Responsible?

MS. SNIPE: I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY

Tried that at home. Laundry undone, dirty dishes stacked, pictures drawn in the dust. But hey – it’s not their fault and I take no responsibility.

MS. SNIP: That sounds familiar. But, who would arbitrarily deny their own place and not be responsible?

MS. SNIPE: The Orange hoax master. Since early in February when this was all “a hoax” designed by the Fake News and liberals disappointed by the outcome of the impeachment”, denial has become the issue of the day. Now, as the crisis grows, daily appearances of Orange with a white bobble-head nodding behind have become what my therapist used to call “Yea-But” moments. A way to try to avoid responsibility. “Yea-but no one knew. Yea-but it’s China’s fault. Yea-but we need to keep businesses open. Yea-but we don’t want to end up with a surplus (Surplus of ventilators or people? Which is Orange referring to?)

MS. SNIP: I know what you mean. I tried watching the ‘reports’ but became so disillusioned that I changed the channel to Netflix. Can’t go anywhere so I am spending a lot of time with streaming TV.

MS. SNIPE: Yes, sometimes it seems that anything would be easier to watch. But, tuning in occasionally is really an eye-opening experience. Orange talks, Bobble nods, Experts cringe. One of the latest controversies concerns the availability of ventilators. Governors are begging for help in obtaining them and Orange tells Bobble not to listen to them. They aren’t groveling and thankful enough to merit any help. Besides, Orange (aka BC) knows more about medicine, hospital supplies, therapeutics, manufacturing, building, big business, small business, make-up (obviously), hair styles (obviously not), and how things are done, not done, spread, mishandled (obviously), misrepresented (obviously), than anyone else.

MS. SNIP: Well, we do need to remember that he has advisors and experts to guide his decisions.

MS. SNIPE: I agree that advisors and experts can be very useful. However, if what they suggest is discarded and actions are taken which are polar opposites of the suggestions, just being there does nothing to solve problems.

MS. SNIP: No one would have predicted that this could happen. We never thought that a disease could spread through communities so fast.

MS. SNIPE: Are you sure? Wasn’t there a task force within the federal government just a few years ago? Wasn’t it dismantled by Orange? Do you remember or have you read of other events, other scares? Times are different now, more knowledge and more technology and yet steps are often not employed to address the threat.

MS. SNIP: I’ve read about the 1917 flu epidemic. I remember being in high school when the polio scare was changing how we lived and the things we couldn’t do. A high school classmate was in an iron lung for a time. Several members of her family were affected.

MS. SNIPE: Imagine if her doctor had been told that the number of machines requested was probably too high and she probably didn’t need the machine. What if there weren’t enough of them for all who needed them. What if her family was told they weren’t appreciative enough to deserve the machine.

MS. SNIP: Shouldn’t her doctor make the decision? Shouldn’t the experts decide how much was needed?

MS. SNIPE: My point exactly. Take that situation and expand it based on several relevant points. 1) This disease was fairly unknown – we knew this was ravaging China; 2) Means of spreading the disease were vastly different – here casual contact and proximity can be factors; 3) The population was much smaller – cities like New York and Los Angeles were not as vast 4) Different age groups and circumstances were affected – then it was more often found in children. Currently this virus is found at all age groups. While more devastating for older persons or those with underlying conditions its victims range in age from under one year of age to citizens in their nineties; 5) The medical community was not ruled by insurance companies and their lobbyists, being uninsured didn’t result in being turned away from care; 7) Politics may have been less partisan and more focused on the country, its citizens and their needs.

MS. SNIP: Okay, wow. There is a lot to be done and we need honest and capable leaders to do their jobs.

MS. SNIPE: Exactly, so if you think your elected officials are doing what they can do, write or call them and let them know your thoughts. If you think they are NOT doing what they can do and are misleading the public with misinformation, write or call them and let them know your thoughts. At this stage, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to be heard we confine ourselves from public gatherings to help stop the spread.