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As a white male, I have no idea how hard it is to be Black in our society. They (Black Americans) have to sift through issues with centuries of mistreatment (to put it mildly) from the national, state, and local authorities behind them. And while I believe that the COVID vaccinations are safe and are not a replay of the Tuskegee Syphilis "Study" between 1932 and 1972, I am not going to judge them for being apprehensive about it.

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Certain communities in the US definitely have more reason to be distrustful of the US government than others. That doesn’t change the fact that not getting vaccinated damages those communities. However you shake it, guys like Leonard that are looked up to are doing their communities a disservice by being anti-vax. I can understand why someone is distrustful and yet still judge them for not doing the research. This is a global pandemic. The vaccine is not isolated to the US and being pushed by the government to only or primarily the AA community. It doesn’t take that long to figure out this is something you need to do. Especially when your community has been particularly hard hit. Native Americans have a hell of a lot or reasons to distrust the US government, but they have a relatively high vaccination rate. Leaders within their communities have pushed vaccinations. Leonard is a hell of a football player, but I can still judge him as a leader for the Colts and his community by his actions. Just as I judge Kirk Cousins for his. Both fall way short IMO - regardless of their skin color or their reasons.

Well, it is what it is. People throw the term around like Santa with candy in a parade, but you took offense when I did it. Such is life in 2021.

Exactly! That was my point, but there are people who take offense at the choice of words and miss the intent completely.

Indians were not given this treatment:
The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male[1][2][3] (informally referred to as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment or Tuskegee Syphilis Study) was an ethically abusive study conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[4][5] The purpose of this study was to observe the natural history of untreated syphilis. Although the African-American men who participated in the study were told that they were receiving free health care from the federal government of the United States, they were not.

Can't you see how this would seem like a similar thing to them?

With even a little research, no I can’t understand how Tuskegee looks similar. This is on a global scale and being given to people of all races - not just African Americans. I understand the general distrust with the government and it is unfortunately well earned. However, throwing up your hands and watching your community suffer is not the acceptable answer IMO. Leaders lead. It’s not that hard to understand.

Do you think what he is doing is smart? Do you think it is well informed? And most importantly, do you think it benefits his community? I’m sure Leonard believes he has reasons. Just as Cousins and Beasley do. That doesn’t change the way I will judge all three. They have either not researched it or they have researched it and came to the conclusion it is better to risk Covid. They do this as millionaires with large voices and plenty of access to information. And as guys that will have access to the absolute best health care available if they get sick and with little worry about major medical bills. I judge all three for the harm they are doing. You can give Leonard a pass if you want.

Go to South Dakota to the Rosebud and/or Wounded Knee reservations. They had their children taken from them and sent to boarding schools to be made civilized. They were exposed to all of the white European diseases, from plague to small pox. Forced onto small tracks of land, these tribes were forced to become welfare groups than the migratory species that they had become to overcome the temperature swings of the great plains.

If you havent been to a western reservation, stop typing

I have tried to practice empathy and understanding in how I judge others. That is all I am trying to do here by looking for a way for you guys to show empathy to Leonard. Maybe he has a reason that he sees as valid. Agree or disagree, whichever you choose. I choose to try to find out why.

While I am sympathetic to their plight, I do not see the correlation. What was done to them was horrible. However, Blacks were sold a free treatment, which was actually not treatment, but an experiment. They were turned into guinea pigs, for Christ's sake. The diseases Native Americans contracted were not transmitted with intent. Apples and oranges situations here.

I have no empathy towards Leonard in this regard. And I see no reason he needs it. His decision will likely cause him to suffer little more than judgement by some like me. Maybe he’ll get a lot of people angry if he misses a football game. I’ll save my empathy for the people who lack the resources of Leonard, Cousins, or Beasley who follow their lead and will actually suffer real world consequences.