Courage of your convictions

 This is a phrase I've heard a lot over the years and never really gave it any deep thought.   Christian martyrs who chose death over denouncing Christ had the courage of their convictions.  Heaven awaited if they stuck by their faith; and they chose that over caving to Roman mandates to denounce Christ.

They say good times create soft men and it is surely true.   I am filled with angst about losing my job even though I have savings and am not that many years from retirement, but I don't think I can bear the regret if I cave to sundown Joes illegal mandate.  I read so many folks saying "well I was never ever going to get this vaccine, but I'm not going to give up my seniority and current job perks to resist this illegal mandate" and just cringe.    I read other folks who cannot imagine how they'll provide for their family if they don't get the shots and I sympathize, while wishing they had embraced Dave Ramsey et al principles to get out of debt and have an emergency fund etc to where they would feel like they could resist the bullying at least for a couple of months.  I feel like the bullies would fold if a significant number of people said LOLGF instead of just caving immediately for short term safety/security of keeping their current jobs. 

My biggest concern is what comes next if the world governments keep this up and get 99% vaccinated and the rest isolated and covid is still around, as it will be; it is present in other species from what I have read.  So they got everybody vaccinated under the ruse of "we need this so the virus can't remain endemic"  What will they do when it is still out there?  I suspect that the PETA and green world neo nazis will surely help the totalitarians, high on their power trips, decide that the next step is we have to get rid of pets of all species that carry the virus.   These groups despise people spending money on pets instead of some gub'mint or NGO nannies deciding what to do with that money.  Pet owners will likely be the new wreckers who are selfishly putting their communities at risk and must give up their foolish notions that they are entitled to the personal enrichment they get from having pets.   They'll probably target livestock as well, they are already trying to push people away from eating meat.