Monday, April 20, 2020 –
We are at a precarious tipping point in America.
A handful of agencies are talking 2 or 3 YEARS (!?!?!) of this. Some Governors are starting to (rightly) consider the long-term ramifications of putting literally everything on hold for ONE thing. The news has gone bonkers with “less than accurate” reporting, to put it super nicely.
People are vastly over-reacting to poorly written “gotcha” headlines and articles they never read. Nobody has their head on straight. People are losing their poop on both sides. It’s a hot mess!
With unprecedented focus on a single issue, we are now at the point that the “cure” is worse than the disease. Yes, I said it. It is not a popular opinion, but it is one backed by science, history, politics, and general common sense.
With the world on lockdown, we have thankfully seen a slow in the spread of COVID-19. However, we are also seeing a drastic uptick in domestic violence, homicide, suicide, and economic destitution. Even the United Nations recently called for immediate action to combat the massive surge in domestic violence. Hotlines are lighting up with mountains of calls. Food pantries and agencies that help with hardship have been overrun.
I have seen a lot of people use the argument, “it is better to be destitute than dead.” Well, no, not really. That “argument” does not hold water, so to speak. There is a point where the number of people dying from other issues outweighs the number from a single disease, and unfortunately, we are at that point.
You see, when we are blinded by a single issue at the expense of all else, greater and longer-lasting problems occur.
I am not saying we should diminish the virus or deny the deaths that have occurred because of it. I value all life from conception to death. Every human has value, and we should be saddened by any death.
I am saying we need some perspective on how many other “unrelated” deaths are occurring because of the draconian laws we are under.
How many children have gone hungry because they no longer have access to school lunches? How many elderlies have suffered or died because they are unable to obtain their medications or seek medical attention out of fear? How many abusers have terrorized their victims? How many of those victims have been murdered? How many have committed suicide out of sheer desperation?
We also must consider the precedent we are setting by shutting down the world over a single issue.
Are we willing to take these harsh measures for other diseases? What if the government decides they want to keep these measures for “public health?” And yes, that is a possibility. We have allowed the government to overreach, and they will be slow to return the powers…if ever. This is where history comes in. Yes, it has happened before in other countries. It **can** happen here.
These are questions we really need to ask ourselves and pray about. We have come to a precarious point in America—in the world! We cannot allow ourselves to be hyper-focused on a single issue at the expense of untold millions of lives!
Saint Thomas More, pray for us!
