People in this N.C. county aren't getting the COVID-19 shot -- and are proud of it

[TexasTowelie]

WHITEVILLE — For months, Earl Nealey laughed off COVID-19, resisting pressure to get vaccinated, telling the world protection doesn’t come from a syringe.

But his Whiteville pharmacist kept after him, and on Thursday, Angela Soles finally broke through Nealey’s stubborn hide. She arranged free vaccines inside Guiton’s Drug Store — a pharmacy so old-school it still serves orangeade at a soda fountain. And 30 seconds after Nealey sat down for his jab, he looked and asked, “That’s it?”

“I’ve got the Lord with me,” said Nealy, 59. “I ain’t worried about it. But everybody’s saying, if I did get it, I won’t end up on a respirator. So I’m here today and now everybody can leave me alone.”

Nealey’s shot was the 38th given at Guiton’s on Thursday, a triumphant dent in the pandemic considering that Columbus County owns the state’s highest rate for COVID-19 and one of the lowest for vaccinations.

Read more: https://greensboro.com/news/state-and-regional/people-in-this-n-c-county-arent-getting-the-covid-19-shot-and-are-proud/article_226030e3-fede-5513-906a-d601c3fb1f37.html
(Greensboro News & Record)

[sheshe2]

1. Whiteville, NC

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Yep, pronounced "weyed vull" and one of my best friend's was from there.

I loved her like a sister. She was 98 pounds of human dynamo. The best RN you'd ever meet. She died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm. I really miss her.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I hope they are equally proud of getting real sick, being put on a ventilator, and

dying. Hope they think the funerals they'll be attending are something to be proud of.

Assholes.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Salt of the earth.

It's worth it to read the whole article. It's not behind a paywall.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. Yeah, I've read it.

And I've just had it with people who are proud of their willful ignorance.

[littlemissmartypants]

5. Thanks so much for sharing this, TT. ❤

[TexasTowelie]

6. You're welcome.

By now you know that I poke around in the secondary newspapers and articles below the fold that might otherwise get ignored. It makes it worth my time to do the digging when I know that other DUers appreciate and learn from the posts that I made.

[littlemissmartypants]

7. ❤ nt

[blm]

11. Sure do. You're the best!

[Grokenstein]

8. "and now everybody can leave me alone."

Hard to imagine anything giving them more pleasure--Earl sounds like an absolute delight to be around, sarcasm tag.

Maybe one day he'll be grateful "everybody"--especially Dr. Soles--gave enough of a damn about him to convince him to protect himself and defend his community.

[littlemissmartypants]

9. Time will tell. nt

[Ford_Prefect]

10. One more benefit of our glorious racist past...