In a little less than 24 hours, I will become persona non grata in every restaurant on Oahu. Not just me, but 44% of the population of the City and County of Honolulu — some 447,264 people — will be unwelcome in all restaurants, bars, and gyms on this island, because that is the number of unvaccinated people who live here. Each individual has their own personal reasons for being unvaccinated. Some hold deeply held religious objections, some have medical issues, and many others have already had Covid and recovered, so they have natural immunity equal to or greater than those who have vaccination immunity. Despite the science indicating that natural immunity is equally effective, no provision is being made to accommodate that large group of people.
Come Monday certain businesses will be mandated to require proof of vaccination to allow entrance, reducing their potential customer base by 44%. My own reasons for not being vaccinated are exactly that: my own reasons, and are not open to debate. I disagree with the entire notion of restricting freedom in this manner and foresee major legal challenges ahead. Liberty, once removed, is never returned. There is already a lot of talk about making a vaccination passport an absolute requirement for air travel. Since we live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that would restrict our freedom of movement to the 597 square miles of this island and make it impossible for us to go anywhere.
Where is the ACLU when they’re needed?