Second Verse, Same As The First (With Gusto)

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So, I guess the second, or is it third, (fourth?) wave of this “pandemic” is upon us. Now that the election is over – sort of – the doomscrolling has begun again. The media, and apparently half the population, has dredged up all the doom and gloom crap again. Only this time around they have expounded on its horribleness by adding the convincing caveat that assured death awaits if you so much as open your front door without the protection of a facial covering. The reporting was absurd the first time around and even more ludicrous this time.

The virus hasn’t gained strength or intensity. It’s the same virus. It’s not MORE deadly now than it was before. Why is the media making it sound so much worse this time around? I’m thinking we’re actually in a better position this time around since we now know a little more about it and millions of us have already been exposed. And, millions have already responded well to treatment and recovered. We all should be LESS worried. Effective treatments have been found. And, an alleged vaccine is on the horizon.

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But mainstream media, the big monster machine, for some reason MUST perpetrate continual fear. That’s its main objective. Well . . . mission accomplished. Panic is on the rise. Toilet paper is flying off the shelves. It’s so darned depressing. I can’t tell you how many people on social media report the daily covid rates. These people are obsessed with this virus. I don’t get it. I just want to grab some people and shake them til their teeth rattle. Please stop telling me to stay home. Stop reminding me to wear my mask because “masks save lives.” I’m a responsible adult not a toddler who needs constant reprimanding. I heard your plea the first ten thousand times back in May. Sheesh. Give it a rest people. Wear your mask until otherwise told not to, but move the heck on with other things.

The way some people are acting makes me wonder if they’re even venturing out to pick up their mail or to drag their trash cans to the curb for pick-up on trash day. Is it safe to go outside to feed my cats? Can I dash out quickly to throw the bag of kitchen trash into the can in the carport, or should I mask up for that little chore? Should I cover my mouth and nose when I open the front door to pick up the newspaper (with gloves)? Should I be wearing a mask in my own home? I mean, just in case. Should I sleep with one on? What if my husband gets up in the middle of the night, opens the door to let the cat out and the virus germs get in? I’d be lying in that bed, sound asleep with no clue that I’m being attacked. I think I’ll wear the mask all the time, even when I sleep. You know, just in case.

Granted the virus has deadly potential for SOME persons, but, in all likelihood, the average person is going to be just fine if they contract it. I mean nuts are deadly to SOME people, too, but do we ban them from the grocery shelves? Do we prohibit every non-allergic people from purchasing them? Some people could POTENTIALLY die if they eat shellfish and yet hundreds of commercial fishermen continue to be employed so that those of us who are not affected can enjoy life with shrimp. All the shrimp eaters are not banned from eating shrimp because a few might die from them. Why can’t we apply the same principals to this virus? If you are vulnerable, take the necessary precautions. If not, be respectful of those around you, but carry on. We don’t see daily warnings plastered all over social media and news sources about the dangers of shellfish or nuts.

In fact, I did some research and found some very interesting stuff. Because I’m a giver, I’m going to share it with you.

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You might find it interesting that roughly 90 people die in auto accidents every – single – day. Have you ever seen a car commercial with a warning that automobiles can cause death? No. Because that’d be stupid. People need to go places. People take the chance every single day. They get in, buckle up and proceed to live their life, not worried one iota about possibly being 1 of the 90 who dies in a car crash every day. People are willing to risk it. (https://www.driverknowledge.com/car-accident-statistics/)

Approximately 1,662 people die from cancer. That’s right. Every – single – day. Do we hear the reporters giving those daily statistics on the 5:00 news? Nope. Why? Who knows? Seems like people should be warned that there is a chance they might die from cancer. I mean, 1,662 people have already died in the last 24 hours. Shouldn’t the public be notified? And yet people intentionally buy cigarettes, soda, alcohol, Twinkies, Round-Up, baby powder, and God knows what else that might give them cancer. People simply don’t consider the dangers or the fact that they might die. They just make the purchase and enjoy their lives. (https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/common.html#:~:text=How%20Many%20People%20Die%20of,to%20die%20from%20this%20disease)

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Another 53 (give or take) homicides happen EVERY SINGLE DAY. (Data as of 2018. Numbers have risen drastically in 2020.) Shouldn’t we all stay off the streets and live in boarded up houses so we’re safe? You know – just in case? (https://www.quora.com/How-many-people-are-murdered-in-America-each-day)

And here’s the mind-blowing statistic for me, every – single – day – there are 2,321 abortions performed. Over 2,000 fetuses are deliberately killed every day, yet people have the audacity to proclaim that covid is killing people at an alarming rate. Really? Seems to me pregnant ladies and doctors are killing people at an alarming rate. (www.all.org/learn/abortion/abortion-statistics/)

Added together, just those above-mentioned causes of death, total over 4,100 people per day. That does NOT include daily suicides, drug overdoses, or other causes of death. In fact, according to the CDC (as of 2017) over a staggering 7,000 people die every single day in the United states. 7,000. EVERY. SINGLE DAY. (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6826a5.htm)

I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember a time – EVER – prior to 2020, that social media and the news people have plastered daily death rates every single day. Shouldn’t someone be warning people that life is dangerous? 7,000 die every damn day, yet no one issues a warning. Up until this year, people were willing to take a chance, willing to risk possible death, by just, LIVING. People have bad hearts, diabetes, cardiovascular disease yet they intentionally don’t exercise, smoke cigarettes, take drugs, and eat all the wrong foods. Why? Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of humans. Why aren’t the news people warning people, every day, that they could die tomorrow?

