Show Your Papers

Yesterday after a grueling day at work that exceeded 13 hours, I headed south to the Philadelphia International Airport. The two plus hour drive was intense as a combination of weather, fatigue, and some personal strife plagued me. After a bit of a fire drill I found myself ensconced in the Marriott adjacent to the airport.

Exhausted, I sought a quick meal. When I arrived at the hotel restaurant, the entrance was blocked by a chain. Prison-like I mused.

A very nice lady advised me that entrance was only afforded to a select few. After a brief exchange, I realized that she wanted me to show her my vaccination record. Luckily, I had it handy as just four days earlier I was denied entrance to a bathroom when I could not find my card.

After a couple of seconds she uttered the phrase that I find detestable, “Show your papers”. In fairness, a bit of friendly goading from yours truly helped facilitate the response.

As I was afforded entrance and made it through the chains, I was surprised to see a packed bar. In fact there wasn't a seat available and others were standing up to two deep. The duplicity was on full display. The vaccinated are afforded unencumbered access with no regard for social distancing or mask wearing. Since our leaders have finally acknowledged that the vaccinated can become infected and spread the virus the phrase super spreader came to my mind. How hypocritical, I thought.

As I awaited my meal, I realized that it was January 20th, exactly one year since the inauguration of our 46th President. I reflected upon the promises that he had made leading up to his historic election. While the vast majority were broken, one promise he kept was that of “A Dark Winter”. Unfortunately, most who voted for him did not realize that that winter would last a complete year, and there does not appear to be an end in sight. It might just be the “winter of American history”.

Quickly my mind turned to the City of Brotherly Love. The city where the Declaration of Independence was formally and completely signed on August 2, 1776. I began to ponder what those brave signers would think about the current attack on civil liberties.

These men, most of great wealth and influence, risked everything to create the experiment known as the United States of America. Had they failed, they surely would have been executed, likely hung, drawn, and quartered in the public square. So we must ask ourselves why would they have risked so much? The answer appears quite simple because they believed it was the correct thing to do.

This current attack on our civil liberties is more than an attack on those unable or unwilling to show some vaccination card, it’s an attack on our way of life. We are trampling on the legacy of the men and women who risked it all for us to enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.

Sadly, there are millions who have been brainwashed with fear and have submitted to this authoritarianism. You may be ok with a forced inoculation, but when it tramples on the very core of our democracy all decent people should rise in protest.

Almost a year ago now, Congressman Madison Cawthorn spoke out about the dangers of America becoming a “show your papers society” pointing to the parallel between today and that of 1940s Nazi Germany. I do fear what may happen next, what “Show Your Papers” today could evolve to - segregation, camps, a yellow star... it’s horrific, and I do not take the comparison lightly. It sounds extreme, I know, but look around the world:

In Italy, anyone over the age of 50 (Italian citizens and foreigners alike) will be fined €100 for being unvaccinated. Their version of a vaccine card - the Green Pass will be required to enter essential businesses including banks and post offices. [link]

In Australia they have “mandatory supervised quarantine facilities” where travelers, international students, Australians with covid (or suspected of having contact with someone who has the virus), and others who meet the criteria can be held. Not only are these mandatory, there are fees for those who have to stay in one of these quarantine camps.

Just this past week a Rasmussen Poll conducted here in the United States found that Democratic Voters Support Harsh Measures Against Unvaccinated. This poll found that OVER HALF of Democrats were for the federal or state government fining Americans who are not vaccinated against COVID (55%) and even more (59%) were for the government confining the unvaccinated to their homes “at all times, except for emergencies”. As if that’s not disturbing enough almost half (48%) of Democratic voters were for the government fining or imprisoning individuals who simply question the efficacy of the existing COVID-19 vaccines publicly!

I don’t care what side of the political aisle you’re on, we need a wake up call, if these things don’t scare you they should. They sure as heck scare me.

-Elliott