“When you test you have a case. When you test you find something is wrong with people. If we didn’t do any testing we would have very few cases. It could be that testing, frankly, is overrated.”
This is an exact quote from our current President. I’ve heard reports that Trump and his cronies are tested everyday in the West Wing ‒ but they apparently don’t feel the need to test ‘everyday’ Americans for the coronavirus. The President has consistently downplayed the threat from COVID-19, ignoring advice from his own team of world renowned scientists and epidemiologists. Case in point: he squelched demands for more testing from the CDC right from the git-go.
And now look where we are…
‘We the People’ are battling a catastrophic pandemic… over 90,000 deaths so far… and Trump is talking about ‘Obamagate’? Just one of a score of ridiculous conspiracy theories he drags out to shake things up, creating a time-wasting diversion.
Trump sounds like a sleazy confidence man hyping snake-oil remedies for the coronvirus (or whatever ails you). From warming temperatures and sunlight, to the life-threatening drug hydroxychloroquine. And if that’s not enough, he wondered out loud what his scientists thought about injecting Lysol and chugging Clorox. He even suggested using ultraviolet light or other “strong light sources” as a remedy – either through the skin, or other ways. (Perhaps up the rectal orifice?) This would be hilarious if it wasn’t so outrageously dangerous. And many people who buy this magical BS believe Trump is the ‘Chosen One.’
Scientists are working around-the-clock on an effective vaccine. Trump announced his new brainstorm ‒ Operation Warp Speed – and told us that a vaccine will be ready in months (by election time?)
Many scientists believe a safe vaccine is most likely years away, and to rush the testing and trials would be ludicrous. So the President adjusted his predictions to January, 2021; and then even further out. So much for Operation Warped Thinking.
Now he says: “Vaccine or no vaccine . . . we’re back!”
Yep. We’re back alright. People are following the President’s lead, starting with ripping off their face masks. Forty-eight states have abandoned ‘stay at home’ policies and have opened theaters, nightclubs, bars, churches, restaurants, amusement parks, massage parlors, tattoo shops, exercise gyms, and many more “essentials.” They have cast their fate to the wind, but Trump’s handling of the pandemic is nothing less than chaotic. Impatient Americans have hit the streets , screaming ‘freedom’ at the top of their lungs. But this is not real freedom; this is a childlike desire to do anything you wish. It’s anarchy, and it’s utterly irresponsible.
In America, the total of confirmed cases of coronavirus is over 1.5 million. The death rate is estimated at 2,000 per day and ‒ with ending lock-downs ‒ some expect it to reach 3,000 a day in the month of June. Epidemiologists are predicting at least 250,000 deaths by year’s end, due to a rush for normalcy. How many people will die without masks, distancing, and a proper, uniform ‘national plan’ before scientists finally give us a viable vaccine? We all want to get back to work and get the economy kick-started, but it’s only been a matter of months waging war on this heinous enemy.
Earlier this month, the President said, “We have met the moment and we have prevailed.” You’ve got to be fricking kidding! Could you imagine declaring victory only a few months into World War II? This isn’t leadership. It’s lunacy…
Trump should call for a National Day of Mourning to honor the victims and their families. But that sentiment requires compassion and empathy – qualities the President sorely lacks. He evidently has given up the fight and has shifted openly to his main concern from the beginning: the economy. This is premature and will inevitably backfire. His rationale: what’s a few 100,000 deaths when we have a population of over 330 million clamoring for normalcy?
This is a wake-up call, and Trump supporters are sleeping through the snooze alarm.
In November, 2020, we will cast our votes in one of the most important elections in American history. Unfortunately, Trump will make this a nasty campaign froth with voter suppression, lies and trickery, conspiracy theories and character assassination.
America is in the balance. If the American people really want ‘normalcy,’ then we should decisively vote Trump out of office.
DC has been a frustrated musician for over fifty years, and now has decided to become a frustrated writer. Learn more at DCDuncan.com. He’ll keep you posted.