Sage Steel is a young, attractive black woman who works for ESPN. She is also slender and appears quite fit. However, ESPN gave her an ultimatum. They said you either get the COVID vaccine shot, or lose your job. Against her wishes she took the shot to save her career.

I would love to ask Ms. Steel two questions. One is why she didn’t want to take the vaccine. The other is how she felt about having to make this kind of decision at all.

There are many reasons why people don’t want to take this vaccine. One of the reasons is that people just don’t trust it. And given how the vaccine and the virus itself has become so politicized, I don’t blame them. Another is that many people have already recovered from the virus. They have natural immunity, which is a step towards herd immunity. And isn’t herd immunity what everyone has wanted all along?

I don’t know about Ms. Steel, but if I was made to do something against my wishes like she had to do, I would feel violated. I would also feel anger, disrespected, and somewhat humiliated. Sadly, sometimes we have no choice.

I hope Sage Steel is OK. Maybe her doctor told her the vaccine is fine, take the shot, and save your career.

As for ESPN? They’re just another politically correct coward company trying to tow some self-serving line. We all want people to be healthy. This is just not the way to go about it.

— Allan Gilmour

Salisbury