April 4, 2020 Issue, Page 4 of 8

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, April 4, 2020 Opinion Page GOP’s achievement is now on display “ElkCituNews By Wim Laven Significant blame for the part “Apprentice” and one sand, or perhaps a few mil- decades ago. Cuts to fund- part “Survivor”-- instead of lion, people.” ing for education year after Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 failed response and delayed a dedicated public servant. The GOP has led a de- year, undermining curricu- action in responding to the Remember the scenes of cades-long crusade against lum, calling creationism as Heed the nurse’s global COVID-19 pandemic the Florida beaches packed science. In policy debate af- valid as evolution, and the is being directed at Donald during Spring Break? Brady ter policy debate science and results are clear: people who Trump. He fired the pandem- Sluder epitomized the dis- expertise are undermined. believe bad information request — stay ic response team so crucial to readiness and progress, play, “If I get corona, I get corona ... I’m not going to Science and evidence are presented as obstacles to make bad choices. States supporting Trump take the threw away the pandemic let it stop me from partying,” business goals and stock- epidemic less seriously but home now response book Obama’s ad- but he has now apologized, holder profit. Powerful and get more aid from him as ministration left him, he cut “T wasn’t aware of the sever- well funded donors, lob- appreciation. For instance, the Centers for Disease Con- ity of my actions...” What byists, and political action in California counties with trol and Prevention funding could lead to such broad committees challenge every- more conservative political less than two weeks after the negligence? thing from environmental World Health Organization The prolific rise of con- protections and global cli- tendencies people have not declared COVID an emer- spiracy, hoax, and propa- mate change to human rights reduced their daily travel as gency, he called it a “hoax,” ganda on the right is now and worker protections. much or taken “stay at home and “bad flu” when an early presented in full relief. Pick Now Trump allows corpora- orders” as seriously those response would have been your poison: Fox, OAN, tions to break pollution laws, with more liberal tendencies. most crucial, etc... QAnon, or Rush Limbaugh. using coronavirus as an ex- There used to be rational Even where he has taken Some are clearly worse cuse and has just rolled back political debates. They took action, like instituting travel than others. For example, emissions standards. Yes, it place where people were in bans, it is not accompanied while Fox may mollify view- looks like his “cure” could agreement on the facts, but by vital and necessary mea- ers about white nationalism, indeed be as bad as the dis- the arguments were about Retired registered nurse Cindy Larson took a sures. In this wholesale fail- QAnon itself presents a do- ease. priorities and values. Now patient’s temperature when they came to the ure, he does not take any mestic terrorist threat ac- All these years of dishon- Trump’s grievances have re- CARE Clinic for a problem unrelated to CO- responsibility, and he makes cording to the FBI; all push esty about science have had placed governance. vid-19 in Red Wing, Minn., on Tuesday. Photo states fend for themselves dangerous conspiracy theo- a devastating impact. Ad ho- The attacks against the while celebrating that his ries about the “deep state,” minem attacks have replaced media are also clear. Re- by Star Tribune. coronavirus briefings are rat- and other roundly discred- critical thinking; MAGA sponsible journalists sound- ings hit! ited hoaxes, like “pizzagate” hat-wearing group-thinkers ing alarms are being blamed Maybe he is right, it is not and false-flag stories like endorse a “savior” who de- for causing panic. The track By Don Munsch, Editor his fault. I think we should the Sandy Hook Elementary claims, “what do you have record of rightwing media My mother once said long ago she didn’t understand why look deeper into the condi- School shooting being a ruse to lose?” when the truth is: is abysmal, from climate tions and loyalty that have to take gun rights away. everything—life as we know so many young people didn’t know what they wanted to do allowed Trump’s incom- It is not surprising that it is at stake. The opinion of chaos denial to birtherism to deep state paranoia and in their lives career wise. petence to metastasize into they have all pedaled decep- experts in the field, based now to imbecilic and deadly She seemed to know what she wanted to do for a vocation such a public health men- tion over our current crisis. on volumes of evidence and from the get-go. She wanted to be a nurse. ace—thanks to his much- Trump and Fox took almost sound analysis, is no match coronavirus ignorance. This delayed response the US two months to pivot from for an ignorant public that is the media of the Repub- Now 86 and living in a nursing home, my mother worked has now surpassed China “hoax” to “blindsided the was not inoculated against licans and the party with its as a nurse for decades. She picked a profession that has been in coronavirus deaths. Re- world,” while the more ex- the thousands of lies— mouthpieces need to be both in the spotlight lately because of the coronavirus pandemic publicans are responsible treme groups champion the “you’re just a Trump hater,” dismissed and held to ac- that has hard-hit some areas of the country and world. for condoning his corrup- coronavirus as a “weapon- they say when you cite ac- count. tion, persistent abuses of ized viral strain designed tual empirical, observable, Wim Laven, Ph.D., syndi- A registered nurse, my mother worked at a hospital in power, and ongoing grift. to sell more useless, deadly measurable evidence. cated by PeaceVoice, teach- Arlington, Texas, where my two of my siblings and I were With COVID-19 we see a vaccines, while at the same The conditions that made es courses in political sci- born. She also had experience working at a rehab hospital reality show President--one time killing off a few thou- the public vulnerable started ence and conflict resolution. in her career. Spanish Flu You’ re at an advantage when you grow up in a home with The idea was that Ameri- false. One historian, Alfred a parent as a nurse or in some profession in the health care cans, because of early con- W. Crosby, who has stud- tact, may have been im- ied the Spanish Flu, wrote, field, simply because they are keenly familiar with sick- mune, but those theories “People could and did hon- ness, injuries and prescription drug usage, among other By Dr. James Finck, around 50 million world- were discarded when the estly