I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the bill introduced by a Coventry Democrat and 8 sponsors which would make vaccination status a protected class under the state law that bars discrimination on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation. Perhaps the only other more foolish legislation thus far in the General Assembly was a bill which would prohibit teachers from teaching “divisive concepts” on race in Rhode Island. That’s exactly what students need — a sanitized history devoid of the full context of events so they can continue on the path of ignorance.

The discrimination legislation, however, not only is a bad idea in and of itself but it also trivializes the very persons who experience real discrimination. A black person experiences discrimination solely on the basis of his/her skin color. He doesn’t harm anyone by his mere existence. A person who is unvaccinated can chose to be so but others have a right to prevent the vaccine scorner from transmitting disease to them.

Take a restauranteur who is finally getting back to business. His young waitpersons are not vaccinated yet. Should they be exposed to those patrons who won’t wear masks or socially distance themselves or who won’t get vaccinated? Similarly, should a diner be exposed to a waitperson who used no precautions? Once a dining spot gets a reputation for communicating illness, it’s on its way out of business. So much for economic recovery.

Except for a medical reason or a religious ground (and even that should be a narrow exception) why should society have to be threatened by those who are uneducated about the vaccine? Do we countenance children who haven’t been inoculated against diphtheria, rubella, chickenpox, polio, etc. to enter school? To prevent disease outbreaks at least 70 percent of a population must be immunized depending upon the disease. Unvaccinated children put the community at a greater risk of severe vaccine-preventable illnesses.

Many countries mandate shots before a traveler can visit. Should the United States allow visitors to come to the United States without proof of any vaccinations, including COVID? Preventable vaccines curb epidemics and in the case of coronavirus which has caused conservatively close to 3 million deaths worldwide and exceeded 117 million cases the threat to health is massive, as the virus mutates.

The legislator who put in the legislation said he did so because some of his constituents fear they will lose their jobs. Well, the rest of the folks with whom they work shouldn’t be exposed. His voters might want to change jobs to uphold their beliefs. Further, his bill would prevent the governor from mandating vaccination in a state of emergency.

I am not enamored of Big Brother but there is a social responsibility to the community to do all in one’s power not to kill your neighbor or seriously harm him. I don’t want to be in an elevator with unmasked and uninoculated folks who just returned from spring break. They don’t share the same risk of pushing up daisies as I do at my age.

To the legislators who voted to table the bill for “further study” thank you for saving citizens, businesses and even the vaccine skeptics from themselves. For now, the “common good” has prevailed.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.