My Take on the Corona Virus

I can no longer force myself to watch the daily Donald Trump dog and pony show. I get angry. Every day I wish that somehow Trump and his faithful puppy Mike Pence would suddenly disappear, leaving the stage to the people who could intelligently speak of concrete substance and facts without fear of embarrassing their boss or being fired. I am convinced that Trump has given Pence a mandate to say at least five times at each daily briefing, "...under the leadership of the president..."

Trump is dangerous. He's like a ship without a rudder, just blowing with the wind. He constantly contradicts himself; voices opinions based on nothing, and displays childish attitudes towards governors and world leaders who disagree with him. It is unfathomable to me that anyone would look to him for leadership, or pay any attention at all to anything he says or does. He should be treated like the child he is...given a spanking and be sent to stand in a corner.

It is so obvious that from the very beginning of the corona virus onset that he has downplayed the danger, and has been dragged along into taking positive action by people who are knowledgeable and publicly credible. And then he takes credit for those actions. Or denies he ever said or did anything to the contrary. 

What is most irritating is the constant bickering between Trump and the governors. Trump generally parrots that there are sufficient supplies while the governors claim differently. Trump speaks of the tremendous efforts of private and government agencies working around the clock to produce millions of needed supplies that are being delivered or will be delivered soon, while the governors ask, "Where are these supplies?" Why can't Trump or someone in the administration specifically state that X numbers of M-95 masks were produced by the A, B and C companies and were shipped via carrier D to the cities of E, F and G on Tuesday the Xth? That would give the governors, the press and us citizens the actual facts, rather than the vague references to our "massive production capabilities" that somehow can't supply the basic needs of a small New York hospital. When New York governor Cuomo says he needs X amount of supplies, he usually supports his request with solid reasoning. Trump on the other hand has no problem saying,"...he doesn't need that many", without providing any basis for his opinion. It's as if he doesn't need to justify his judgments because he's Donald Trump, the possessor of a mystical omnipotence far above the comprehension of us lessor beings. 

The federal government and some state governors including my own state of Georgia governor who continues to screw up daily have been late to the party. Okay, that situation is behind us, but by now there should be a unified approach to combat the virus. There isn't. Not among state and federal agencies, certainly not from Trump, and not among us citizens. Let me explain that last comment about we the public.

The city of Fort Oglethorpe Georgia is a small but growing city. It has many newly constructed residential areas and a commercial downtown with many of the familiar big name department and grocery stores. Despite federal and local authorities pleading with the people to stay home unless absolutely necessary, two of those businesses; Home Depot and Lowes are constantly packed with people who are buying home and garden items, apparently to use the stay-at-home time to do projects. In a recent discussion with a friend I mentioned that Maribel and I don't enter any public establishment unless absolutely necessary, and then only when wearing a mask and gloves. He looked at me and voiced an incredulous, "Really???" As if what we're doing was absurd. 

What I wanted to respond to him but didn't was, "Do you realize that Atlanta, with the country's busiest airport is a two-hour drive from here? The same for Nashville? And that downtown Chattanooga is twenty minutes away? Do you think that of the hundreds of people you're crossing paths with in Home Depot or Lowes, that none of them have been to the cities I mentioned, or at least have had contact with people who have been? And that of all of those people, none of them are carrying the corona virus?" 

I would liked to have told him but didn't, that Maribel and I are basing our practice of staying home and wearing masks and gloves when outside on the medical advice and guidelines that are being offered every minute of every day by medical experts on television and radio. I would liked to have asked him but didn't, what concrete evidence he is basing his nonchalant attitude on, other than his feeling that, "...it's not going to be so bad."

It's entirely possible that the virus will run it's course with a minimum of deaths. It's also possible that hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. The debate will continue even when the virus is over. If there are a minimum of deaths, those who chose to ignore precautions will say they were right, that the virus simply ran its own course, while those of us who took protective measures will say that the minimum deaths were a result of taking those precautions. Neither side will be able to prove their view. But one thing is certain. There will be committees and sub-committees and investigative bodies all spending enormous amounts of time and money building their cases to point fingers and place blame. 

It is my sincere hope that the failed leadership of Donald Trump will be fully exposed. But probably not. He will likely be reelected in November. And I will shake my head in wonder.