QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has resorted to attacking the NBA as part of her ridiculous war on vaccine mandates, even going so far as to ignorantly compare the coronavirus to HIV.

After 700,000 Americans have already died from the virus and as the Delta variant of the virus continues to spread among the unvaccinated, it’s more important to get vaccinated than ever before. But Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving refuses to get vaccinated despite New York City’s vaccine mandate, resulting in the team sitting him. He won’t be able to participate in games or practice with the team until he complies.

Of course, anti-vaxxers like Greene are trying to turn Irving into a martyr for their cause. In a Twitter post, Greene called the NBA “fascist” and then compared COVID-19 to HIV while referencing Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who was forced to retire after contracting the virus in the early 1990s. Johnson would go on to play in the 1992 Olympic Games with the Dream Team, played in the All-Star Game that same year, and resumed playing with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 before retiring for the final time that same year.

The problem is that HIV is not spread through the air like coronavirus. HIV can only be contracted through bodily fluids, such as those shared during sexual intercourse, or by sharing needles.

Also, players objected to Johnson returning to the court in 1992 when he returned to NBA play, forcing him to sit out until he played for a final 36 games during the 1996 season. So, it certainly seems like the NBA did not let Johnson play. If Johnson could not play, Irving especially should be barred from the court. Coronavirus has killed more Americans than HIV ever did and is highly transmissible.

Greene’s ignorance drew swift mockery in response.

This is why all political candidates should be required to have scientific literacy. Just one game would be enough for COVID-19 to spread to all the players, staff, and fans. That makes Kyrie Irving a threat to public health and safety, and so is Greene.

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