The Virus Chronicles - Day 28. Putting the Impact of Corona into Perspective Historically

I have taught myself  to only watch 5 minutes of news programs in general and less than that during this virus "crisis".  After that the worthiness and value of the information becomes doubtful.  Then the "news"  becomes repetitive and turns into an entertainment/drama/reality show  mini-series.

To get an idea of how serious this corona virus is compared to past historical outbreaks, I started doing some research.  As of this writing there have been over 7,000 cases of Corona reported in the United States with approximately 114 deaths.

Their have been greater epidemics in the United States.  The statistics below provide examples.

The first recorded, and the one most people of European American ancestry do not want to remember, is the small pox outbreak in this land in the 1600s.  The disease was brought to the yet to be established United States by European Americans.  It impacted the Native American population which ranged from 7 to 10 million in numbers.  It is estimated that over 70% of the Native American population in this country died from small pox.  In some cases tribes of Native Americans were purposely infected by European Americans through gifts of infected blankets.  It was a campaign of genocide.

In 1793, over 5,000 people in the United States died from yellow fever.

From 1832-1866 in the United States, two out of six people died per day from cholera.

In the early 1900's, over 10,000 people per year died from typhoid fever.  One of those was my paternal great grandmother in the state of Arkansas.  Poor living conditions for black people in Arkansas contributed to the spread of typhoid.

In 1918 over 675,000 Americans, including my paternal great grandfather, died from the Spanish flu.

Between 1921-1925 over 15,000 people died in the United States from Diptheria.

Over 3,000 people died from polio in 1952.

There have been other outbreaks including various strains of the flu each year.

A man made cause of death we also seem to forget is that during World War II, the Holocaust atrocities committed against those labeled Jews, resulted in the deaths of some 6 million people.

Lastly, the impact of the slave trade is estimated to have killed 10 million to 60 million Africans.

Yes, any death from the Corona virus is unfortunate and regrettable.  But, let us not forget the facts of the past.  If you had your choice would you rather get Corona or typhoid fever?  Would you trade Corona for the opportunity to be assigned to a  Jewish death camp in World War II?  Would you trade Corona for the opportunity to be enslaved in the United States prior to 1865?

Step back, look at the facts, and reassess your fears.  God is in control.

Matthew 6: 25-34 "Do not worry about everyday life. Whether you have enough food and drink.  Life is more than food and clothes.  Do birds store food in barns?  God feeds them!  Can worrying add a single moment to your life?  Have faith!  God has always provided.  Seek the kingdom of God above all else. Live righteously. God will give you everything you need."

The Virus Chronicles - Day 27

A very quiet social distancing day.  Other than going for the mail, I did not go outside.  The weather is too cold for me to go out running in.  Otherwise that would have been my physical activity.  New "rules" came out for our state that closed down restaurants and fitness centers.  I continue to be blessed in taking advance actions before this virus became broader.  I had a trip to China canceled by the tour company in early January before the virus exploded.  I had been the only person signed up for the trip that was scheduled for April.  I turned down an offer to sign up for the May tour, listening to God in my ear and staying humble.  I just recently canceled my membership in the nearby fitness center in a money saving move.

The new rules on limiting discretionary travel caused me to cancel a business trip I had planned later this month.  It is unfortunate that people are losing their lives due to this virus.  There have been some positive actions resulting from the turmoil though.  Disney World is donating to a food charity all of the food they have since the theme parks and hotels are closed.  The focus on feeding children who would miss meals since schools are closed has become a widespread theme. People are taking time to check on the elderly.

Personally it is providing time to work on those projects that I needed to work on.  Plus this social distancing time is helping me to save money on those discretionary things I normally would be doing during this period.  Saving on gas for my car, saving on food, saving on entertainment.  Keeps me away from the dangers that await us in the outside world.

The lesson is learn to make a negative event a positive one in some respects.

The Virus Chronicles - Day 26

The Virus Chronicles Day 26.  The only person I have seen close up and in person in the past 2 days has been my spouse.  I did go over to the local clubhouse fitness room yesterday morning to do a 45 minute workout.  I ensured no one else was in the room first.  I am not sure what someone else would have done if they had walked in and seen me working out.  Maybe they would have left fearing breathing the same air in the enclosed room.  As I was in the room I saw several cars entering and leaving the complex.  Life was continuing.  It was a cold day so I did not see anyone in our complex walking around.

Back inside my home I had plenty to do to keep me occupied.  The internet still works so I was able to stream in some television shows to pass time for a few hours.  Also, we streamed in church service and did our Sunday School lesson together.  We have ample food in the house so there was no need to go out to order anything.  I had done my last shopping a week ago after stocking up on household supplies a week before then anticipating the eventual panic buying that started last week.

