Robert Picard is offering Star Trek fans a free autograph.
He’s not a real doctor, but he did play one on TV and played a dang fine one at that. Robert Picardo is known to many as The Doctor, the emergency medical hologram (aka EMH) from Star Trek: Voyager. During his time on the ship, the Doctor proved to be a kind, compassionate and interesting character that captivated the hearts and minds of those who watched. Now, Picardo is trying to be those things for some in real life.
With the number of unvaccinated being lower than expected and needed to combat Covid-19, many are trying to get creative by helping to urge the unvaccinated to get their shots. Picardo’s idea was to offer anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated a free autograph if they get their first shot within seven days of his tweet.
He’s also holding those who aren’t vaccinated yet accountable by requiring an explanation as to why they waited so long. Sure, it’s a bit overbearing but his heart is in the right place.
I’ll gladly offer a free autographed photo to any #unvaccinated @StarTrek fan who gets a vaccination in the next 7 days. Will require proof of vax, a SASE & an answer to the following question: Why’d you wait until you were offered a free signed @StarTrek photo to get vaccinated?
— Robert Picardo (@RobertPicardo) July 27, 2021
Robert Picardo came up with a unique idea, that’s for sure
Your personal politics aside, it’s pretty ingenious to offer up a free autograph to help convince people to get vaccinated. It’s not money, granted, but if you’re a big enough Star Trek fan it may do the trick.
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While the pandemic and vaccines have been politicized by both sides of the aisle in the United States, one only has to look outside of the country to see that this is a serious issue. No government is pretending it doesn’t exist and many political opponents, even stateside, are even urging those who aren’t vaccinated to get vaccinated.
While asking someone why they waited may seem innocent enough, maybe even trying to better understand one’s reasons why they decided to go ahead and do it, it has to be mentioned that Picard’s request for an explanation comes off more as a demand and may hinder his own efforts.
I’d be far less concerned with the “why” and more about getting as many people protected as possible. Hopefully, Picardo follows through with his promise and doesn’t hold the question over people’s heads. It’s fine to want to understand why someone thinks the way that they do, but it’s not ok to chastise them for it.