Questions

"Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers." – Voltaire


Questions like these have been floating around social media. Most of the answers are pretty clear if you stop to think a bit, or do a cursory Google search. But lists like this are meant to create fear and distrust, at a time when fear and distrust is dangerous. I don't know if the writer of these questions truly wants the answers. But I want to try to answer them.

1. Why can you go to Walmart but not Kohl's?
Because Walmart, bless its heart, sells essentials, like food. Many local communities banned big box stores like Walmart from selling non-essentials. I wouldn't know. I won't step foot into a Walmart unless I'm forced to.

2. Why the Dollar store and not a mom-and-pop shop?
Again, essentials like food. Mom-and-Pop shops that sell essentials are still open in my area. Have you even checked in with your locally-owned stores? Or are you still pining for Kohl's?

3. Why can't you have an elective surgery, but you can have an abortion which is elective?
Abortion is time-sensitive and not "elective" for women who seek them.

4. Why should you stay inside but yet heat and sunlight kill the virus?
First of all, you should not stay inside. You should go walk in your neighborhood and exercise in your yard. No one said to stay inside. You need to stay home except for essentials, and exercise is essential. When you go out walking, stay six feet away from others. Pretty simple IMHO.

We weren't sure that sunlight killed the virus at first. Science has helped us understand more in the last two months. But sunlight won't kill the virus that are in the droplets on their way from an infected cougher's mouth to your nose.

5. Why can't kids (who are not at risk) play on an outdoor playground, where sun kills this virus?
Kids are at less risk for expressing symptoms of the disease, but because of a lack of testing, we don't know enough about children being carriers or vectors of transmission. Also, kids at playgrounds mean adult supervision at playgrounds. Which means congregations of people. Which means increased risk of transmission. Again, sunlight can't sterilize the droplets when someone sneezes on your face.

6. Why don't people know that these are "recommendations" not laws because they have not gone through due process?
I think most people know this. And luckily, the majority of people have common sense and follow the recommendations. If someone in your community is misinformed, inform them.

7. Why is it okay for government officials to get a haircut, but not common citizens?
Mostly because of income disparity. Government officials have the means to pay plenty of people to assist them with many everyday tasks. Have you heard that 45's valet that serves his food has tested positive? Has your valet been tested?

8. Why the fear, when this virus has a less than 1% death rate?
A question back: Why is up to 3000 U.S. deaths per day a shrug? But more to the point, we simply don't know the mortality rate due to a lack of testing. Science will help us learn more if testing -- both testing for infection and testing for antibodies -- becomes more available. But death rate is only one part of this highly contagious disease. There have been hundreds of thousands more that have experienced COVID as a serious, life-threatening disease, with long hospital stays, dependence on a ventilator, and long recovery times. It's a trauma that will stay with them.

Another question back (given your 1% figure): which one of your 100 family and friends are you willing to sacrifice to show how un-afraid you are?

8.5 Why have coroners questioned death certificates listed as CV-19?
I hadn't heard this, but without researching, my science brain tells me that because this has been a very fast (1,322,000 U.S. cases in four months) and chaotic pandemic, it is difficult for medical professionals and coroners to keep up with the immense numbers of deaths. Looking it up, on the contrary, the coroners in at least one state -- Pennsylvania -- fear that the death toll from COVID is UNDERcounted. I think that coroners, like the rest of the medical professionals in this country and around the world, are feverishly (hopefully not literally!) working to do their very best in chaotic conditions.

9. Why are areas like Chicago and NY gearing up for mass va*cc*ination?
A question back: Why the asterisks in vaccination?
But more to the point: ummmm, to protect the citizens?

(Once a vaccination is available, we'll go through another trauma as anti-vaxxers make their faulty arguments.)

10. What makes one person essential and another not?
Really? Do I need to explain this?

11. Doesn't shelter at home mean there is a whole population of people not staying home so we can?
Yes.

12. Why are they dividing us?
Who are "they"? I don't think we are divided, I think we are temporarily separated. We should be – and the people I know are – united.

