GOP’s Lauren Boebert schooled in ‘Constitution 101’ after publishing Fox News op-ed

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) tried to split the difference on COVID-19 vaccines -- and she was hit with backlash.

The Colorado Republican published an op-ed on the Fox News website arguing that vaccinations were a personal choice that should be free of government involvement, saying that precautionary measures such as business closures and masking mandates were "anti-American bullcrap."

"For those that want the vaccine and believe it works, take it and don't be so concerned about those who made the decision not to," she wrote. "For those choosing not to, make sure it is an informed decision with your doctor."

"For those deemed most at-risk, please seek medical advice from a doctor on how best to protect yourself," Boebert continued. "That does not mean forcing the rest of us from living our lives, shutting down our businesses, closing our schools or forcing us to wear masks and stripping away our right to health care privacy."

"So far," she added, "my family and I have personally experienced all of that and think it is anti-American bullcrap."

But readers pointed out that infected individuals passed the virus along to others, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, and the government has previously required vaccines for other illnesses and the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly found those orders to be constitutional -- including as recently as Thursday, when Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied a request to block Indiana University's mandate.