Johannesburg - The name, ironically, should have told it all: Novak Djokovic. In the end, the Australian government stood firm and intend to deport the tennis star after a federal court initially found that he had complied with the country’s requirements to enter safely.
Except he hadn’t. He had lied, or his agent had. What was crystal clear from the last fortnight of headline hogging examples of prima donna behaviour is that Djokovic doesn’t want to get vaccinated and has no intention of getting vaccinated. When it comes down to it, he doesn’t observe non-pharmacological interventions either: like isolating after being informed that he had tested positive.
The hysteria of his fans and the over-the-top theatrics of his parents is matched only by his own hubris. Djokovic is no martyr. He’s a celebrity who thought he could bend the world to his will, while everyone else has had to endure restrictive rules for the last two years. He’s not alone; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been another breathtaking example of privilege and entitlement, making rules for others only to break them when it suited him – and then blustering about it when he was caught out.
The biggest problem is not these oafs, but the effect their behaviour has on the sizeable minority that refuses to become vaccinated and ultimately the growing number of people who refuse to obey the rules that were put in place for the good of us all.
The world won’t necessarily come to an end because of their selfishness, but what will happen is it will that much longer to bring Covid-19 under control, with all the massive inconvenience to personal liberties, damage to the economy ‒ and death ‒ as the virus continues to mutate.
There shouldn’t be any hesitation anymore; get vaccinated or isolate yourself from those of us who are.
That’s your right. And it’s ours too.