When the dust settles, our country needs to do some serious and honest self-evaluation and self-reflection. The key question to be asked, investigated and debated: Was putting the USA in lockdown and destroying its economy to defeat an invisible and uncontrollable virus justified?”
Hazel Barsamian, Scottsdale resident
By Hazel Barsamian
The COVID-19 pandemic presented the United States with a life or death challenge.
The U.S. took the challenge head on and chose life……first, by imposing a nationwide lock down and quarantine, and second, by initiating the largest medical mobilization in the history of the world.
President Donald Trump and his team of expert advisors, relying on models, data, and the best opinions of scientists and medical professionals, put 328 million people into virtual confinement for an undefined period of time.
Fearing that millions were destined to die, and millions more would be incapacitated by this contagious virus, Americans, terrified by fear, uncertainty, and panic, attempting to protect themselves, their families, friends, and fellow Americans obeyed.
They locked themselves in their homes, isolated themselves from their loved ones, distanced themselves from their friends and neighbors, shut down their schools, delayed elective surgeries, closed the doors to their businesses, stopped going to work, and retreated from their houses of worship.
On a daily basis, our elected leaders and the media, some honest, sincere, and factual in their analysis, judgments, and opinions, and others dishonest and deceitful, using and weaponizing the pandemic to support their political agendas and ideological goals, persuaded and convinced us that what we were doing was the “morally right thing to do”, and if we should stop, we would be “responsible for the death of thousands.”
We were promised that our salvation would come in the form of quarantine, disinfecting, wearing masks, social distancing, no handshaking (possibly for life), no hugging or kissing, in short, disabling the most powerful force in human life --- love.
At the same time, and as a result of our nation’s lockdown, the U.S. economy, which was thriving and enjoying unprecedented success came to a crashing halt!
As a retired educator, I remember telling my students, “when something bad happens, you have three choices: you can let it define you; you can let it destroy you; or you can let it strengthen and enlighten you.”
I hope we choose to be strengthened and enlightened. I hope we choose to move forward with wisdom and confidence.
First and foremost, we are grateful for the lives that are being saved by our adherence to the safety guidelines presented to us by the task force and the CDC. We are grateful to and inspired by the healthcare workers and first responders who are risking their own lives each day to save ours.
We mourn the lives tragically lost. We are grateful and humbled by the generosity and humanity of Americans helping each other through a thousand acts of random kindness. We are grateful for the billions of dollars of government aid provided to help sustain the jobless workforce, business owners, and the individuals, families and communities in need.
As the days and weeks of “shelter in place” pass we learn many things. We learn how vulnerable and dependent we are on China for our medicine and medical supplies. We learn the WHO deceived us and the world with false and questionable information about the origin and spread of the coronavirus.
We learn that the models and data studied and used by the experts to make their critical predictions and decisions are flawed and often wrong. We learn the COVID-19 is much less deadly than expected and hospitals have not been inundated by COVID-19 patients. We learn the number of people affected by the coronavirus is a wild guess, and most are asymptomatic.
We learn that we would have been more successful in our fight against COVID-19, if we had concentrated and focused our attention and efforts on our most vulnerable populations, and the “hot spots” in our country. We learn that a “one size fits all” solution does not work effectively.
We learn the CDC estimates that influenza was associated with more than 35.5 million illnesses, more than 16.5 million medical visits, 490,600 hospitalizations, and 34,200 deaths during the 2018-19 influenza season, statistics that went virtually unnoticed or acted upon by anyone.
As the days and weeks of “shelter in place” pass, we also learn that critical questions and issues regarding the erosion of our human and individual rights have arisen that should concern, worry, disturb, and trouble all of us.
Are our rights as Americans to speak, to question, to dissent, to protest, guaranteed to us in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights being abused, limited, or compromised by government over reach, and the reckless actions of over-zealous, irrational, incompetent elected officials, ideologues, and the media?
Are challenging times like these giving opportunity to unprincipled and unethical elected officials, like mayors and governors, to use “Gestapo” like tactics to turn Americans against each other by urging us to “snitch” on one another for monetary reward? Will we allow the government or any other entity to take advantage of this emergency situation, under the guise of “protecting us,” to grab and use undue power and control?
Will our individual rights to privacy and personal choice be violated or compromised by government mandated COVID-19 testing, vaccination, or treatment?
When the dust settles, our country needs to do some serious and honest self-evaluation and self-reflection. The key question to be asked, investigated and debated: Was putting the USA in lockdown and destroying its economy to defeat an invisible and uncontrollable virus justified?
The future of America will rely on our answer.
Now, however, is the time for immediate and decisive action. We are once again confronted with a challenge: Should we continue to live our lives in isolation, fear, and uncertainty, or should we save our lives and livelihoods by returning to our factories, offices, schools and stores; our restaurants, hair salons, gyms, and theaters?
We must choose to return! We have a heightened awareness and respect for the CDC guidelines. We will follow them. With strength, courage, determination and hope, we will return in a measured, safe, responsible, and reasonable way using what we have learned to guide us.
Life is a risk. Let’s take the risk and live!
Editor’s Note: Hazel Barsamian is a Scottsdale resident.
