‘What’s In It For Us?’ podcast tackles Capitol riots, coronavirus vaccine

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This week on the What’s In Tt For Us? podcast, Dr. Christina Greer and Dr. Jason Johnson examine the Capitol riots in Washington D.C., the economic nature of the siege, and how Black America is faring with the COVID-19 vaccines. The pair are joined by guest Dr. Florencia Greer Polite.

“The face of white women behind this type of violence,” Dr. Johnson says in regards to last week’s Capitol insurrection.

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On January 6, many of us woke up celebrating the work of Black woman, who delivered two U.S. senators from the state of Georgia (the first Black man and Jewish man to represent the state). But instead, our nation’s attention was turned to the attempted coup of the Capitol by Proud Boys and conservative groups.

Following the riots, Dr. Johnson notes that the “same people who supported the Muslim ban” are the same people who’ve now been added to the no-fly lists. He adds that you cannot vandalize the Capitol, check out your hotel, and go fly back home without any consequences. Dr. Greer remarks that the “unmitigated gaul” of white people believing they can’t get punished is due to perceiving white adults as children, e.g. Donald Trump’s fully grown children.

“What are these people so angry about? They don’t feel powerful enough, physically, emotionally, and sexually disempowered. That’s why the far right always talk about cuckolds,” says Dr. Johnson.

theGrio’s host also tackled another pressing subject: coronavirus. Now that the vaccines are rolling out in sequences, Dr. Greer Polite lets our audience know: 

1. There’s no live virus in the vaccine. Meaning the vaccine has a mRNA particle that goes into the body and tells the body, “Hey, this is the program to make antibodies” against coronavirus. 
2. All of medicine is risk versus benefits. Most scientists and doctors believe the overall risks are relatively low, and certainly outweigh the risks of contracting the coronavirus.
3. After receiving both vaccines, there’s a 95% chance of not getting COVID-19 in the future. 
4. The vaccine is currently under the FDA’s “emergency use authorization.” Meaning the FDA is allowing early release of the vaccine due to the pandemic, which is rare. 

“We don’t like it if it’s tested on us, and we don’t like it when it’s not tested on us. That’s a hard one,” says Greer Polite.

A large percentage of people want to wait before receiving the vaccine, but Greer Polite lets us know that sitting around and waiting to see long-term results may not be the best option. The vaccine having an emergency pass does not mean trial and error, she adds. Side effects may show up after taking the vaccine, but the medical community is willing to accept the side effects to save lives. 

Herd immunity is estimated at 60 to 90 percent, Greer Polite. That means a large swathe of the U.S. population would have to receive the vaccinations, combined with people surviving virus. It’s going to take a long time before reaching herd immunity.

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As we continue to stay informed on the COVID-19 pandemic, stay tuned to What’s In It For Us, the funny, politically edgy Black commentary podcast. 

Now streaming on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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