After following many articles in the LA Times about police and fire fighters refusal to vaccinate and then reading Gustavo Arellano's column, "Public workers' very public tantrum," Two sayings I have tried to live by came to mind, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade," and "When circumstances seem bad and unchangeable, the one thing you can change is your attitude."
So what if all these police officers and fire fighters do quit over protecting us from a deadly disease. Maybe it wouldn't be as terrible as they suggest. Rather than defunding the police we have a chance to re-people the police. Here is an unprecedented opportunity rid ourselves of the blue, "Good old boys," club, the tattooed,"Police gang mentality," and change the, "Them or us," police culture so detrimental to honest, effective law enforcement. Maybe we can have a better trained more helpful law enforcement community reflecting what we actually have learned since the days of Wyatt Earp.
As for fire fighters this to may be a blessing. Given the push back from the rank and file against women fire fighters maybe that culture needs some new blood as well.There really isn't room for archaic misogynistic, racist attitudes in our public employees. Seriously, what mother would want their child pulled from a burning building only to have him or her die from covid-19 or pass this deadly disease on to older family members.
To be totally Machiavellian, there is the issue of pensions. If , as threatened, all these miscreant public employees quit there may be a benefit to us by saving a bunch of money not paying for their retirements.
And, I kinda like lemonade