Life sends us around many a blind bend, and over many an unforeseen cliff. But after all, isn’t that what life is? Just one risk after another. Just being born into this world, is a risk, which many do not survive. But then, none of us survive life. It is fleeting, and unknown. Anyone who tells you they know how theirs will end, and when, are fools at best.
We all cling to life in some manner, and to different extents. Many of us will go to any lengths to remain in this world for as long as we can. We will run miles along the side of the road, hoping to be healthier, and live longer, and what happens? We get hit by a car, at the age of twenty-five.
We will put ourselves through the most horrible of treatments, things which make us sicker, lose our hair, cause us to be weak and feeble, all in the hope of another month, or even a day, to tread this mortal world.
There is a fear of the unknown, of what comes next, which feeds this struggle to last, to be, to remain. We have come to believe, the longer we are in this world, the more blessed we are. How does this happen? It happens because people have given up believing, truly believing, in something larger than themselves, or the science of their own minds.
Yes, we can prolong our existence, but we cannot escape our destiny. Death comes to us all. To cling to this life is futile, and foolish.
While some will go to any lengths, to remain here for as long as possible, no matter the cost to themselves, or others, some cling to life in another way. They attempt to go about their lives in a manner which allows them to enjoy the time they have here. To do good for others when possible, and to do as little harm as possible. To see the small pleasures before them, and enjoy them while they can. Instead of fearing the inevitability of death, they embrace the uncertainty of life. To accept that , yes they will die. Yes their friends and loved ones will die. While we would all like to go quietly in our sleep? Some of us will suffer, and agonize. Our death may be painful and prolonged, or unforeseen and sinisterly fast.
We may pass from a hemorrhage and be gone in thirty seconds, or we may waste away for a year, from pancreatic cancer. This unknow should not cause us to hide away from life and risk, it should drive us to live, to enjoy, to work, to play, to love.
I like to think I am the latter type. I hold to my faith in God, that God has a plan, and a will. I am not meant to understand it. I am not capable of comprehending it, and I certainly, am not worthy to judge it. I am given free will from God to make my choices. Some may be right, some will assuredly be wrong, but I, nor anyone else, will know which, until our enlightenment.
We are today suffering the worst kid of abuse from our political leaders. They have taken on the role of our protectors. They do not allow us the simplest decision about our own bodies. They tell us we SHOULD be afraid, and if we still refuse to be afraid, then they tell us we MUST be afraid, and mandate that we appear afraid, and that we act afraid. If that doesn’t work, they use our needs against us. We need to eat, to buy other goods, but unless we act afraid, and if we refuse to appear afraid? We are refused the basic needs of foods and services.
I do not possess this fear of dying, nor do I long to remain here, longer than God’s will, as if I could. I refuse to act afraid, in order to make those who are afraid, more comfortable in their fear.
Here in Delaware, we have been under, a so called, state of emergency for four months. We were told in the beginning, that we had to close down the economy, in order to flatten the curve, to not overwhelm the health care system. For four months, Governor John Carney has enforced his arbitrary restrictions upon the people of this state, in a manner more befitting a third world dictator. Going so far as to setting up a hotline for one citizen to report other citizens, for not strictly adhering to the edicts of his executive orders.
We have watched as businesses have closed to never reopen. Hardworking families have been put out of work, and onto the roles of the new welfare state entitlement, they are calling unemployment.
We are given rule, after rule, for how we are to go about our daily lives. Mask! Distancing! Testing! We are told we must do these things to win the battle against a virus. To hide in our homes, as the world falls apart around us. As our children lose their education, as people lose their futures, their dreams, their hopes. For four months, for the most part, the people of Delaware have attempted to abide these intrusions upon every aspect of our existence.
And what have we seen? We have seen that out of the 521 deaths in Delaware, the overwhelming majority, 333, have occurred within the walls of long term care facilities and nursing homes, facilities inspected and licensed by the state. And once that wave of deaths had leveled off, so had the overall numbers. Hospitalizations are around fifty-five, and critical cases are under ten.
And yet? We are frozen in fear of the second wave. Now, no one has explained the definition of what the end of the first wave looks like, and so the Governor can hold the unknown start of the second wave over our heads indefinitely. We have 55 people in the hospital for COVID 19, and yet, we still have to wear mask, limit businesses on how many people they can serve, or if they can be open at all. We can’t play baseball, we can’t go to any event not approved by government. Schools will likely not reopen on time. We are under constant scrutiny and threat of fine and arrest, if we do not conform to the fear this Governor insist we must feel. Businesses are now so frightened of being reported to the government hotline, they have accepted their roles as the government’s agent of enforcement. Hoping to be the last one the crocodile eats.
We as a state, or a nation, cannot sustain an economy running on 30%, or even 50%. We cannot tell one part of the economy, and it’s workers, you are essential, and must continue to work, to supply the needs of the many, and to also carry the tax burden of the new entitlement programs, to support the people put out of work, not because of bad choices on their part, or that of their employer, but out of fear, and a government and Governor who are out of control.
For four months we have been doing the same things, mask, distancing, and testing, and yet, the Governor tells us nothing is improving, that we have to continue to do the same things. Well maybe it is time to do something different. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.
We have used the mask, we have closed businesses, if that is not working, then let’s try something else.
Of course I have been called selfish for my views, that I don’t care if your grandmother gets sick and dies, and how would I feel if my loved one died? We were told we were all in this together. That we have to wear the mask to protect others, that it isn’t fair to put others at risk.
But don’t you see? That is exactly what we are doing. We are putting future generations at risk, in an attempt to protect ourselves and our loved ones today. We think we can hide away from the virus long enough to create a vaccine. But in doing so, we are weakening not only our own immune systems, but we are weakening man’s immune system.
By hiding away, we protect our communal immune system from attacks, and it begins to act as if there is no threat. But the threats are still there, and growing larger. So when one gets through our wall of defense of vaccines, there is no natural immune system left to fight off the attackers.
I am not advocating for no mask, wear them if that is your choice. Distancing is fine, but it should be up to individuals. Testing should only be for people who are showing symptoms, or in other words, people who are actually sick.
We’ve tried it Governor Carney’s way for four months, it’s time to realize, living is about more than breathing and logging another day on this rock. If Carney can’t see that, then it is time to stop electing the same people over and over and expecting to get a different result.
Frank Knotts
