Rep. Randall Greenwood’s column (“COVID is serious; so am I,” Dec. 26) has left me shaking my head over the number of illogical and misguided comments made, and just as importantly, by the important comments left unsaid.

While he expected some readers to “wish (him) misfortune,” I believe there are few readers who would satisfy his paranoid comment. Instead, I suspect there are many who are glad he survived, but remain downright mystified about his thought processes regarding the balance between public service and selfishness.

While he notes being skeptical of COVID vaccination because “normal protections” such as liability, rigorous testing and formal approval “were discarded,” he fails to mention the national program (Countermeasures Injury Compensation) covering those injured by COVID vaccination, just as it does smallpox, and other diseases. The program includes lost employment income, survivor benefits, and more.

Certain other vaccinations are covered by different government programs, but none by injury lawsuits of the conventional type. As a “public servant” he should know this, and should seek to educate his constituents, not blow smoke.

Rep. Greenwood’s comments about rigorous testing and approval sound simply foolish when one considers the number of vaccinations that were meticulously followed for complications before an emergency use authorization was applied, especially when that process eventually led to formal FDA approval.

Much of the remainder of his commentary relates to his belief in the power of prayer, and thanks to our government structure he’s welcome to express that without fear of reprisal. But he gives no attention to the fact that other unvaccinated patients in that ICU died miserable deaths. Were their families’ prayers less convincing to God? Where was their miracle cure?

While thanking St. Mary’s staff, he should realize that expressing belief in miracles serves to diminish the critically important science and plain old hard work that led to his recovery.

And speaking of science, doesn’t it seem ironic that Rep. Greenwood was more than happy to rely on the high technological advances of modern ICU care that resulted in his recovery? The same sort of research that yielded modern critical care technology and protocols also yielded vaccines which could, with full implementation, have helped avoid this second year of COVID deaths.

I agree that the notion of voluntary vaccination is appealing. But underlying that notion is my belief that all true Americans should be doing their level best to keep their fellow citizens healthy. Reasonable and caring citizens across our land have recognized that the personal freedom of avoiding vaccination is simply a lower priority than serving the greater good of their country and their countrymen.

I’m so sorry that Rep. Greenwood can’t understand this simple concept, and thus cannot be counted among them.

Gregory D’Augustine, Greene

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