Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi have soaring rates of COVID-19 driven primarily by the very virulent delta variant. Obviously we border on three of those states and are headed in the same deadly direction. Proximity to Texas, Missouri and Arkansas guarantee that outcome because …

Naturally, and fatally, almost all these tragic data are found in rural counties with populations under 100,000 and thus 72 of our 77 counties fit that description. The exceptions are Oklahoma, Tulsa, Cleveland, Comanche and Canadian, listed in order of numeric size.

And, of course, our rural area is exactly one and the same that especially lacks adequate medical services – hospitals, doctors, nurses, health departments [five of our counties don’t even have one] – thus being prime places for delta to aggregate, breed and expand.

If this doesn’t get your attention, say, in Gotebo, Broken Bow, Altus or Apache, maybe the following will: If you are vaccinated regardless of where you live, your percent likelihood of being hospitalized or dying now from the pandemic is only 2% because 98% of the people falling into those two, sad circumstances are unvaccinated.

And it doesn’t matter whether you are young, middle aged or like me, old. Without a shot[s], delta has you on its radar screen.

So the question remains: Why would you behave like that? Very few people actually want to die when it can be avoided, yet there are hundreds of thousands of Okies who can’t/won’t find the time or place to get this lifesaving and simple solution to this disease.

This incredible level of stupidity is similar to being told that if you drive to Oklahoma City on any particular day you will expire from the experience. No one I know of would risk that and yet, day after day, week after week, month after month, so many of our fellow Okies are doing exactly that by staying home, ignoring the facts and simply waiting to be infected by primarily the deadliest variant, delta, which is also the easiest to transmit to others … like your spouse and/or kids.

OK, before you twist off about me sticking my nose into your business, be aware of the following: It is my business because without a change on your part – not mine – there is a very high chance the “country” part of our state, all 72 counties that qualify, will soon be the sixth hot spot in our nation similar the five listed above.

Come on, neighbors. The shots are free, almost completely painless, available in hundreds of locations, have nearly zero side effects and are 95%-plus guaranteed to protect you from great sickness and/or a miserable death. So unless you want to live like Evil Knievel and risk your life everyday, go get in your car and find a place that will vaccinate your ass … actually your left or right arms.

On behalf of the 45% of Oklahomans who have received at least one shot and the 38% who have taken two, I thank you; they thank you; and your extended family members thank you.

And, frankly, you should thank us for already taking care of our business and indirectly yours as well.

You’re welcome.