Towards the end of 1993, rapper Ice Cube released an album entitled Lethal Injection. It remains one of my favorite collections of the artist’s work, as nostalgia from that period of time mixed with my changing worldview as a teenager melded nicely with the rapper’s content.
A lethal injection is an injection administered for the purposes of euthanasia or as a means of capital punishment. Regarding the current blogpost, and given the latest controversy surrounding Ice Cube, an individual’s choice not to take a potentially lethal injection of another kind warrants attention.
In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Ice Cube reportedly stated in reference to the COVID-19 so-called vaccination, “It wasn’t ready. It was six months, kind of rush job, and I didn’t feel safe,” as well as apparently expressing that his decision wound up costing him a $9 million film role.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in alignment with the Nuremberg Code, medical experimentation on the public was frowned upon. However, between 2019 and 2022, governments around the world arguably ignored the Code in relation to the COVID-19 so-called vaccination.
It’s worth noting that then-President Donald Trump is credited with having ushered in this abomination of malpractice by way of Operation Warp Speed. Warp speed is defined as an extremely high velocity, or as Ice Cube accurately stated, to “rush” something along.
Using the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) technique of disputation, I made a personal health decision not to receive the COVID-19 so-called vaccine, similar to Ice Cube. Noteworthy, my decision wasn’t made from an anti-vax (opposed to vaccination) point of view.
Rather than allowing irrational belief-driven emotions and public shaming actions to influence my behavior, I used logic and reason to inform my decision. I’m glad I did, given the increasing number of apparently healthy individuals, especially athletes, who now experience cardiovascular problems.
It seems as though every other week I read about another person between 18 and 40 intermittently succumbing to heart-related conditions. This simply wasn’t a usual occurrence prior to 2019, though legacy and social media outlets resoundingly declare otherwise.
I suspect that a significant number of people who received experimental COVID-19 treatment, and perhaps who have championed causes of governments across the globe, are currently experiencing cognitive dissonance—the perception of contradictory information and discomfort related to personally-held beliefs.
One may presume that if person X received the COVID-19 so-called vaccine, due to irrational belief in authoritative narratives, and there appears to be some evidence that the clot-shot is correlated with myocarditis—though person X is a true believer in the misinformation which led to receipt of the potentially lethal injection, it’s understandable how the individual may now experience discomfort with the notion that irrational behavior of the past could prove harmful in the present.
For instance, in a July 2023 study referencing COVID-19 booster so-called vaccines, researchers found that among 777 participants:
In conclusion, using active surveillance, mRNA-1273 vaccine-associated mild transient myocardial injury was found to be much more common than previously thought. It occurred in one out of 35 persons, was mild and transient, and more frequent in women versus men.
No matter how uncomfortable truth is, pushing through discomfort by challenging preciously-held beliefs very well may save a life. Ice Cube seems to get it, as do it, as neither of us got the potentially lethal injection.
Dear reader, if you succumbed to internal or external pressure to have received the COVID-19 so-called vaccine, I don’t fault you. Still, if you would like to know more about how to critically assess irrational beliefs—whether intrinsic or extrinsic—I may be able to help.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost old school hip hop REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
Alexander, H. (2023, July 25). Rapper Ice Cube tells Tucker Carlson why he refused the COVID shot in bizarre carpool interview in South Central LA: ‘The vaccine was a six month rush job:.’ Daily Mail. Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12337853/It-six-month-rush-job-Rapper-Ice-Cube-tells-Tucker-Carlson-didnt-trust-science-Covid-19-politicians-including-Obama-disappoint-bizarre-interview-South-Central-LA.html
Buergin, N., Lopez-Ayala, P., Hirsiger, J. R., Mueller, P., Median, D., Glarner, N., Rumora, K., Herrmann, T., Koechlin, L., Haaf, P., Rentsch, K., Battegay, M., Banderet, F., Berger, C. T., and Mueller, C. (2023, July 20). Sex-specific differences in myocardial injury incidence after COVID-19 mRNA-1273 booster vaccination. European Journal of Heart Failure. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ejhf.2978
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Enriquez, A. (2021, October 25). Q. How does fair use work for book covers, album covers, and movie posters? Penn State. Retrieved from https://psu.libanswers.com/faq/336502
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Hollings, D. (2023, May 18). Irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/irrational-beliefs
Hollings, D. (2023, January 8). Logic and reason. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/logic-and-reason
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Wikipedia. (n.d.). Donald Trump. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump
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Wikipedia. (n.d.). Operation Warp Speed. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Warp_Speed