In the depths of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in his induction speech: “This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper…. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror….”
Initial fears about the spread of COVID-19 were justified. When you suddenly have thousands of people dying from a new virus with no known vaccine, it’s natural to panic. Therefore, the alarm system galvanized us into action here in the USA. We’ve identified the coronavirus, and the CDC is doing everything possible to stop it from spreading here.
But the media has done everything in its power to politicize the virus, and stir up unwarranted panic. There are about 38,000 deaths per year from automobile accidents. Does that mean we should stop buying cars? If we gave in to that type of panic, it would turn the world as we know it upside down. Goods and services wouldn’t be delivered. Millions of people would lose their jobs in the auto related industries. No one could drive to work.
Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death. Why aren’t we worried about obesity, and the over consumption of red meats as a risk factor ? Shall we shut down McDonalds, Steak N Shake and all the restaurants that serve unhealthy meals loaded with saturated fat? If not, why? Because it doesn’t make sense. We know we may or may not get these diseases, so we put that fear out of our minds and go on..
If we let panic rule our lives, most of us would become agoraphobics. We wouldn’t step out our door for fear of air pollution, getting a contagious disease, having a car accident and all of the other tragedies that result from every day interactions with our fellow human beings.
My children are more worried about me than I am. They point out that I’m in the vulnerable age group—over 65—most apt to die from covid-19. They don’t realize how many adversities I’ve faced–managed to survive- over the years. Yes, I might get the coronavirus. I could also have a heart attack, or be diagnosed with cancer. While we’re taking common sense precautions—avoiding crowds, hand washing, etc.–my husband and I won’t give in to panic. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.