Over a week ago, while discussing the omicron variant, President Joe Biden and his administration issued a dire warning that a “winter of death” is coming to the unvaccinated. And while the data show that the unvaccinated are much more likely to die from COVID than the vaccinated, forecasting widespread death is hyperbolic political theater. Besides, Biden should be worried about the victims of the homicides plaguing the country’s cities. That’s the real forthcoming “winter of death.”
“But it’s here now, and it’s spreading, and it’s going to increase … We are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm,” Biden said. “But there’s good news: If you’re vaccinated, and you have your booster shot, you’re protected from severe illness and death.”
Biden had good intentions pushing people to get vaccinated. It is logical to assume he wants people to live, and the data show that the unvaccinated are much more likely to die from COVID than the vaccinated. However, Biden’s gloomy prediction is inconsistent, especially regarding people dying.
While he gave a doomsday warning for COVID, Biden should have included homicides which, arguably, represent just as serious a threat to life. For example, in Philadelphia, people are more likely to be shot than killed by COVID. In Chicago, more children have been shot than have died from COVID.
Homicides have exploded in the country during Biden’s first year. Sixteen cities have set new records for annual homicides in 2021. Philadelphia is the largest of these cities and has 550 homicides; the previous record was 500 set in 1990. Cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, while not setting records, have also seen a steep rise.
For a president predicting a “winter of death,” he has largely ignored the “year of killing” that has inundated the country. And while COVID and homicides are two entirely different things, it is certainly reasonable to expect Biden to sound as aggressive in tackling the homicide and violent crime wave in the country as he is with unvaccinated people.
The president should be concerned for the welfare and safety of all, not just those that perish from a virus — a virus Biden promised to end but has failed to do so.
