Over 100 years ago in 1918, the Spanish flu swept the globe killing an estimated 50 million people. According to the CDC, 675,000 of those deaths were in the United States. Today we are experiencing the effects of the Chinese Coronavirus pandemic. Over 180 countries have recorded infections among their people. The NY Times’ official counts reveal almost 3 million people infected by the Chinese Coronavirus with a reported 204,000 deaths worldwide.
In the United States, as of April 27, 2020, there were 50,787 deaths attributed to this virus. Unprecedented steps to mitigate the spread of the virus have been put in place and most remain, including the virtual shut down of the entire United States economy as well as the economies of most other countries around the world. Almost everyone in the United States has been ordered or mandated to shelter in place during this pandemic resulting in massive unemployment. We haven’t seen unemployment rates like this since The Great Depression. In addition, have you heard about the plans for our people to need papers for permission to go from place to place and even a permit to go back to work? I have. Does this remind you of anything? Does it remind you of another time and and another country? Does the word tyranny come to mind?
Some states are beginning to open back up, but many are hesitant and fearful of “getting back to normal.” Political forces are at odds as to the best course of action. I believe many of our rights and freedoms are being unconstitutionally removed and restricted. This is of great concern. Our way of life and the very fabric of our Republic is at stake now like never before. Taking advantage of public fear and uncertainty, some are pushing forward with agendas to remove our autonomy and freedoms.
To be free, we must be informed and willing to stand up for our rights as well as accept our responsibilities as a self-governed people. We must look at the research, examine the studies, and interpret the statistics to see what is true and what is false. We need to make informed decisions and understand what is and what should be. We need to understand the risks and sometimes take them.
Most of us understand that we will die one day. But how? This is a critical question to understand, and it can give perspective to the pandemic. According to healthline.com, the following is a list of the top 12 primary causes of death including the number of deaths per year of our citizens in the United States.
CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE USA NUMBER OF DEATHS/YEAR
1. Heart Disease 635,260 (23.1%)
2. Cancer 598,038 (21.7%)
3. Accidents (unintentional injuries) 161,374 (5.9%)
4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases 154,596 (5.6%)
5. Stroke 142,142 (5.18%)
6. Alzheimer’s disease 116,103 (4.23%)
7. Diabetes 80,058 (2.9%)
8. Influenza and pneumonia 51,537 (1.88%)
9. Kidney disease 50,046 (1.8%)
10.Suicide 44,965 (1.64%)
11.Septicemia 38,940 (1.42%)
12.Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 38,170 (1.39%)
These top 12 causes of death account for approximately 77% of all deaths in the United States each year.
We expect more coronavirus deaths, but at this point the Chinese Coronavirus was said to cause 50,797 deaths and would rank 9th in the list of top 12 causes of death in the United States. Eight other causes of death have more deaths than the Chineses coronavirus, and yet we have never closed our country or economy for the top eight yearly causes of death.
Now for a bit more perspective. The governor of the state of New York said this week that he was glad to keep his whole state closed if it could save even one life. But in January of 2019, this same governor signed a bill allowing the abortion of a child up until and at the moment of birth, expanded the ability to perform abortions from physicians only to a range of medical professionals, and removed abortion from the criminal law code. To celebrate, this governor directed the One World Trade Center and other landmarks in New York to be lit with pink lights. So what is the impact of this decision? More deaths. What about each of these lives? Where are they in the list? What about the children?
According to CBS news, the CDC reported 623,471 abortions in the United States in 2016. So what – you may ask. The fact is that more babies have died from abortion in our country each year than those who died for any one of 11 of the top 12 causes of death in America. Second only to death by heart disease (by approximately 12,000 children), abortion is the second leading cause of death in the United States. The CDC also reported that 59% of those who obtained an abortion in 2016 already had at least one child. Reports by lifenews.com say that “abortion was the leading cause of death world wide in 2019, killing 42 million people.” Can you imagine? In a single year – last year, 42 million babies died by abortion. Just for perspective— compare those 42 million children to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 where over a 36 months period (3 years), 50 million people died of the flu.
