A different scenario
Dear editor:
On March 27 the serial letter writing “Tea Party Doctor” appeared on the editorial page of The Sentinel-Record as a “guest columnist” writing about the coronavirus presently ravaging the world. He begins his missive quoting Voltaire, saying, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” From there the doctor, not an epidemiologist, seeks to convince others that President Trump and his minions are doing all that can be expected to address the COVID-19 pandemic. In a phrase, the gist of the column is, “What the Trump government is doing is good. It might not be perfect, but so what?”
To adequately point out all the “so what’s” will certainly take more than one letter. But one must start somewhere. I am writing on March 29. In today’s The Sentinel-Record, The Associated Press reports the present situation: “Worldwide infections surpassed the 660,000 mark with more than 30,000 deaths. … The U.S. now leads the world in reported cases with more than 120,000. Confirmed deaths surpassed 2,000 on Saturday, twice the number just two days before.” In Arkansas, Gov. Hutchinson reported the number of people reported to have COVID-19 had increased to 404, from 386, the previous day. At the moment, deaths in the state number five.
In line with Trumpian xenophobia and without substantiation, the doctor blames the Chinese by claiming they lied and didn’t share information with the world when the virus first appeared in December of 2019. Thus, preventing other nations, presumably including the U.S., from implementing proven actions such as those used to tackle viruses such as SARS and Ebola. However, reports by various news sources documents quite a different scenario.
Here is some of the chronological evidence of Trump’s replies to reporters and others regarding what he has insistently termed the “Chinese virus” and his view of the federal government’s response:
On Jan. 22, when asked if there were any worries about the pandemic, “No. Not at all … we have it totally under control.”
On the 24th, “It will work out well.” On the 30th, “… We have a little problem … and those people are recuperating successfully.”
On Feb. 10, “Looks like by April … it miraculously goes away.”
On the 20th, “… within a couple of days, is going to be down close to zero.”
On the 25th,“… the Democrats are polarizing the coronavirus … this is their new hoax.”
On March 10, “It will go away. Just stay calm. … ”
Along the way, Trump repeated the fantasy that people were going to work with the virus and doing well. Then most recently, he declared that the situation will be good enough to suspend such things as “shelter in place” orders by Easter, on April 12. A statement virtually all medical experts labeled ridiculous.
Meanwhile, America becomes ground zero for the virus. While in Hot Springs the “Tea Party Doctor” asks: So what?