Learning from a Bad Example

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Alexa woke me with the news this morning that Donald and Melania Trump had tested positive for coronavirus, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.

Obviously I wish them well - and a full recovery.  It's not in my nature to do otherwise.  But on the other hand, this is also a major teachable moment for the people of America and the world, and we would be remiss not to examine what has happened and learn from it.

Last month journalist Bob Woodward released taped conversations which he had with Trump earlier in the year, conversations in which Trump admitted that on day-one, page-one he knew the coronavirus outbreak was an extremely serious and deadly event that was going to pose major problems for our country - just days before he minimized the pending pandemic to the American public by saying that it would be short-lived and was basically a "hoax."  Trump told Woodward that he had not wanted to panic Americans.

Throughout the initial growth of the deadly virus Trump continued to downplay its seriousness, and he often seemed more concerned with the impact that the rapidly spreading pandemic was having on the stock market than it was on the the health and lives of his fellow citizens.   Trump personally took over the daily government briefings on the spread of the virus and converted them from scientific and medical information and updates to forums for his political talking points.

From the outset Trump refused to wear a face mask in public and was at times openly contemptuous of others who took that basic precaution.  By late June he was back to holding his large, tightly packed political rallies and was openly campaigning for the country to "open back up" and revive the lagging economy.  As the summer waned he began advocating for the return of other activities which would make life feel more like it had been before the advent of the pandemic.  He wanted the schools open with students sitting in the classrooms, and he promoted the return of professional athletic events.

Trump seemed  to be reasoning that a return to normal would somehow make the coronavirus and its disease, COVID-19, just go away.

But he was wrong.  

Now the virus and disease are spreading faster than ever.   Now over seven million Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus - and 208,000 plus have died from COVID-19.  And now Donald and Melania Trump have tested positive for the deadly virus that Trump has essentially spent months nurturing through his benign neglect.

It's not disappearing, not yet.   

Donald Trump has been strongly hinting that the release of a vaccine is just weeks away, and he seems to be pushing drug companies to get something to market before Election Day - one month from tomorrow.  

That isn't going to happen.  

(Earlier this week I had a discussion with a doctor whom I strongly respect, and he said that he expects it will be at least another full year before a reliable vaccine is readily available to the public.) 

Those positive case numbers and fatality numbers are going to grow considerably in the next year unless society undergoes some massive changes in behavior.  This virus and disease that are sweeping across our country (and our planet) must be recognized as the powerful health threats that they are - and they must be respected and dealt with intelligently.

Donald Trump has spent the last eight months trying to talk us out of behaving responsibly in the face of a killer pandemic.   Now we are all paying the price for his neglect and intransigence.   Trump has been the consummate example of bad leadership in a time of crisis - and when a bad example presents itself, we need to learn from it.

Wear that damned mask, socially distance, use common sense, and vote like your life depends on it - because it literally does!