Mr. governor of New York, you can’t really care about every single person in your state. Keeping your economy shut down to save just one person seems hypocritical while you and fellow politicians decriminalized the killing of healthy viable infants ready to be born. The health department reported that during 2012-2014, women in New York aborted 400 babies for every 1000 live births. Those are the numbers.
It appears that there are forces at work to control our procreation, our population, our productivity, our passage from place to place, and our potential to pursue provision for our families and to even access food produced to feed our nation. My cousin’s family are cattle ranchers. They have been fighting for years for country of origin labels on our produce and meats. Politicians won’t pass or reinstate the requirement for country of origin on products. Why? Who gains from making sure we don’t know from where our food comes? Have you seen the way Asian countries have injected meats and sea foods with fillers so that they look bigger and weigh more? I have. In light of all we know and don’t know about China, do you trust them for our food supply? What about Brazil, Russia, Mexico, or any of dozens of other third world nations.
Today in America, we have the ability to feed the world, but because of politics, packers, and this pandemic, our farmers and ranchers are now dumping and plowing under crops ready to harvest. They are pouring out good milk that could feed our children. Ranchers are having to euthanize (put down) chickens, pigs, and cattle ready for market because there is no place for them to be processed. As this pandemic goes on, meats from other countries with less quality control and standards are being imported, and no one knows where it comes from because there is no requirement for country of origin labeling. Why? What is the reason for this? Do you understand what is going on? Do you care? Does it really matter? I say, “Yes!”
Youtube, facebook, and major news outlets are consorting, censoring and selecting the information you can and can’t see and hear. They openly admit that they know better, and they will tell you what to think and feel also. They have the power and the platforms and will to decide what news you can and can’t have including how it will be served and slanted. And you free thinkers out there, you’d better not question their motives or machinations or you’ll be banned, blackballed and labelled a hater or some other malevolent term. Political bias, disrespect and disdain for differing opinions, and a culture of group think today disallows anyone who is not politically correct (PC). I’m sure you have heard that about half of our citizens are a “basket of deplorables.” As a child, my parents taught me that when someone resorts to name calling and character assassination to win an argument, they have revealed the inadequacy of their point of view and the bankruptcy of their position. When name calling and character assassination don’t work, censorship and isolation are the next steps to curbing independent thought and behavior. Are you, like me, seeing this?
So what is the point? Why am I writing about the Spanish flu and the current causes of death in our country and worldwide. What do heart disease, abortion, and the coronavirus have in common. What does all this mean? I challenge you to look at all the facts. I encourage you to seek the truth, just as I am trying to do. I have searched multiple sources to find reliable data from which to compile accurate information for this writing. I hope you will do your research as well, and then will stand with the remaining patriots of this country to fight for things that are right, true and just.
I believe there is a reason why this pandemic is different. Look at the numbers. Ask the questions. I understood the need to socially isolate to prepare for the expected surge of coronavirus cases. I think our nation did a great job with what they had to work with and quickly made up for deficiencies in our preparedness and prevention measures. But now—What about now?
Why does this Chinese Coronavirus continue to shut down economies worldwide and in our nation where heart disease has over 12 times the number of deaths each year, yet no one closes their business for heart disease deaths?
Why have we closed our country for a coronavirus when each year we have 12 times more people die of abortion year after year? How can political leaders say that every person matters while making sure that some don’t?
Just look at the numbers. We have never shut down our nation and economy for any other pandemic or any of the top 12 causes of death in America. Why not? Why now?
Why, when less that 1% of those who get coronavirus die, do we lock down our whole nation? Why do we need to shelter in place when over 99% of the people who get the virus will recover?
Why do we need to close down hospitals from caring for heart disease, cancer, accidents, respiratory infections, flu, Alzheimers’ disease, joint replacement surgeries, etc., when only 15% of people with the virus will even need to be hospitalized for care?
