Last Wednesday, I read Joe Townsend’s letter to the editor about how health insurance for people who choose to not take the COVID-19 vaccine should be canceled. I felt compelled to respond to it.

Joe mentioned that he believes everybody has free choice, but then he stated that if people don’t make the same choices as him, i.e. taking the vaccine, they should lose their health care insurance and lose their home and even go bankrupt. I believe that to be a hate statement.

In this country, we are still free to love who we choose, eat what we want and play how we like. I’m sure if we scrutinize Joe’s lifestyle choices, there will be many things that many people would deem as high risk. For instance, I would venture to guess that Joe skis or snowboards. He probably eats sugar, drinks alcohol and maybe even smokes one thing or another.

Joe equates choosing not to take the vaccine to not locking your house, and therefore, you’re asking to be robbed. I ask you, Joe, do you also believe that if a woman wears a short skirt and gets raped, she was asking for it?

If you would bother to read the CDC‘s website, you would see that they mention this COVID-19 vaccine is being monitored under what they call “real world conditions.” They also state on their website “that some people who are fully vaccinated will still get sick because the vaccines are not 100% effective.” Should those people also lose their health insurance? After all, they will need treatment for COVID-19.

I ask you, Joe, what if you get sick in the future because you chose to take the COVID-19 vaccine? Should you lose your health insurance and end up bankrupt? You made the choice to take the vaccine. I don’t wish ill on you because of that choice, even if it makes my health care premiums go up.

Why are you so angry at those who, by your own admission, have the right to chose not to take the vaccine, when they make that choice? Why do you wish them to be punished, so severely or at all, for making a different choice than yours?

As many are seemingly calling for “healing and unity” these days, I say let’s help encourage our fellow human beings in their choices they deem fit for themselves instead of wishing for their demise.

Kathleen Campbell

Steamboat Springs