Over the last year, not many public figures have been more polarizing than Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. During his weekly appearances on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers has pulled no punches and left no question where he stands, with a lot of things.
That can be respected. I would rather know where someone stands on particular issues than be left in the dark. I consider myself to be an open-minded person, with a sound base in logic. But just because I am willing to listed does not mean I agree.
Rodgers has commented on a wide range of issues. They range from the President, the COVID-19 vaccine, conspiracy theories, and alleged censorship.
During an appearance last month, Rodgers took aim at President Joe Biden.
“When the president of the United States says, ‘This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,' it's because him and his constituents, which, I don't know how there are any if you watch any of his attempts at public speaking, but I guess he got 81 million votes… But when you say stuff like that, and then you have the CDC, which, how do you even trust them, but then they come out and talk about 75% of the COVID deaths have at least four comorbidities. And you still have this fake White House set saying that this is the pandemic of the unvaccinated, that's not helping the conversation.”
Even if Rodgers is correct, that having the President saying such a statement does not help the conversation, that does not make make his beliefs correct or accurate. Nor does it make his espousing opinions beneficial to the overall discussion either.
As noted by ESPN senior writer Kevin Van Velkerburg, Rodgers on New Year's Day took to social media. He recommended a 3-hour interview done by Joe Rogan. Rogan interviewed Dr. Robert Malone. Dr. Malone is a virologist who was once a respected member of the scientific community. Recently, Dr. Malone has been spewing comparisons between COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the United States to that of Nazi Germany in the 1920's and 1930's.
I am not calling into question Dr. Malone's credibility as a virologist. But these assertions should be left to anthropologists, not scientists. Nazi German saw the killing and murder of millions of people, by other people. The global pandemic that we are all dealing with is a public health crisis. To compare these two things is an act of lunacy.
Dr. Malone has seen been banned from social media outlets for spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. For Rodgers to recommend people listen to this man make such blatant falsehoods is dangerous.
Rodgers did not balk when it has come to his thoughts on censorship either.
“When in the course of human history has the side that's doing the censoring and trying to shut people up and make them show papers and marginalize a part of the community ever been (the correct side)… We're censoring dissenting opinions? What are we trying to do? Save people from being able to determine the validity on their own or to listen and to think about things and come to their own conclusion? Freedom of speech is dangerous now if it doesn't align with the mainstream narrative?”
I agree that people should have the right to believe in and speak their opinion. I also believe we should do our own research. Then we make our own decisions based on the information provided, assuming it is accurate. It's why I have always considered myself an independent. It logically makes sense to take every issue separate from the other.
But part of the problem is the amount of false information that is being digested by people with influence. In the new world world social media has emerged as a news source, incorrect, unverified information is spread four to five times faster than actual news. It's a scary time to be living when science is discredited by opinions of the ignorant, whether they are aware of their ignorance or not.
If you are listening, Rodgers only wants to be heard. He wants others to be heard, from both sides. He strongly believes in the ability to speak your own thoughts without fear of being censored or made to feel bad about expressing your opinions. I think we can all agree to that sentiment. That's what our forefathers fought for in establishing the First Amendment.
When millions of people are dying across the globe due to COVID-19, we have to measure the importance of human life.
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