Catching up in several areas is necessary from time to time. It’s essential to see where I’m right, wrong, or a mixed bag. Rather than put it all in one post, I’ll do it in smaller bites over the next few days.

 While I perceived the frenzied attack on police would backfire, I missed other things. Making assumptions about the efficacy of covid vaccines is a significant whiff.  

Like many others, I concluded after receiving the two shots was protected. After all, this is the way vaccines such as those for smallpox and polio work. Further, I could no longer spread Covid.

Vaccinating everyone on a cruise protects everyone from passing Covid. The more people vaccinated would slow and eventually stop the spread.

 Based on this perception, I favored vaccine passports and some mandates. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis saw it differently. He banned orders requiring vaccination for Covid in his state. At the same time, he actively opened his state. People were walking on the beaches without masks. Children went back to school.

We both supported the Great Barrington Declaration thesis lockdowns are the wrong approach and do great harm. A governor has far greater resources to dig deeper than a lonely blogger. DeSantis did just that. Based on what he found, he concluded the vaccines were being oversold. There is no evidence that vaccines prevent the spread. We found out Pfizer never even tested its vaccine for spread prevention. 

The basis for passports and mandates evaporates if the vaccines don’t stop Covid spread. DeSantis dug into the data and realized this was the case. Even though a big state Governor has far greater resources than a lowly blogger, I should’ve looked closer at DeSantis’ reasoning and the data, or lack of it; he based his actions. I drank the Kool-Aid.

My admiration for the Florida Governor began with his diligence during the pandemic and willingness to stand up and take the heat for his data-based actions. This stance is what leadership is all about.

In my series on Covid, I did get other aspects right. The lockdowns were a disaster. Lost jobs, trillions unnecessarily spent, and children’s learning loss resulted from failing to follow my and the other Great Barrington Declarations signer’s recommendations. Rather than continuing to suppress data on the lab, leek theory and natural immunity have belatedly received proper coverage. 

We still need a thorough investigation of the mishandling of our Covid response. Why were legitimate concerns and information suppressed in opposition to all of our methods of scientific inquiry? Reversing a greatly diminished faith in our medical and other institutions is necessary before we suffer another calamity.