Today’s newspaper reports that officials in St. Louis County are considering maybe tightening the restrictions now in place because of our apparent inability even to slow the spread of COVID19. Maybe it will be necessary to reduce the maximum gathering size down from the current number of 49! Are they kidding? And maybe reduce allowed occupancy levels of bars and restaurants to 50%. I find this astonishing, for half-measures like this are unlikely to make a bit of difference. Why not require all to wear a masks, why not reduce the maximum attendance at a gathering to the size of a nuclear family? Why not close bars and restaurants for a while?

But then, in the same article, a citizen attending the latest County Council meeting asked “Why do you insist on spreading fear and bullying the residents of St. Louis County.” Thank you, Mr. Trump! A Republican councilman is quoted as saying “to penalize everybody because certain people chose not to heed warnings is somewhat irresponsible from a policy point of view.” A complete misunderstanding of the COVID19 problem! Another Republican councilman warned that tightening restrictions in St. Louis County would drive people to go to other counties where the COVID19 threat is worse. I think we must read between the lines here: Tighter restrictions might drain off some cash from St. Louis County to other counties that are even more remiss. As always, economic considerations come first!

I would like to ask: Is telling the truth about a grave threat to our national security simply “spreading fear”? Is it bullying, is it penalizing if you compel citizens to do their duty to one another and take steps to protect their health and the health of all around them? 

Not telling the truth is a major cause of the crisis we face today. Our President knowingly lied to us when we might have taken steps to prepare for the onset of COVID19. And then, in an attempt to diminish his responsibility for his public health crime, he continued to lie about the severity of the pandemic and ridiculed the safety measures recommended by honest experts.

We would benefit from a lot more fear. I think Americans have developed a false sense of security due to the government’s control of information and due to the propaganda of the financial and commercial communities that is aimed to make us prodigal consumers. We have been brainwashed into believing that as long as we pay our taxes, spend our paychecks, and keep up our credit card payments we are what no human being ever can be, totally secure. So Americans won’t believe that there could come a plague that would be a real threat to US, won’t believe that there is not some medical magic that will take care of the problem at once, and, of course, believe their President because his lies reinforce their false beliefs.

Any honest appraisal of how great a menace COVID19 is to the US would, I think, make talk of “bullying” and “penalizing” seem ridiculous. If we truly feared COVID19 as much as it deserves, we would not worry so much about cash leaving our County. If we really feared COVID19 and if we really thought of ourselves as a civic community, we would work together, would support radical restrictions, would demand the truth, and would not let this plague continue to kill our fellow citizens.