The secret pandemic. . .
September 2, 2009
News about the spread of the H1N1 or Swine Flu virus is starting to trickle out. Yesterday we learned that 10% of New York City residents were infected. Today we learn that students at the University of Kansas with the H1N1 virus are being isolated. One hour ago Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was quoted as saying that Americans should expect “a big influx” of swine flu cases. The mainstream news is still staying fairly quiet on what the WHO has deemed the “most serious pandemic of the century”. Meanwhile, the mainstream news’ attempt to avoid panic means that ‘related’ news is also being under reported.
For example, did you hear anything about the “Pandemic Response Bill 2028″ passed by the Massachusetts Senate? The bill “would allow authorities to forcefully quarantine citizens in the event of a health emergency, compel health providers to vaccinate citizens, authorize forceful entry into private dwellings and destruction of citizen property and impose fines on or imprison citizens for noncompliance.”
This sort of ‘martial law’ may be appropriate, but in a free society we need to debate these sort of measures. The mainstream media’s fear of causing a panic means that we won’t get a say in how the pandemic is controlled. I am not sure I want politicians to be able to enter my house without a warrant – our Constitutional rights are actually important. Maybe we should have a discussion before suspending them.
FYI – my own opinion (and I am not a doctor) is that the H1N1 virus is about the same as the normal flu, only that it is more contagious. This means that more people will get sick (which sucks), but mortality will be about the same as it is for the normal flu. Anyway, go out and get your flu shot today and when the vaccine for the H1N1 comes out get it too. So don’t panic about the H1N1 – panic about your nutty representatives who would suspend the Constitution to save you from yourself.
