Politics and our health

Shannon Bohrer

"When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not Guilty'." - President Theodore Roosevelt

(9/2021) Politics can be a strange business, and many would say that is an understatement. During the last two years, and this one is just half over, numerous politicians have demonstrated how facts and the truth can be twisted so as not to remotely resemble either. Some may say, that is their normal behavior. But when dealing with a pandemic, the peddling of false or misleading information has consequences. We should expect their words and actions at a minimum - would not put us in harm’s way.

In our current situation, dealing with Covid-19, the spreading false information and denying the truth is not just putting citizens at risk; it amplifies the danger. The misinformation and false claims have endangered us in three ways. The first is by creating and repeating incorrect information. The second is with silence, which is ignoring the truth. And the third is poor governance that adds to our endangerment. All three have contributed to our current situation.

When we became aware of the Covid-19 pandemic, the spreading and endorsing of false information began almost immediately. The previous administration downplayed the severity and spread false information. In May of 2020, Trump said the coronavirus was created by the Chinese, and they hid the fact that it was released. That conflicts with what the "very stable genius" said in February, that he trusted the Chinese. Which was the truth, or were both lies? Trump also said the "country had just a handful of cases and matters were well under control."

Some early false claims were, Covid -19 does not affect young people, and most people that contract it feel it's no worse than the flu. Then he elevated the misinformation with the possible miracle cures, like hydroxychloroquine and bleach. It was said and often repeated that in a few months, it will disappear. On July 4th, Trump said, "Now we have tested, almost 40 million people. By so doing, we show cases -- 99% of which are totally harmless." The truth was that 4.5 % of all cases, at that time, ended in death. When the U.S. Death toll hit 60,000, Trump predicted that the death toll would stop short of 100,000 but would probably be less.

The false and misleading information was enhanced and spread by several news and television networks. If the president said something, and you watched the news that repeated it, you may have believed it. Sometimes the false information started on news stations and social media and was repeated by the administration, and all while people were contracting the virus, getting sick, and dying.

Numerous members of congress also repeated and spread false information. Senator Joni Ernst suggested that doctors were inflating the fatalities -to make money. Others, when asked, would not comment, often replying that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. The science around the virus has evolved, as one would expect, but continuing to put forth opinions that conflict with the science, is not just a different opinion, it is a lie. When in a pandemic, putting forth false facts increases the probability of harm.

We all know how the pandemic ended – the first time, when over 600,000 people died. Now that we are in another phase with the Delta strain, we don’t know when that will end. The doctors and scientists are telling us that the new variant is more contagious, and the number of infections is rising, especially in states with low vaccination rates. Simultaneously, there are states (eight at this time) that have passed laws barring schools from requiring students to wear a mask. There are also eight states that have barred schools from requiring Covid – 19 vaccinations. These laws do not seem like an informed or educated policy, especially since young children cannot yet be vaccinated. Now with a more contagious and deadly disease, they prohibit young children from even wearing a mask. These actions almost seem intentional, with the intent of putting persons in harmful situations. Is this deliberate governance negligence?

The prohibition(s) in some states even prevents private businesses from asking if someone is vaccinated or requiring vaccination as a condition of employment. The party that has always pushed for free enterprise and fewer government regulations, especially for private industry, is now regulating them. Why is it legal to say, No Shirt No Shoes No Service, but it is illegal in some jurisdictions to say, No Shirt, No Shoes, No mask, No Service. What happened to the party of free markets? The prohibitions are inconsistent with what they say they believe; of course, they are also inconsistent with the science. The party that is always complaining about government overreach is telling private industry they cannot protect their businesses, or their customers, which seems like government overreach.

In Florida, the government passed laws forbidding the cruise ship industry from asking passengers if they have been vaccinated. All businesses are prohibited from requiring proof of vaccinations. The law imposes a maximum fine of $5,000 - for each violation. It was reported that two cruise lines are ignoring the law. I believe the lawyers for the cruise ship industries are already filing papers in courtrooms.

The party that is obsessed with fewer government regulations and government overreach is enacting laws that resemble government overreach. They say they believe the vaccine is a personal choice and should not be questioned. And yet, in most school districts, students are required to show proof of vaccines for Chicken Pox, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Polio, to attend school. No mask and no questions, while the country is in a pandemic that is increasing with the new variant does not make sense.

The party enacting these laws is driving in the wrong direction, telling us they are going the right way. Additionally, they seem to be wearing blinders, not seeing the dangers, and missing the warning signs of another major phase of the pandemic, the delta version. The more they are questioned, the faster they go, in the wrong direction. Their laws and policies could result in a head-on collision, with millions be struck with the virus. The sad truth is that a lot of their motivations – are based on lies that have never stopped.

"In our country, the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 1974

While lying is not a pillar of our country, it is becoming the pillar of one party.