July 25, 2021

Jim Acosta absolutely demolished FOX News and their continued lies and misinformation about COVID, vaccination and masking. First, he shows a clip from last September, before we had widely available vaccines and the only measure of protection was education, social distancing and masking. This was before The Former Guy and his rent-a-bride got COVID, as a reminder. And then the biggest thing coming from the far right was that COVID was a hoax. Some still believe that, but many have shifted to "vaccines are dangerous and alter your DNA and have microchips in them and kill more people than COVID" (none of those things are true, FYI).

ACOSTA: And that's the problem. We are 16 months into a pandemic of misinformation. So many Americans don't know what to believe anymore. We've been injected with lies about masks, about vaccines, and about the virus itself. No wonder we have been a nation divided and dying. Consider what I heard from Trump's supporters at a rally in Michigan last September.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you not wearing a mask?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because there's no COVID. It's a fake pandemic created to destroy the United States of America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not afraid. The good Lord takes care of me. If I die, I die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: If I die, I die. Hold on, here's the thought. Don't die. Live, live. Is it really a surprise that so many people have bought into the lies about the vaccines in this country? There are the conspiracy theories that the vaccines are being used to track people with a microchip.

Not true. Or my favorite, that the vaccine will make you magnetic. I mean, it might get you more dates, but no. Your keys are not going to stick to you if you get the shot. Though, I used to be able to do the spoon trick when I was a kid. I was pretty good at it, but I digress.

Tens of millions of people eligible for the shot are still not vaccinated. That's where we are in this country right now. They could get the vaccine right now. But they're not going to do it. Here's a thought. Don't wait for Fox to get it story straight to save yourself or your family.

Fox and Friends is not going to become Vax and Friends, folks. I got news for you. The lies are not going to save you. The truth will. I have an idea for the battle cry for this pandemic. It's not, "Wolverines," It's, "Vaccines."

The reality is this: right wing voters are keeping this pandemic alive with their refusal to believe science and their die hard devotion to liars, misinformation and cult leaders. It is going to be extremely hard to get through to them with rational talk - the last 16 months have shown us that. It is time to switch from the carrot to the stick, with wide ranging bans on unvaccinated people from entering businesses, schools (if they are over 12), colleges, sporting events and entertainment venues. We need to shun unvaccinated people like they are carriers of a deadly and highly contagious disease - because THEY ARE.

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