13. How do people not know that we are a Republic, not a democracy?
By taking civics classes. Which I suggest writers of lists like this do.

14. Where has the flu gone?
The official flu season is October 1 - March 31. The flu will be back later this year, as always. It hasn't gone anywhere. And I suggest you get a va*cc*ine.

15. Why do the homeless consistently demonstrate the lowest infection rates?
They haven't. Where is your data, anonymous Facebook inciter? Because you are lazy, I provide it for you. The homeless are potentially at even more risk given their lack of resources, their increased rates of pre-exisiting conditions, and their sometimes congregate living situations. Now is the time to support the most vulnerable citizens in our communities, not spread misinformation.

16. Why are they telling us to mask up after 2 months of lockdown?
It was chaotic at the beginning. There is more known now. Guidelines have been in flux from the start. At the beginning, too, "they" were worried about hoarding of masks and a lack of equipment for medical personnel. "They" were right. So when the pandemic evolved, recommendations evolved. As they should. Wear a mask when you go do your essential tasks. It will protect your neighbors.

17. Why is the CDC saying kids need to be masked when they return to school or attend church, when they know cloth masks restrict oxygen?
Cloth masks do not restrict oxygen. (I want to say "idiot" here but I also want to be generous).

18. What is this oppression and loss of liberty doing to the mental health of our kids...to us?
This is a charged question. (At this point I start to wonder why I am validating these stupid questions; but I'm more than half-way and so I forge ahead). Ignoring the charged language, I will say: mental health is a legitimate concern in these fraught times. We may be facing a whole new crisis as the pandemic continues.

19. Why have most other death rates dropped since the virus?
They haven't.

20. Why did world leaders meet in China in October 2019?
Are you talking about the Potato Blight Summit in Beijing? Or are you trying to instill fear and conspiracy theories?

21. Why are the common people being controlled by the government and no one is controlling the government?
Have you called your Members of Congress lately? Do you plan to vote in November? <fighting fingers from typing I D I O T again>

22. Why are hospitals paid more for Covid 19 deaths?
Because of the bi-partisan CARES Act, which allowed for an increased payment. There is no evidence that hospitals are fraudulently benefitting, however, and in fact COVID cases are probably undercounted due to lack of testing.

23. Why are some doctors speaking out and then getting silenced?
Many medical professionals have been intimidated by their administrations against speaking out about lack of PPE and other equipment. This is outrageous.

24. Why did Obama give the Wuhan lab $334 million dollars?
He didn't.

25. What does a computer geek have to do with a pandemic and why does he want 7 billion corona virus v*ccines?
Again, why the asterisk? Which computer geek are you talking about? Thousands of them have been infected. Most of them would like a vaccine, as would most of the general population.

26. Why ID 2020, Agenda 21 and 2030?
What does this even mean? There is so much shit in these questions I'm beginning to regret that I tackled this.

27. Why did the CDC have a job posting for pandemic relief workers in November 2019?
Could it be because the Moron-in-Chief fired the pandemic response team the year before?

28. Why did Dr. Fauci say in 2017 that the Trump administration would be faced with a “SURPRISE PANDEMIC" and then runs the pandemic team?
Fuck this I'm getting tired of this. I don't even want to look this one up. We have been expecting a pandemic for years. Pandemics are not new. They are just different from each other.

29. Why are they infringing on Christians’ religious freedoms?
"They" aren't.

30. Why can 500 people shop at Fred Meyer or Home Depot, but we are not allowed to go into a church building?
Which Home Depot are you shopping at? Mine has a line out the door due to limited numbers being allowed in. A question back: Can your gods hear you from inside your home?

I don't care if you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or vote for unicorns. If you're not asking these questions, you should be.
I'm not asking them, but unlike some, I'm willing to answer them.
Done.

Michael Ramirez