Why do we still have problems finding toilet paper, household cleaners, and basic food products in our stores two months into this pandemic?
Do we not make enough products for our daily lives to be self-sufficient as a country? If not, why not?
Why are we dependent on other countries for our 95% of our antibiotics?
Why are our farmers plowing under their crops and ranchers euthanizing their animals?
Why won’t major news outlets and networks carry administrative daily updates and briefings after these same companies and reporters complained that they needed more access to the administration and more information on what is going on during the pandemic? Why when the administration gives them the data they require, will they not report that data?
What is really going on? What are the facts? How do these facts add up? Are our leaders and politicians doing their jobs to work for our best interests or for someone or something else?
Congress won’t come back into session, but has mandated many of our citizens must go to work. Does this make sense? If our congressional representatives are not essential personnel, why are they still being paid? Should they be fired for not working on what we “the people” hired them to do?
Does our citizenry even care about governmental representatives not doing their jobs? Do our citizens care about the future of our nation, culture, and freedoms, or are we so selfish that we care only for ourselves and our families. Do we give no regard to the big picture?
Today in American 50% of those furloughed from their jobs due to the mandated closures can make more on unemployment than they were making in their jobs. Employees all over the country are resigning or simply not returning to work because they can make more sitting on their backside at home than working their job. Why?
In Louisiana unemployment benefits are $247/week. The federal government is paying $600/week in addition to state unemployment. Why? Do you remember the push for a national minimum wade of $15 per hour? What is $600 divided by 40 hours? You guessed it. The answer is $15/hour. When you add in the $247/week from the state, what is the hourly rate the government is paying citizens NOT to go work all the way through July 2020? The answer is $21.18 per hour! The current minimum wage in Louisiana is $8.50 per hour. Getting on unemployment benefits now is 2 1/2 times more profitable than working a minimum wage job 40 hours a week. This federal and state pay out of unemployment money comes from money the government doesn’t have. The United States is over 23 trillion dollars in debt already. Where will we find the money to pay for all the government benefits during this time? You guessed it. It will come from higher taxes on businesses (which means increased costs for goods and services) and higher taxes on your paycheck, properties, and purchases. Who wants the government to take a bigger bite out of their paychecks? Can you raise your hands high so that I can see them? I understand why people want to stay home, but is this what is best for our economy, our people, our national security, and our sovereignty? Is this fiscally responsible?
Explain to me how small businesses, who don’t have deep pockets or cash cushions can continue to pay employees, themselves, their mortgages, utilities, and other costs for operating and production supplies and whose workers won’t work can survive? Most small businesses can not survive a two month closure or loss of production. Many small businesses will be in bankruptcy before May ends.
Is this a plan to put small businesses in America out of business? If not, why are only the big box stores allowed open with hundreds of people strolling their aisles, when hometown local small businesses can often provide the same products? What will it mean for our nation, if most small businesses are out of business? Small businesses make up about 50% of our economy and tax base. If small businesses can’t operate, we will see over time, fewer choices and higher costs for goods and services. Do you know what happens in one horse towns?
When government officials and legislation rewards Americans to be unproductive, won’t these same Americans become dependent on the government for their sustenance? Will we, the citizens, become slaves to the state? Are you willing to dance to when the government plays their tunes of tax and spend more and more?
So what is the answer? How do we move forward? Will the government dictate our every move? Will we allow the government to do so? Will we, like sheep, forgo most or all of our freedoms because of fear and for a promise of safety?
I plan on continuing to learn the facts and try to share the truth. I challenge each you to personally step forward, stand out, and speak up for what is right and true as well. Our futures, both individually and collectively, depend on what we will and won’t do, who we elect to represent us, and how we choose to live. We can live in fear or in freedom. I choose freedom. So…..now, I ask you, what will you do with what you know? How will you make a difference in your world and for those around you?
Robin Robbins House ©️ 5/2/2020
Robin’s Roses Photograph by Robin House