This social distance period does provide a lot of time to work on personal hobbies and interests.  I check the news off and on via my cell phone to catch the latest updates.  I have contacted a few older family members to ensure all are well.  I have plenty of time to read, write, listen to music, and talk to my spouse, when her face is not into her television shows!  Beyond that life is normal.

Even before the virus scare came on I had cut back my social interaction and general spending, as I am directing my efforts and  money into a life style improvement later this year.  So the changes in getting out of the house have not been drastic.  I do have a quick out of town trip planned next week and will find out what type of travel restrictions or safe social distancing practices are created by the airlines by then.

In my family genealogy, two of my great-great-grandparents were killed by the typhoid fever and Spanish flu in the 1920s.  Back in those days the living conditions in the state of Arkansas, especially for poor black people contributed to poor health conditions that facilitated the spread of those illnesses.  Jump forward some 100 years and we see that social freedoms and poor individual sanitary practices are assisting in spreading the current virus.  As back then, the government did not have a plan that could prevent widespread contagious conditions.  We need to learn from history.

The Virus Chronicles - Day 25

I finally saw it for myself last week. Out of a scene from the movie/TV series "The Walking Dead".  Virus fearful people overcome by the news of the "pandemic".  Driven to the zombie like selfish behavior of the oncoming virus.  There they were, masses of people invading grocery stores across these United States of America.  Small stores, and stores on large scale meant for bulk purchasing.  The common theme, incessant hoarding of grocery and household items at a pace to last them through the year 2021.  Grocery carts overflowing.  In the midst of the event, anti social communication where no words are exchanged.  Only the virus crazed gazes to maintain social distance!

This is the beginning of the decade of the 2020s.  A series of shocking events designed to slap us into reality that we are not in control.  Another in the series of warnings we are periodically given to "get our act together".  What is your reaction to all these events?

Our individual and collective actions differ based on what we really have faith in.  Me.  I tire of the self serving/pat yourself on the back news conferences of national political leaders who are allegedly giving us assurances and updates on how their federal government is responding to the virus crisis.  They are tantamount to a United States government official giving guarantees to Native Americans in the late 1700s that Native Americans will never be adversely impacted by the arrival of European Americans.  Or a government official promising those enslaved in the United States that they would be released and returned to their native lands after a "short" 3 year term of service.

One only needs to look back at history to anticipate the actions during this virus period of the government and the people it governs.  Yes, there are some acts of charity and sincere caring for the welfare of those impacted.  Then there are the zombie like actions of those seeking profit for themselves in the midst of a crisis.  Observe what is going on.  Learn from this experience.  Place your faith in non human institutions.  There is a God.  A message is being given to us. Listen carefully.

Coronavirus, Food Deserts and using Coronavirus time to Communicate

Knowing this country well and the habits of the people, I did my "stock up" shopping last week.  The coronavirus was starting to spread more.  I knew it would just be a matter of time before prosperous Americans would do what we do best in difficult times.  Buy up all the shit possible in stores!  Food, toiletries, guns, whatever we can get into our vehicles or carry in our hands.

While driving to an appointment today, as I passed by grocery stores the parking lots were full.  Inside the checkout lanes were full of people purchasing items they felt they could not live without over the next few weeks or more until the coronavirus stabilizes in these United States of America.

Many people who live in European American communities are lucky to have stores near them to run to.  But in most minority communities, especially black communities, there are food deserts.  Areas where major chain stores have left the black communities.  In leaving, they left a void for the community to go to for everyday groceries.  People, especially the elderly are left to their own means to get to and from the nearest grocery store that is miles away.

Maybe it is good that the conditions that lead to acquiring the coronavirus are not prevalent in minority communities.  Many of us do not have the financial means to travel to those locations overseas where others have contracted the virus.  Or minorities are not the typical attendees at those business conferences where people contracted the virus. That may be our saving grace. Wealth has its benefits and its curses.  Statistics on the number of people infected by race have not been released yet.  With the exception of black entertainers, athletes, and prominent business people, the numbers will be low.  Being poor and lacking wealth does have its benefits.

With that in mind, I pray the negative impact of not having large scale stores in minority communities will not be increased by the impacts of the coronavirus.  So thank you Krogers, and those other stores that left the black community over the past years.  We have not forgotten how you treated us.  Watching others hoard material good into grocery carts just is a reminder of your lack of concern for us.

When I did my advance shopping I stocked up on the normal things  I had purchased when stocking up last Fall for the winter months.  I understand that God is in control.  We think just because we are allowed to run to stores and purchase items that we are in control of our own destiny.   It is my hope that the time families are now forced to spend together by the coronavirus "semi quarantine" will result in more communication within those families.  Maybe even some discussion of the importance of God in your family's life?  Coronavirus is more than an illness.  It can also become an opportunity to call time out, pull back from your regular routine and act on those aspects of life that deserve more of our time.

