Let me start by saying that this article is going to be laced with opinion. As a contributor here, I am in no way bound to 'play it right down the middle' or present just-the-facts type news. If I have an opinion, know damn well that I shall opine.

And this guy has me shaking my head, all day long.

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Meet State Representative Steve Carra. He's a Republican who represents Michigan's 59th district, which includes St. Joseph County in Southwest Michigan.

Carra refuses to get the COVID-19 vaccine and thinks that if you want it, you should have to go to your doctor's office and pay for it yourself.

He cites emergency use authorization of the vaccine and government-imposed vaccine records as his main reasons for refusing to take the vaccine.

"It's an emergency-use only authorization," he tells WDIV in the video below. "Just the amount of pressure that government is putting/imposing, or even talking about vaccine passports."

Afraid of vaccine records? I'm willing to bet he carries a cellphone and uses the internet. Theoretically, every keystroke and every move you make can be traced if need be. Additionally, the government has made no mandates for vaccine passports.

Carra touts the importance of Vitamin D and Hydroxychloroquine in order to combat the risk of coronavirus.

Again, the use of Hydroxychloroquine has been shown to be ineffective as a measure to stave off coronavirus infection.

And here's the big one:  Carra has voted against government funding for COVID-19 vaccines, saying it should be up to individuals to pay for them. He also says "funding for contact tracing and surveillance without a warrant is intrusive and inappropriate governance."

“Somebody who wants to pay $50, $60, $70, go to the doctor at a copay and get [the] COVID-19 [vaccine] and pay 50 bucks for it in the private sector, and insurance companies all in a private sector fashion.”

WDIV pressed Carra on that notion, saying that ideology would put the vaccine out of reach for many low-income individuals. Carra then flippantly suggested giving up cellphone service in order to pay for the vaccine out of pocket.

"How many of those people also have a cellphone?" he quipped. "Maybe you not have a cellphone for a month."

Please. We have been dealing with this for more than a year. More than a half-million Americans have lost their lives to coronavirus.

There's a light at the end of the tunnel but we're not there yet. The only way we're going to get to that light is to get the vast majority of people around the world inoculated against this insidious disease.

Change my mind in the comments section or on Facebook. Pro Tip:  You won't.

And one last thing. Get the damn vaccine.

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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