First, allow
me to apologize to the readers for the several missed columns over the past
months. I have been having health issues
and have spent a lot of time in the hospital. I am deeply indebted, and
grateful to FFOA for their understanding in this difficult time.
Funny thing
about being in the hospital, you spend a lot of time watching TV. If you are me, it’s mostly news 24/7. Due to this I learned much more about Ebola
than I ever wanted to know. I did
however figure out some stuff while doing much more research than anyone ever should,
and I thought I would share my conclusions.
First, if
the goal is really to keep people from panicking, TAKE THE BASIC TIME HONORED
PRECAUTIONS EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH! Specifically
I am thinking of travel restrictions and quarantines. Refusing to do so does not inspire a sense
that the administration has everything under control – It makes us think they
don’t know what the hell they are doing.
Add that to their recent track record and reasonable people begin to
panic, which is what they claim they are trying to avoid.
Understand
that ALL restrictions are going to look like draconian overkill, especially if
they work. The alternative is to do
stuff that doesn’t work and then apologize or blame someone else. That’s not good enough. Also if everyone is given an exception to the
rules you may as well not have the rules in the first place. Keep the quarantined for the full 21 days and
let them whine about it in good health along with their healthy friends and
family.
I think it
is ridiculous and insulting to assume that some of the proven bravest people
out there, the medical workers who volunteer to go work among the diseased at
great personal risk, are going to be frightened off by a 21 day quarantine. They
know the stakes much better than the rest of us and they go anyway. Please do not insult them by doubting their courage.
Now none of
this is exactly rocket science. The new Ebola Czar should be able to handle it
even if he is as qualified as the Romanovs.
All of this simply requires some political will. (NOW you can panic!) This is not a situation
for negotiation. It simply gets done and people complain or it doesn’t and
maybe we get that crisis nobody wants.
Most important, If you don’t want to think about this sort of thing,
either stay out of the hospital or watch something besides news.