Imagine what would happen if the next crisis results in loss of our access to our cellular phones, streaming TV devices and other technology?  We might really start talking to each other then.

Why Didn't the United States follow China's lead in the fight against Caronavirus.?

All of a sudden institutions in the United States have begun taking the coronavirus seriously.  Professional and amateur sports leagues have suspended or canceled activities or seasons.  So why didn't the United States take immediate action once the first cases of the virus were found in the United States?  Did not the United States see that China imposed massive shutdown of activities leaving entire cities empty of people on the streets?  Did the United States really think that somehow we would be immune to the virus or that it would not make it into our borders?  Well, we know how that turned out.

Was it pride, arrogance  or stupidity that kept institutions from acting sooner?  It appears that only as the number of cases increased did more actions occur.  China now appears to be bouncing back from the initial virus spread.  It seems unusual that the United States did not take the lessons learned from China to develop a more effective and planned strategy to deal with the virus.

A world wide share approach should have been taken.  A world wide strategy.  But we as people are too arrogant, prideful and stupid to adopt such a strategy.  Lives in the United States could have been saved, and fear abated.  But, now it's too late.  Now we are into full panic reactive mode.  Maybe that is how we in America react best?  Let something go wrong and then have a reason to develop an effective policy.

Lessons learned?  Look to China for the answers.

Passenger Meltdown on Southwest Flight 4919

I witnessed my first passenger meltdown that lead to a family being removed from a plane this past Sunday.  New Orleans, MSY airport.  An early afternoon flight.  The players were a black family of 3-4 adults.  Note they were light complexioned black people.  During pre boarding several of them came up to board the plane first.  I could not tell what medical, physical, or mental ailment they had that warranted all the family trying to pre board.  The gate attendant did inform them that only one family member could accompany the person who was approved for pre boarding.  I thought I heard a female adult say she had some condition that supported her pre boarding.  But it did seem as if the gate agent let an additional family member board who probably by the rules should not have done so at that time. One or two of the family members remained in the terminal to board with a later group.

When it came time for my group to board apparently some type of confrontation had already occurred inside the plane regarding someone trying to save a seat for a passenger who was going to board later.  A light complexioned black woman sitting behind us was talking about how the flight attendant had been wrong in moving one of her items.  I thought she was talking about an item in the storage space, but that would be clarified shortly that it was a personal item she had laid on a seat to save the seat for her daughter.

The daughter of the woman came on board.  For some reason the mother who was complaining behind us still made a comment to the daughter that she had been mistreated.  This got the daughter going and she started asking and repeated asking her mother numerous times, "who was it?"  "What happened?"  She was speaking loud enough for people around her to hear her.  The dialogue continued to the point where a flight attendant finally came up to try to calm the situation down. This didn't work as the chatter continued.  This lead to the flight attendant telling the daughter that she needed to get off the plane.

Now that of course got the daughter going into overdrive and she said she refused to get off.  She wanted to know why.  Then she explained numerous times that all she had done was go to use the rest room in the back of the plane and then come back to her seat.  I was under the assumption that maybe she had tried to confront the person or flight attendant who had either moved her mom's item from a seat or had complained to the attendant about the attempt to save the seat.

All of this resulted in security getting on the plane and after a 30 minute delay the woman and her two parents left the plane.  The daughter raised the complaint that it was a racial issue.  I think basically it came down to Southwest getting relaxed on allowing passengers to try to save seats for other people and not enforcing the no saved seat rule.  Also, I don't recall the Gate Agent or flight attendants reminding people that seats could not and should not be saved.  Southwest, in my opinion, was therefore complacent in allowing the situation to occur and escalate to the point it did.

When I returned home I sent a complaint letter to Southwest.  Southwest responded that they would be conducting an investigation of the incident and someone would respond within 30 days.

The lessons learned.  If you feel you have been wronged do not create a spectacle on the plane.  That behavior will guarantee that you will be seen as a possible threat or that you might initiated a follow up disturbance once the plane departs.  Document your complaint and file it after you get to your destination.  In this case the daughter and her parents likely did not get home at a convenient hour that day.  The mother should not have shared what she went through with the daughter.  All she did was get her daughter riled up to the point that they were all removed from the plane.  The gate attendant who had allowed the mother to board should likely be reprimanded as her actions assisted in creating the follow up drama of the mother attempting to save a seat.  Southwest airlines should clearly restate the no saved seat policy verbally as passengers are lining up for their boarding group.  Flight attendants on the plane should verbally remind passengers that there is no policy that allows them to save seats for other.

I await the decision of Southwest.  Many parties were at fault.  All of us passengers suffered a 30 minute plus delay based on the attempt of people to save a seat for someone else.  Selfish behavior inconvenienced us all.