LOG CABIN CHRONICLES
STOPPING
COVID-19 ~ WITH VALIUM? Today's past-time is to comment (or
pontificate) on Covid-related rules, restrictions, programs and
measures. Should schools be open? With masks, or without? Masks in
classrooms, in hallways? Ban arrivals from abroad -- or quarantined?
Vaccines: one shot … or two? Or none? And, by far the winning category,
opinions on which services are "essential", or not? Why can
we buy ice cream but not a hairbrush, a new battery but not a new car
... all of a sudden every person who can open their mouth has an opinion
to share, a judgement to express, and a decision to criticize -- all
this will be one of the pandemic's lasting memories. Not only have
we all become experts, we're now scientific experts. "I'm only
expressing my opinion," said one neighbour about the efficacy of
only one of a two-shot vaccine. Does she also express her
"opinion" about the speed of light? About the existence, or
not, of exo-planets? About the need to reduce green-house gas
emissions? Second-guessing researchers and experts has become an
adult past-time. Second-guessing is a form of anti-science.
"Experts?" So many see themselves as experts about lockdowns,
feeling they have a "right" to utter their judgement -- as if
it carried the weight of verification and testing that goes into
scientific decision-making. We see so few cases of the infection here,
we assume that our "here" should not be subject to the same
precautions as inner cities. We fail to notice that if we throw open
the Pontiac's doors, we'll be sharing our facilities with Ontario and
Gatineau party-goers. Younger people know they'll live forever, and
are certain there's a "Right to Party" written into Canada's
Charter. Younger experts will assure us the flu's effects have been
exaggerated ... anyone who isn't able to throw off the flu are
obviously in ill health and struggling to live. Why should we all suffer
just to protect the already ill -- they're already on their way out!
Turn up the music! How did this become a Canadian attitude? Wasn't
Canada built by taking care of each other, under our northern
conditions? Refusals to respect lockdowns are our ways to say,
"too bad, seniors, your time is up anyway!" (but using more
polite language) ... while we're trying to build a society on the
opposite premise? We do recognize that this pandemic is special and
that no one knows everything about it -- especially with the virus now
evolving. Shouldn't we switch from "every person is an expert"
to "no one is an expert (but some are more scientific in their
attempts than others)". No one knows what is coming, in detail, and
very few have enough of the details of past epidemics (SARS, Ebola,
swine flu, AIDS) to predict where Covid is taking us. Therefore
shouldn't we err on the side of caution? Shouldn't we consider that the
more jurisdictions trying different measures, the more information we
will have with which to make future decisions on vaccination,
distancing, and even managing old-age homes. Multiple experiments yield
quantifiable information about which counter-measures are most effective
in fighting this virus. And if we did have one single national
operating plan (local experts' opinion), wouldn't we have only one data
set with which to evaluate future decisions and Covid-restricting
measures? Multiple trials yield various results which can then be
compared. Really, if we are to squeeze every government move, every
health service decision, every leader's proposal -- social media's
distrust and doubt -- where will that attitude get us? Don't we build
our nation by starting with trust and agreement? Let's try Rene
Levesque's prescription, "Everybody, take a Valium" The
valium in this case means a pause, plus our careful judgement and our
recognition that only science generates testable results; the valium of
careful consideration and a closed mouth. And, yes, I'll now be the
first to follow this advice, thank you.
Copyright © 2020 Fred Ryan/Log Cabin Chronicles 1.12.21 |