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| Ally Carter |
I like to track these things to their sources, but that's rarely possible. In this case it is. Ally Carter is the pen name of a 46-year-old Oklahoma native named Sarah Leigh Fogleman, author of young adult and adult fiction. She's also "@OfficiallyAlly" in social media circles. And "act.tv" is a media outlet characterized as "left-leaning" by those who characterize such things. I'm left-leaning, too.
One of the most annoying reassurances offered lately in regard to this new variety of flu runs something like this, "Aw shucks, don't worry. It'll just kill the old folks and younger ones with pre-existing conditions."
Well, friends, some of us are old and most of us value people who are older than we are and/or have pre-existing health issues.
One of the most annoying reassurances offered lately in regard to this new variety of flu runs something like this, "Aw shucks, don't worry. It'll just kill the old folks and younger ones with pre-existing conditions."
Well, friends, some of us are old and most of us value people who are older than we are and/or have pre-existing health issues.
So precautions are called for. Wash your hands, for heaven's sake, and stay home if you're sick. The fatality rate, although small, apparently still is about 10 times the rate of our usual seasonal flu varieties, striking those who are most vulnerable.
And remember that the truly alarming thing about this virus is not the virus itself, but how rapidly it spread around the world and how clumsy and slow the response to it has been. There's nothing to stop old Mother Nature from throwing a far more deadly virus into the mix at any time.
Like it or not, we do live in what sometimes is called a global village --- and that requires a global health-monitoring and rapid response network that we don't have. The U.S. economy will have issues during times like these because it's part of a global economy and not because of a "conspiracy."
And, no, the media are not responsible for the uneasiness you feel. Much of the reporting I've seen actually has been accurate and balanced, although there certainly are exceptions.
But Walter Cronkite is dead, so there's no one out there mediawise to hold your hand. You've got to pay attention to several sources, learn which ones are trustworthy and form your own conclusions. It's called behaving like a grown-up.
And remember that the truly alarming thing about this virus is not the virus itself, but how rapidly it spread around the world and how clumsy and slow the response to it has been. There's nothing to stop old Mother Nature from throwing a far more deadly virus into the mix at any time.
Like it or not, we do live in what sometimes is called a global village --- and that requires a global health-monitoring and rapid response network that we don't have. The U.S. economy will have issues during times like these because it's part of a global economy and not because of a "conspiracy."
And, no, the media are not responsible for the uneasiness you feel. Much of the reporting I've seen actually has been accurate and balanced, although there certainly are exceptions.
But Walter Cronkite is dead, so there's no one out there mediawise to hold your hand. You've got to pay attention to several sources, learn which ones are trustworthy and form your own conclusions. It's called behaving like a grown-up.
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