Here’s some good information to put everything into perspective. (https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/how-many-people-die-each-day-covid-19-coronavirus/)

Now, compare those numbers to the daily COVID deaths at only 932 (in the USA). (Data as of November 22, 2020.) (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109281/covid-19-daily-deaths-compared-to-all-causes/)

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, dementia, and 12 other maladies outrank covid in lives claimed per day. Not to mention abortion which wasn’t even on the list. At no time in history have we ever felt the need to post a daily death count for ANY causes of death. Even the AIDS/HIV scare a number of years ago did not cause such widespread panic. Why now? Why must we keep harping on the numbers? Give it a rest. People die, 7,000 every single day. It’s part of the circle of life. If you’re living your life in fear of dying, you’re not living at all. Get out there and LIVE.

But nope – we rally forth singing the same ole song. Except this time we’re adding more gusto. Covid’s going to kill us if we leave our houses. What makes the most sense to is keep on doing what we’ve been doing but amplify the dangers a thousandfold.

Please, I beg of you, don’t shut down the entire world again. Obviously, that DIDN’T WORK. Why would we continue to employ such drastic tactics when they don’t work? And let’s face it, if they were proven effective, why is the virus still raging? It makes no sense. Let’s try – oh I don’t know – a different approach this time around. Like, say, just letting the virus run its course and die a natural death. Seems to me all we’re doing is postponing the natural cycle of the virus every time we all go into hiding. Wear a mask, social distance, wash your damn hands, but carry on.

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And, what makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever is WHY? Why are cases on the rise? For months now most people have been staying home, wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding large gatherings and yet cases are going UP? How can that be? The second little wave when cases went up, turned out to be in places where numbers had previously been low to start with. That makes sense. Sure they’re going to go up there. It was their turn. But now cases are up everywhere – or so they say. So, do the masks and social distancing work or not? I have to wonder. Maybe wearing a mask is a little like wearing a leaky condom. It might work? Wear it just in case.

And, I’m not buying that it’s the college kids at parties, or the political rallies, or the whatevers. Billiions of people are wearing masks (except, of course, the people telling us to wear them). A few hundred people are gathering occasionally. That ratio is not going to change the numbers that drastically. It’s statistics. If over half of the country were unmasked, I could see it, but for the most part, people EVERYWHERE are wearing masks and social distancing. So, why the rise? Perhaps it’s not an actual rise, but a false sense of panic that’s on the rise. Could it be the media working its magic again, changing the entire dynamic of a country? Hmmm. Perhaps it’s a ploy to pull focus away from the atrocity of an election we just had – which – by the way – has yet to be straightened out.

Once again, I’m getting more cancelations that reservations. Once again, I’m experiencing people panicking about traveling. Once again, I’m a hair’s breadth away from a total mental breakdown. All a guest has to do is say the word “virus,” and we automatically have to cancel their reservation with no penalty to them even if they just made the reservation 12 hours ago. So, naturally, that’s the excuse everyone’s going to use to get out of paying the cancelation fees even if they simply changed their mind and decided not to travel to Vicksburg. The insanity is beyond comprehension. I have no recourse. I’m screwed. Again. Just when we were on a roll, too.

What I can say, is this, I’m almost positive, my body will survive the virus. My business, on the other hand, absolutely, for one hundred percent certain, will NOT survive another shutdown.  

But, let’s all keep singing the same old song, only sing it louder and with more terror thrown in shall we? There’s still a glimmer of hope that needs to be distinguished before a total and complete victory can be declared. Mask up people. Stay home. Don’t be with your loved ones. Don’t open your front doors. And for God’s sake, DO. NOT. TRAVEL. Sacrifice your happiness and your freedom for as long as it takes. It’s for the greater good! Um hm. Yes indeed.

Are you finding it difficult to find toilet paper again? Are the store shelves bare again? Has your town shut down again? What’s your reasoning on why cases are on the rise again? Is it the same people getting sick twice? I’m truly curious to know your thoughts.

Word of the Day: Osteoclasis

Fun fact about me: I save the food I like the best to eat last. I want that to be the last flavor I remember when my meal is over.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, December 2020. Images by Google, Pexels, and giphy.com.

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