Dear Editor,
Chicken Little rides again! Or so it seems. No, the sky is not falling nor is it the end of days. We human beings have some startling weaknesses to go with our numerous strengths. Our reaction (as a group of supposedly thinking beings) to the covid-19 pandemic panic has been something less than admirable. Yes, the virus is real and yes people have died and are dying from it, but we lose more people every year from the influenza virus than we have lost from covid-19 so far. The general panic that is associated with this pandemic is far more harmful to our country than is the actual disease.
The rampant fear that has saturated our culture both here in America and worldwide is costing people’s jobs, the total loss of income for small businesses and entrepreneurs, the education of students from kindergarten through college, and complete industry shutdowns.
The constant fanning of this hysteria by the electronic media and the deluge of uncontrolled rumor mongering flowing from social media are doing more damage to countries and cultures worldwide than did either Chernobyl or Fukushima, or for that matter the imaginary Zombie Apocalypse.
The frenzy of unnecessary panic buying and hoarding has had massive negative societal impact here in America. Our country has the best and strongest supply chains and transportation industry in the world. Why then, are we seeing shortages in our stores and markets? The problem is the panic. When we see old ladies engaging in physical altercations over a can of dog food or people ramming each other with shopping carts over a package of toilet paper, it is time to look carefully at just where our society is being driven. The panic, by itself has done more damage than the covid-19 virus. Are we, as sentient beings, going to allow ourselves to be stampeded like sheep? Are we humans so weak and easily led that we will tolerate being shoved around like animals driven to slaughter? I flatly refuse to believe that. I believe we are stronger and wiser than to allow ourselves to be duped and bullied for very long. I cannot help but think that we will soon wake up to the fact that we have been well and truly had. Once that realization takes hold in people, I believe and pray that there will be one helluva strong backlash against the panic mongers.
Throwing stones and laying blame and spreading rumors does no good for anyone. If we all make the time to stop and think about the reality of this hurricane of panic, I believe there can be an awakening of the humanity in each of us and in our society in general. I believe we can and will weather this nastiness and be stronger afterward. It is up to us as both individuals and as a society to take up the battle to fight the panic. It is time to band together to think positively and rationally to fight this deluge of fear.
Many years ago, then President Franklin D. Roosevelt said “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”. I don’t quite buy into that, but we certainly need to fight the fear that is robbing us of our dignity and our strength as individuals and as a society.
It is time to call to task, the wannabe famous and the America-haters and those who view ordinary citizens as fools and dupes. We ordinary citizens are the very backbone of America and we always have been so. We are not weak minded nor are we as gullible as some think. We have the strength and we have the will to bring America up out of this morass of fear and doubt.
I say stop the panic, stop being afraid of the unknown, stop allowing crooked politicians and opinion-makers to drive us like fearful animals. Get angry and demand that the rumor mongers and the fear merchants stop fanning the panic.
We have been and still are the greatest nation of strong, rational people ever to exist on this earth. Let us stand up and prove it to ourselves. Stop the panic!
Jack Hommel
Golden Valley
