Covid-19 and the Politics of Division

As a CST (Certified Surgical Technologist) I’ve assisted in thousands of surgeries over the last 30 years. In that time I’ve been exposed to blood borne pathogens literally thousands of times. Many, if not most of them, are self inflicted. Venereal diseases like genital herpes, condylomata, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and more. Disclaimer- I know there are exceptions to the way in which these diseases are acquired but they are primarily acquired by promiscuity. Here’s my point: In all those years of exposure, never once did I hear anyone, anywhere, at anytime say to those engaging in disease producing practices, “stop doing that because you are endangering our healthcare workers!” Why this concern now? Before Covid-19, it was just understood that being exposed to blood borne pathogens came with the territory. No one declared us heroes. Why now? For me, the answer lies in the effect these overtones are producing. I saw a meme someone posted that featured a nurse walking away with a hundred knives in her back- her attackers were a group of protestors waving American flags and holding signs saying things like, “I want to get my hair cut, I want to leave my house,” etc. The meme depicted those who believe the nation-wide quarantine should be ended as betrayers of our new “heroes.” So the effect, as I see it, was to drive a wedge between two groups of Americans- those who think the quarantine should end and those who think it should not. Why did this not happen prior to Covid-19? I’ve assisted on cases where the patient addressed the whole room prior to being anesthetized actually saying, “everyone, I have AIDS so be careful. I don’t want anybody catching this.” This has happened more than once. It never even crossed my mind to shout at the patient, “Thanks a lot- your aberrant sexual practices have put me at risk!” To the contrary, I thank patients that clue us in to anything that makes us safer. I don’t view it as my prerogative to judge them in regard to how they acquired any disease, my job is to help them get better, not counsel them. But things are different now, aren’t they? Nurses in some cities have taken to the streets, blocking traffic and protesting protesters, thinking their jobs now include chastising the public for their differing political views. This has never happened before. In fact, the nation as a whole has NEVER been under quarantine. Is Covid-19 the worst disease this country has ever seen? If it is then the quarantine might seem reasonable. The answer, is an emphatic NO, this is not the worst disease our country has ever faced. In fact it wasn’t until 1980 that the CDC declared smallpox officially eradicated, it’s last major outbreak occurring in 1949. The country was never put on quarantine for this devastating disease. Polio was a killer and a crippler even crippling President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The nation lived in fear of acquiring this devastating disease. Public pools were often closed as these were one of the transmission points, but never the whole country, not even a whole city. I remember during the late 80’s when AIDS was making its rampage through the gay communities of San Fransisco; a leader in the gay community, himself an open homosexual, went on the air addressing the gay community imploring those of that persuasion to temporarily desist in the practice of having multiple sexual partners to slow the spread of the disease. He was viciously attacked in the press and by those in the community portraying him as someone who was trying to infringe on their freedoms. I’m sure most people know this, but at the time, AIDS had a kill rate of 100% was a bit higher than Covid-19 Which has a kill rate of 0.03%. Anyone can check these numbers and data. Isn’t it just a little suspicious that our whole country is on lockdown over a virus that has a kill rate of 0.03% while other, more virulent diseases are all but ignored? The 1st amendment guarantees Americans the right to “freedom of assembly.” There is no clause under the Constitution that provides an exception for “unless there is a virus.” There has always been diseases, viruses, etc in our experience and there always will be until the return of the Good Shepherd. Until then, our country operates, or ostensibly operates, under the protections of the US Constitution and any violation of those rights is unacceptable. “But there’s a virus that’s killing people!” Yes, and there always will be. The presence of a virus does not negate or cancel our Constitution. One last example: You know how whenever there’s a hurricane that hits our eastern and southern coastlines, there are always people who don’t evacuate. Do you know why they don’t evacuate? It’s because they don’t have to. We might think them foolish, idiots, whatever, but they have the right to remain on their property. It’s their lives to live, not the government’s. Regarding the meme I mentioned before, it makes me wonder who is behind all these mini narratives driving wedges between us. The Epoch Times just reported that twitter noted a presence of activity within their app promoting propagandistic material. We are already primed to believe that saying anything negative, even disagreeing with healthcare workers means you are a killer, a fool, or at least a jerk. So when a meme like that one appears, a meme among many other similar memes, and makes us hate one group- something isn’t right. Something is happening. I look around at our country falling apart, I’m sure you do too, but this isn’t necessary. One of my best friends who knows what he’s talking about just informed me that some tobacco shops started selling food so they would be considered “essential” and it worked! It makes no sense that people of faith are breaking the law if they meet, yet Planned Parenthood facilities are allowed to remain open for business, pot shops are allowed to remain open for business while hair stylists are vilified for wanting to open their shops and are being accused of “spreading disease and threatening nurses.” I hope I am appealing to the ”better angels of our nature.” People who disagree with me aren’t “stupid” or “idiots” or “asleep” or “sheep.” Deceived yes, stupid no. We have been being educated to live on fear for the last several decades. This seems to be a culmination of all those years of believing we are constantly on the verge of extinction as if God could not sustain the world He created. Oh, I forgot. Today He’s been largely removed from the equation or mocked out of relevance. That sad fact has left people nothing to hold onto except for fear and misplaced trust in “experts” who change their opinion from one day to the next. Please consider talking to the One who never changes His mind, never issues a recall, never has to “re-evaluate” the numbers.