To Tell the Truth

 

 

In October 1962, the American populace learned that the country might be on the brink of nuclear war with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR aka Russia), as the two nuclear prepared powers faced off over missiles being placed in Cuba – only 90 miles from the American coast of Florida. We learned that the missiles had been requested by Castro to protect his country from another invasion by America (this was after the failed Cuban Bay of Pigs CIA invasion plot of the year before – long story for another day). Anyway, on this particular day in October President Kennedy made an oval office address to his country and explained that we had learned about the missile base with a spy plane overflight the week before which had made photos of the installation. He spoke of military preparedness and diplomatic discussions. He noted that the Navy was blockading Russian supply ships from reaching Cuba (technically quarantining them). He indicated that the missiles were a clear and present danger since their range was at least 1000 miles and could strike much of the mid-Atlantic and southern part of the country. And he also told the country that the future was on this date – uncertain – but that he was working for a peaceful solution. He pulled his audience in and made them aware that the situation was serious, but it was something they needed to know. He indicated specific steps his administration was taking. He communicated.  

Was it the whole truth, most likely not, but it was enough to inform the populace. Those of us in the DC area at the time made dark jokes about being in the target zone and wondered what would happen next. I can attest to the fact that those were indeed tense times. Kennedy later had his UN Ambassador, Adlai Stevenson, show the photos that had been taken from the air to the Security Council as proof of the urgency of the matter. Pointedly, when Kennedy sent an emissary to French President De Gaulle to show him the photos and explain the issues, he reportedly said something such as this – “I do not need to see the photos, the word of the President is good enough proof for me.”

(Now I know I am over simplifying here – but that was a complex situation not easily conveyed in a few words. Ultimately the Russians turned their ships around, removed the missiles, the US removed the blockade, agreed to not invade Cuba and eventually removed missiles from Turkey as a compromise. And, as it was an age prior to our instant communication era now, a telephone hot line link was established between the two Capitols and their leaders, to lessen miscommunications in the future. The book by Robert Kennedy – and subsequent movie - Thirteen Days describes some of the battles among the administrations executive committee members for and against armed conflict at that time.)

It has recently come to light that our current president knew all along about the seriousness of the corona virus but played it down and lied so as to not frighten the American people. (Book titled Rage and tapes from author Bob Woodward in talks with this president, where this is discussed; tapes were knowingly made.)  As seen above, the American people can take tough news.  It also appears that the lack of truthfulness on this subject has led many of his followers to disregard the warnings of health experts and others and treat this pandemic as just another flu.  But many of us in the health care fields, myself included, knew that he was lying as we understood that the seasonal flu does not typically put patients on ventilators or cause such widespread outbreaks. We understood the necessity to isolate, quarantine and wear masks. We saw what was happening in Italy, on cruise ships and in China and knew this would not ease easily with warm weather. 

But the issue became politicized – which should never happen with such serious health care concerns – and those on the right and left saw two separate outbreaks. The right-wing media echoed the presidents’ descriptions of “nothing to worry about here” and the rest of the country was counting the dead and dying with horror as schools and businesses closed and life as we knew it changed in a moment. Wearing masks became a political statement. The president became convinced, some say, that the truth would spook the stock market and spoil his chances for re-election. As states across the South and West opened up prematurely, deaths soared. The toll is approaching 200,000 deaths at this time.  We commemorated the 9/11 deaths this week with sorrow and shared grief. As an aside, we are losing the same number of Americans now every three days.

It is important to be able to trust the words of our leaders in serious issues such as this.  The Administration tried to hush Dr. Anthony Faucci, one of our medical experts in this area and silenced the leaders of the world-renowned Centers for Disease Control (CDC) eventually forcing them to rewrite guidelines. This week it was reported that actual disease numbers are being manipulated and changed by people in Health and Human Services (HHS) from the CDC data. Some ‘red’ states are being encouraged to not report full data. The Government went to war with the World Health Organization, dropped out of international vaccine research and stood outside the civilized world which now has us quarantined and unable to travel, due to the US continued high levels of disease. It has demanded that the Food and Drug Administration promote unscientific treatments for Covid-19. 

When mostly ‘blue-state’” governors tried to keep their states quarantined, the president praised armed invaders at state capitols and unmasked demonstrators at protest events.  Some states are quarantining arrivals from other less regulated areas which creates more confusion. The government decided to reduce funds for testing; fewer tests keep us from knowing how many silent or asymptomatic, but communicable, cases are in our communities now. Such a move is contrary to all public health warnings; authorities indicate that we need an average of 2.5 million tests per day, not fewer than 1 million, as is happening now.

This is not leadership – it is instead a dereliction of the president’s sworn responsibilities and duties to protect the people of this country.

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COVID-19 Stats as of this date:  (New York Times)

Total numbers-US cases: 6,521,200. Deaths: 193, 715 New cases (last 24 H) 39,192 

New deaths 698

Total Maryland numbers: 116,359 cases. Deaths: 3,838 New cases: 659 New deaths: 8.

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I cannot close today without mentioning the horrific forest fires which are raging currently along our Western coasts.  The states of California, Oregon and Washington are seeing unprecedented levels of destruction each day as thousands of acres burn up and towns see hundreds of homes which are reduced to ashes. California has had 3.1 million acres burned, Oregon and Washington- much smaller states - have lost I million and 600,000 acres respectively at this time.  Oregon expects about 500,000 acres to burn in an entire year, so these fires, which are at the start pf the fire season, are quite unusual in scope and severity. The loss of life is yet untallied, but it is expected to be large; more than 24 deaths are confirmed as of now. Smoke has blocked out the sun in many areas and air pollution levels exceed that of Beijing, one of the most polluted cities in the world. In Washington state the air pollution levels were so high they were said to have broken the air quality monitors in some areas. California governor Gavin Newsom spoke of the reality of climate change: “The hots are getting a lot hotter and the wets are getting a lot wetter,” he observed. “The science is absolute. The data is self-evident.”

In a year which has seen widespread flooding as well as drought in several countries in Africa, along with extensive fires in Siberia, Brazil and Australia which had not been seen at those levels before, it should be obvious that our small planet is beset by major changes in the climate.  Global climate change is happening right now, not in a half century from now as some had predicted. Stay tuned. 

Well, that is quite enough for today.  ‘Sometimes it seems like it is all too much’ as a neighbor remarked to me recently – ‘I cannot ever remember a year such as this’, said the 70-year-old lady. Neither can I.

‘Til next week, then.

Peace.