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The True Citizen, Wednesday, July 28, 2021 — Page 5A
Michael N. Searles
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH TENNESSEE?
This title draws upon the
2004 book, What’s the Matter
with Kansas? It tracks how
conservatism captured the
hearts and minds of Kansans
after its history of left-wing
populism. Tennessee has had
and continues to have a rich
and complex history. The re
cord indicates that Tennessee
was the last state to formally
leave the Union and join the
Confederacy at the outbreak
of the American Civil War and
was the first state to be readmit
ted to the Union at the end of
the war.
During the Civil War, Ten
nessee would furnish the sec
ond most soldiers for the Con
federate Army but would sup
ply more units of soldiers for
the Union Army than any other
state within the Confederacy.
In the battle for voting rights
for women, Tennessee was in
the thick of the battle with the
major newspapers lined with
those in opposition to ratifica
tion of the 19th Amendment. It
was the Tennessee Equal Suf
frage Association that turned
the tide in favor of ratification.
Geographically, Tennessee
has been called three states re
flected in the three stars in the
state flag. While the traditions
of the eastern part of the state
have reflected a more populist
tradition, Tennessee is one of
the more conservative states
in the United States with a
high proportion of evangelical
Christians.
This conservative tradition
was reflected in the 1925 Ten
nessee State Legislature with
the passage of the Butler Act
prohibiting the theory of evo
lution being taught in public
schools. It was this act that
predicated the infamous Scopes
Trial and turned Tennessee into
the “Monkey State.”
Marching to its own drum
seems to be a theme in Ten
nessee. Tennessee has no state
income tax and the lowest
property taxes in the nation. It
is considered a friendly busi
ness state, but that friendliness
comes with a price. Tennessee
has a very high rate of infant
mortality, chronic conditions
like diabetes, depression, car
diovascular disease, and adult
and childhood obesity. The
Volunteer State also ranks 48th
for highest share of adults with
depression.
It should surprise no one
that Tennesseans are not very
cheerful ranked 45th on a list
of happiest states in the U.S.
Since health is a critical issue
in the state, it would seem
that increasing the popula
tion health index would be a
priority. However, only 38%
of Tennesseans are fully vac
cinated from COVID-19.
Tennessee’s Republican
lawmakers in their wisdom
apparently decided halting all
adolescent vaccine outreach
leaving the most vulnerable
age group unprotected. Parti
san parent objections were the
driving force that prompted
the Tennessee Department of
Health to halt all adolescent
vaccine outreach. This oc
curred as the number of new
cases per day more than dou
bled. These decisions place an
additional burden on citizens
already in the lower ranks of
health outcomes.
Do the citizens of Tennessee
want to go unprotected from
COVID and other diseases or
are their voices ignored? The
question was answered in an
East Tennessee University
survey. Tennesseans biggest
concerns were fear of them
selves or a loved one getting
the virus, general conditions
of public health and people
around the country getting sick
and its impact on the health
care system and economy.
These concerns were not
echoed in the actions of the
Tennessee legislature. Those
in the Volunteer State with
influence call the tune to which
most Tennesseans must dance.
The same legislators who voted
to strip the Department of
Health of its authority are not
limited in access to vaccines
and neither are their children.
It is the children of the poor
who pay the ultimate price.
One respondent stated, “I
worry not only about contract
ing the illness, but of not being
able to survive it. This concerns
me so much that my family and
I discussed end of life measures
and we all agreed as adults to
complete living wills.”
The Volunteer State more
realistically could be called the
Sacrifice State when it comes
to the price the poor must pay.
Shellie Smitley
FACING THE FEAR OF THE VACCINE
The pandemic first caught
my attention while there were
only 138 cases in China. I
knew what was coming and
stayed up half the night shop
ping for N95 masks. I stocked
my house with food, rubbing
alcohol and hand sanitizer.
Even though I received many
stares, I was wearing a mask to
Walmart before anyone in the
area was. (Two weeks later,
people were asking me where I
got them and a millennial-aged
family member who initially
said I was over-reacting was
begging me for one.) Being
fortunate enough to work from
home, I isolated myself for
four months, except for the
occasional trip to the store. I
kept disinfectant on my carport
and sprayed my shoes before
I entered the house. As the
pandemic progressed, I refused
to eat in establishments where
the wait staff and cooks didn’t
wear masks.
But when the vaccine was
rolled out, did I jump at the
chance to get inoculated? Heck
no!
Sure, I will never forget the
refrigerated trailers on TV,
filled with New Yorkers who
did not beat the virus, but I
also understand every fear
associated with the vaccine.
I understand every argument
against it.
I made it through the first
wave unscathed, even after
Christmas when nearly every
member of my family con
tracted it. I refused to be vac
cinated although I live with
a first responder, whose job
includes intubating COVID
patients. He was included in
one of the first lots of people to
get vaccinated, and I witnessed
that he suffered no side effects.
He has shared with me many
times the story of a young man
who looked him in the eyes
and told him he thought the
pandemic was a hoax right
before he was intubated. He
didn’t make it.
Still, I was not budging.
I know the history behind the
influenza vaccine and I have
never had a flu shot. I’ve also
never had the flu. There are lots
of conspiracy theories that I be
lieve. The COVID-19 vaccine
was produced quickly, with
far less research than makes
me feel comfortable. I suffer
an inflammatory autoimmune
disorder that can act as either a
curse or a blessing. My jacked-
up immune system can act like
a superpower, keeping me from
getting sick, or it can attack me
like my worst enemy, if I do. I
questioned even the morality
of getting the shot.
I was scared of getting vac
cinated. I couldn’t decide if it
was good or bad. I didn’t know
how my body would react to it.
Then a series of interviews
with people who had con
tracted the virus made me more
afraid of COVID.
During the height of the pan
demic , I interviewed a woman
in her 20’s who suffered brain
damage from the virus and lost
the ability to speak.
Recently, four people, age
47-87 years old, told me their
horror stories. They felt like
they were fighting for their
life, even when they were not
sick enough to be hospitalized.
All four were suffering some
long-term effects of the virus a
year later. All four of them told
me that it was the worst illness
they had ever experienced.
They were all willing to be
vaccinated because they never
wanted to contract Coronavirus
again and they all believed that
the vaccines could not inflict on
them the agony associated with
the actual virus.
I decided I didn’t want to
push my luck.
So, I sat at CVS shaking with
fear as the pharmacist poked
me. The worst side effect I ex
perienced was an arm that hurt
for 24 hours. The worst battle
I waged was the war going on
inside my head. The fear of
the vaccine subsided quite a
bit once the arm got back to
normal.
Next month, I
will get the second SEE
dose. Am I going SMITLEY,
to follow through? gA
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