The U.S. President warns of a less fun July 4th celebration without gatherings if COVID vaccinations don't go smoothly in May and June.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke out on the country's COVID-19 response and state of vaccinations, warning Americans that July 4 celebrations may just get cancelled if vaccination hesitancy continues to thrive.
While the president said that the country is on track for the goal of a fourth of July that is "much closer to normal life that we left behind more than a year ago," he said that more work has to be done in the next two months.
"To celebrate our independence from this virus on July 4th with family and friends in small groups, we still have more to do in the months of May and June," President Biden said.
According to the New York Post, up to 51% of American adults have received at least one COVID vaccine dose, which means that the country is closer to achieving herd immunity. However, Biden is not yet convinced that citizens can hold small July 4 celebrations outdoors.
Retired Admiral Brett Giroir, who previously served as assistant secretary of health, criticized President Biden's warnings to cancel July 4 celebrations unless everyone obeys COVID restrictions.
"I don't know what reality he's talking about. It seemed very disconnected from the reality and where we are and what the science says," Giroir argued. "Science says small gatherings outdoors is fine."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican representative of Kentucky, said that President Biden's warnings are "far out of step with what's already happening across the country" and that the president's advice was for an "alternate universe."
Rep. McConnell argued that Americans are already socially gathering in "small groups outdoors" in both Democratic and Republican states and in places both big and small. He even advised the president and his advisers to "get out more" to get a better feel of the real situation of America today. He said, "The country is not locked down waiting for July 4."
Biden argued that if citizens of the United States "let up now and stop being vigilant," the progress in eradicating the virus in the country would be "erased." He ordered citizens to continue to wear masks until the number of COVID cases decrease and until everyone becomes eligible to get a vaccine.
He called for more COVID restrictions such as continued social distancing and wearing of face masks and said that the country will need to comply with more COVID restrictions for longer if its citizens don't remain vigilant. This is despite recent findings proving that masks bring more harm to people than actually help keep them safe from the virus that first spread in Wuhan, China.
The Western Journal's Taylor Penley argued in an op-ed that such language that President Biden is using to threaten to cancel July 4 celebrations unless everyone obeys COVID restrictions is indicative of his real intentions, which is to "treat individual freedoms as 'reward' for compliance."
Penley argued that "Basic autonomy and fundamental freedoms are not rewards for 'good' behavior." Instead, Americans should mindfully make health-related decisions with COVID restrictions in mind, not blindly follow a government mandate that is driven by fear. Exercising precaution does not necessarily have to be government mandated, instead it should be a personal, informed choice.