believe that a few lay- USAO history professor wide actually is now be- virus mutated in the fall and things. They also will understand and use terminology not Boston became one of the ers of gauze would keep out In the midst of the pan- lieved to have begun in Kan- readily understood by the public, such as NPO, or nil per demic and everyone stuck sas. Yes, the Spanish Flu epicenters. By September, flu bugs, just as screens kept at home, I hope you are 85,000 Bostonians had the the flies off the front porch.” os, a Latin term that translates into “nothing by mouth,” is actually the Kansas Flu. all doing well. I worry for When Kansans first started flu and, just south of them in Crosby credits the flu vac- or abstaining from fluids and food. It’s sometimes used as smaller papers, I know your going to the doctor, they Philadelphia, hundreds were cine for the decline and not NPO after midnight. advertising dollars may be were treated for the flu, but it dying a day. It got so bad in masks. The use of masks and My mother would discuss some of her work experiences, shrinking as businesses are was not seen as anything dif- the City of Brotherly Love the vaccine just happened to and she often spoke highly of doctors she met and worked struggling. I am pulling for ferent. At first the problem that they ran out of caskets start at the same time. you all, we need local pa- was not big enough to raise and the manpower to bury A third possible lesson is with along the way. On a few occasions, she met famous pers just as much as the big attention and doctors had no the dead. It got so bad in to wait and see when and people — usually professional athletes — at her job at Ar- guys. take care and be safe. good way to report. As the San Francisco that citizens were asked to stop using the how the disease started. lington Memorial Hospital, still operating as Texas Health It seems like there is nothing flu spread it did start to re- else to talk about right now, ceive notice from health and phone. No one could reach There is some suggestion Arlington Memorial Hospital and located down the street so I am jumping on with ev- government officials, but medical help because lines that COVID-19 may have from JerryWorld. One time a Seattle Mariners player, Leroy eryone else and am talking coming on the heels of the were tied up and operators been in the U.S. long before Stanton, was in the hospital during a time when the Mari- about the COVIN-19, hope tragedy of WWI, the gov- were sick. In many ways it was reported. As in 1918, you readers enjoy the his- ernments of the Allied pow- the Spanish Flu created a COVID-19 was first regard- ners were in town to play the Texas Rangers. My mother torical perspective. ers tried to stop panic and situation that is starting to ed as the flu, but now, look- got me his autograph — she must have told him she had a Spanish Flu keep up moral. The disease happen now--the streets are ing back, health officials There has been a lot of did not become well known empty and everyone’s wear- are investigating the chance young baseball fan at home — and it hung on my wall for- criticism over the Presi- until it hit Spain. Spain was ing masks. ever - “Best wishes and happiness always” was the message dent’s use of the term “Chi- neutral in the War and so not A couple of lessons we that COVID-19 made it to next to the signature and date, 10-1-1977. Sadly, Stanton nese virus” and rightfully part of the Allies. When the can learn from the Spanish America in November or died a year ago in a car crash in South Carolina. so. Names have not always King of Spain came down Flu. First, it came in three December. These cases have been an accurate way of with the new flu, the Spanish waves. Hopefully that will not been confirmed, but un- My mother enjoyed her career as a nurse, although to identifying ground zero for media was free to report it. not happen with COVID-19. derstanding the Spanish Flu be sure, she often told us about its demands. I’ve met and any disease. Health leaders With the Spanish media be- It started in the spring of tells us that it is possible. interviewed several people who have made nursing their have named this current vi- ing the only ones discussing 1918 but hit one of its small Lastly, we learn that dis- rus COVID-19. You cannot the new disease, it became peaks in June. I know there tancing works, but ulti- career. After hearing the news reports about what is hap- call this coronavirus because known as the Spanish Flu. is hope that COVID-19 will mately a vaccine is needed. pening at hospitals inundated with COVID-19 patients, you that is a blanket term that The flu hit Europe hard. fade out during the warm If not, we could be isolating covers any type of upper Large concentrations of summer months, but we see can’t help but sympathize with nurses, especially because respiratory infection. Also, troops still there for the War that this type of disease can ourselves in our homes for of the pressures and perils their jobs are placing on them. COVID-19 does not mean and the troops and the people have some peaks then. The much longer than we might They and doctors are on the frontlines of a battle against a the 19th Chinese-originated were worn out and prime for largest of the flu’s peaks did expect. viral infectious disease this a contagious virus. With so come in the colder months Dr. James Finck is an relentless foe called the coronavirus. year; it simply stands for many getting sick and dying of October and November of Associate Professor of His- We should applaud nurses — and other health care work- Corona Virus Disease 19. and the Spanish press report- 1918, followed by another tory at the University of Sci- ers — for their hard work and bravery now, but as one in- Historically speaking we ing, Allied nations could no small peak in March the next ence and Arts of Oklahoma have seen that naming a dis- longer contain the story. The ear. and Chair of the Oklahoma tensive care unit nurse from Boston said in one news story, ease after a region is not al- outbreak in America had not Secondly, in 1918 it was if we want to thank them, we can best do that by simply ways accurate. taken off from the original widely reported that the use Civil War Symposium. Fol- staying home, flattening the curve and educating ourselves With the last great pan- infection, so as troops be- of masks was responsible for low Historically Speaking demic, the name Spanish gan arriving from home they the containment. This caused at http:/www.Historically- from experts in the medical field. Flu is completely inaccu- brought it from Europe with a huge run on masks. How- speaking.blog or on Face- Well said. rate. The 1918 flu that killed them. ever, this has been proven as book. Senidl your editorial to [email protected]