

Irony, hypocrisy

Their response to COVID being more of a threat to Black people was doubling down on hypocritical and ironic my body, my choice rhetoric. They’re going maskless and having gatherings without abandon — spreading the virus. Unlike them, Black people struggle to access the vaccine.

That struggle is happening in Black people’s own neighborhoods because of money. Residents of affluent and gentrified neighborhoods are flocking to places they usually deemed too dangerous to get the vaccine. So, money has found another way to become a barrier to essential health care access.

So, Black people — and other people of color — are left hoping they win the COVID vaccine lottery. This writer is grateful for my winning scratch off. But, I loathe feeling privileged to get something everyone needs. Getting the vaccine shouldn’t feel like hitting the jackpot.