You know, I don’t agree with everything NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille (Shaq) O’Neal says — and there’s no place in a relatively free society where it’s written that we have to agree on everything — but more times than not he takes a very common sensical approach to different issues. And, I can totally respect and admire that.
During a Thursday appearance on “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” hosted by Nischelle Turner, “Shaq Diesel” revved up the horsepower when the topic of vaccine mandates came up.
“Look, I encourage everybody to be safe and take care of your family, I do,” Shaq said. “But there’s still some people that don’t wanna take it. And you shouldn’t have to be forced to take something you don’t want.”
Turner attempted to tell “The Big Aristotle” that she doesn’t “think people are being forced” to take vaccines, before immediately slightly walking back her take, noting that there is a vaccine mandate at CBS, her apparent employer.
“Shaq Fu” wasn’t having any of it and retorted that what Turner just said is essentially forcing people to get the jab. After saying “that’s forced” a few times no matter what Turner said, Shaq explained further.
“It is forced,” said Shaq, “cause if the man don’t take it, the man gonna get fired.”
Boom, lawyered! (For those that might’ve watched “How I Met Your Mother” back in the day.)
And the counterargument to that someone will always bring up is that you can always quit your job if you don’t like. That’s still an element of being forced into doing something. ‘Either do this, or you’re fired. Don’t like it? You can quit.’
Either way, you’re out of a job. With choice not being an option, that’s basically being required to do something by force. ‘Do this or don’t be able to maintain your livelihood.’
What’s the old saying, folks? If it walks, talks and acts like a duck, it must be a duck. Same church, different pew.