By Randy Rossi -
As some medical experts tell us that life won’t return to normal until 2022 when a COVID 10 vaccine is available, the best response to this I have heard came from Dan Proft while he filled in for Dennis Prager on the radio. Mr. Proft wisely stated that given a choice of living life hiding in his basement or living life to the fullest even if it involved risk, he was going to live life to the fullest and he hoped a majority of Americans would agree with him. He summarized his view by saying “It is time to put our big boy pants on” and live life to the fullest.
I couldn’t agree more. I for one am not going to hide in my basement until 2022! Especially when you know that 99% of the people who get COVID 19 survive it and in fact, a huge percent of people under 50 who get it don’t even know they have it or only have simple “cold” symptoms.
Sadly, these medical experts are not looking at the big picture. While every COVID 19 death is a tragedy, shutting down our economy to protect 100,000 to 200,000 Americans who could die from COVID 19 is a very high price to pay for the 47 million Americans that may lose their jobs and incomes because of that shutdown based on economic expert projections. The fact that 22 million Americans have already lost their jobs and applied for unemployment after just three weeks of this shutdown makes that estimate look very realistic if this shutdown continues for months, not weeks.
These one dimensional medical experts are not taking into consideration the massive pain and suffering those tens of millions of Americans will suffer if this economic shutdown continues until 2022. First of all, these millions of Americans can lose their homes, cars, and financial independence. But it gets much worse than that.
Science proves that many people that lose their jobs and economic freedom suffer deep depression which leads to suicide, drug overdoses, and alcoholism. According to a NY Post piece which is based on federal data and the Lancet Medical Journal, every 1% hike in unemployment will likely produce a 3.3% increase in drug overdose deaths and a 0.99% increase in suicides. Based on that, if unemployment hits 32 percent, 77,000 more Americans are likely to die from suicide and drug overdoses. Which is worse medical experts, having 77,000 Americans die from COVID 19 or having 77,000 more Americans die from suicides and/or drug overdoses?
The unemployment rate after 22 million Americans have lost their jobs in just three weeks of this shutdown is now between 13.5% and 15%. And while the first wave of layoffs was largely tied to blue collar workers in restaurants bars, and retail stores; a new wave of layoffs is now coming from higher paying white collar jobs. That means that no job is safe in an extended shutdown. If this shutdown continues until 2022 as these one dimensional medical experts recommend, that horrific 32% unemployment rate with an increase of 77,000 deaths from suicides and drug overdoses is very real.
So here is the question to all adults that have to live in the real world, which is worse? Having between 100,000 to 200,000 Americans possibly die because of COVID 19 (between 0.3% to 0.6% of the population), or having 47 million Americans (14%) lose their jobs, live in poverty, and see an increase of 77,000 Americans die from suicide and drug overdoses?
As you consider that remember that between 30,000 to 60,000 Americans die from the normal flu every year and we don’t shut down our economy! Seems like a simple choice to me and Dan Proft!
But here is another fact that drives me insane. Based on tons of data, all Americans have another choice. There is a very safe, efficient, and low cost cure for COVID 19 that dramatically reduces the risk of dying from it. A poll of 6,277 doctors from all over the world identified Oxychloroquine as the #1 cure for COVID 19 and Azithromycin as #2. Based on extensive tests in France New York, and even China; these two meds dramatically increase the odds of surviving COVID 19. So if these medicines were widely used, the risk of dying from COVID 19 would be dramatically reduced. But sadly, because President Trump recommended using these medicines if your doctor agrees, Democrats and the “Fake News” have done everything they can to condemn and dismiss this safe, low cost option and solution.
Our great republic was built by brave men and women who risked their lives for freedom every day. That’s why America became known as “The land of the free and home of the brave." Does anybody believe that our Founding Fathers would have hidden in their basements because they feared a pandemic that at the very worst could kill 0.6% of our population when every one of our Founding Fathers risked their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence? I don’t think so!
It was good to see the “people” revolt in Michigan because of the draconian rules the governor of Michigan put in place because of COVID 19. On top of that, the governor of South Dakota has now put in place a statewide test of Oxychloroquine to give all the people in her state a choice. What a concept!!
This COVID 19 crisis will be a test for the American people. Do we still live in “The land of the free and home of the brave” or have we turned into a nation of hysterical people that can’t put their “Big boy pants on?"
